DBA GUIDE

PUBLIC COMPANIES 

Company Websites

Annual Reports (10-K)

Public Company Financials

Company Profiles

Company History, Rankings, Market Share, SWOT, Competitors, etc. 

Company Websites

Company websites can provide a wealth of information, particularly for public companies. Look for press releases, investor information, and financials, including presentations and events and filings such as SEC filings, annual reports, or corporate social responsibility or "community" reports.

NOTE: Use information from the company carefully and watch for bias or an overly optimistic interpretation of factual data.

Annual Reports (10-K)

All public companies are required to produce an annual report (10-K), along with other reports, for the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The reports are made public to help current and potential investors better understand a company's financial health. 

NOTE: Private companies usually do not produce annual reports for the public.

On Corporate Sites - Look for the "Investor Relations" or "About Us" link on a company's website. Examples:

• FedEx (Investor Relations at the bottom of the page)
• UPS (About Us at the top and bottom of the page. On the About Us page, select Investors at the top of the page.)

NOTE: Beware many companies also use their annual reports as a marketing tool. The narrative can be more public relations than analysis.

Public Company Financials

On Corporate Sites - Look for the "Investor Relations" or "About Us" link on a company's website.

Company Profiles

Company History, Rankings, Market Share, SWOT, Competitors, etc.