Private Company Research  

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Private companies are those for which there is no public ownership of its shares or assets.

In the United States, the majority of businesses are privately held. Because private companies are not required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the information sources for private company research are reduced considerably.

Consequently, researching a private company may require considerable creativity and persistence. After consulting some of the basic directories like ReferenceUSA Business and Corporate Affiliations some of the sources in this guide may include more substantive information.

Directories - links to databases and websites listing hundreds of thousands corporations and information about them Rankings - links to websites with lists of companies according to various criteria

Government Information - links to databases and websites relating to the government's interactions with corporations

Executives and Employees - links to databases and websites useful in searching for the people in business

Investment Information - links to databases and websites relating to the financial side of business

Company News - links to databases and websites providing detailed information about different companies

Information on publicly-traded companies will usually include or contain information extracted from; 10-K's, annual reports, proxy statements and other documents filed with regulating bodies such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and reports written by investment banks. This information typically includes summary financial data, stock pricing data, key corporate events, officers and directors, analyst rating, and analyst reports.

Information on privately-held companies may be more limited. Information on these companies can include: company name, address, telephone, number, company web address, SIC or NAICS codes, maybe the names of a few key officials, an estimated sales amount, and an estimate of the total number of employees.

Rita W. Moss
Business/Economics Librarian
moss@unc.edu
(919) 962-1151