Business: Financial Information

Here are some strategies that may be helpful when searching in databases for financial information. You can add the company or industry name to narrow down results.

• Add keywords and use synonyms, such as (financial or finance or financ*) or "financial statements" or "annual reports"
• Use the parentheses groups the ideas together so you can use multiple terms in one search 
• Narrow down results by filtering by Document Type. For example, using "reports" can bring up SWOT and annual reports or related material.

Private companies do not always have to report financial information in the same way publically traded companies do. However, company websites can provide a wealth of information to attract potential clients and investors.

A quick Google search will bring up the company websites, but here are some additional tips to help you pull information from company sites:

• Google search the company name with the words "annual report" or "financial statements"
• searching "annual reports" or "financial statement" in the website search bar
• look for "Investor" information either using the website search box, in the website footer, or in drop down menus

Ebsco's Company Information and Company Profiles tools (see instructions here) also provides financial information for companies. Company information will provide a brief overview of the company's financials, while the reports in Company Profiles will usually provide more detail.

Financial information and trends can also be found through newspapers, financial magazines, and through free websites. Here are some examples: