LibGuides: BUS 5000 Foundations of Business Administration: Researching Industries

Industry Research Databases

IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
BizMiner This link opens in a new window
Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Each company report incorporates up-to-the-minute news items. The Archives Data holds the full business descriptions, histories and financial statements for companies that were acquired, went bankrupt, liquidated or merged out of existence from 1996 onward for U.S. companies and 1995 forward for non-U.S. companies. The database also includes a annual report collection for more than 40, 000 U.S. companies.
Company coverage in the Mergent Online includes: history, mergers, acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, business, property, subsidiaries, officers and directors, news reports, long-term debt, bond ratings, capital stock, exchange and ticker symbol, annual stock price ranges, registrar, transfer agent, stock splits, dividend payment history, income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, contact information, auditors, and qualified auditors report.

NOTE: Mergent Online is currently not compatible with Netscape 4.7 or older browsers. If you are currently using Netscape 4.7 or older or you are an Apple Mac or Macintosh user, please contact Mergent technical support staff at 1-800-955-8080 or 212-413-7744 or mail them at mailto:technicalsupport@mergent.com.
MarketLine This link opens in a new window
MarketLine provides statistical modelling functions, interactive reports and databases along with an integrated news service updated on a daily basis. It is a dynamic access point to the world of market intelligence. It can be used in management and marketing courses, especially those with an innovation, entrepreneurship or global focus. In terms of student use: it would provide critical information for drafting assignments related to market plans or new business plans. This database could also be useful for finance classes that deal with investing, especially investing in global markets or emerging economies and industries. The country information could additionally be useful in economics classes.
MarketLine Tutorial
First Research This link opens in a new window
D & B Key Business Ratios This link opens in a new window
ABI/Inform Trade & Industry This link opens in a new window
Business Source Premier This link opens in a new window
Statista Pro This link opens in a new window

Industry Analysis Framework

Industry Handbook from Investopedia
Need help organizing your thoughts and data as you undertake an industry anlaysis project? Check out Investopedia's Industry Handbook which includes Porter's 5 Forces. Porter's analytical framework makes the exercise of analysing an industry easier since it gives you a structure complete with the critical things to look for.

Industry Research Step by Step

Marketline

Research industries and gather industry statistics from MarketLine

Easy to use database gives you a wealth of industry information including a composite SWOT analysis for leading companies, Porter's 5 Forces analysis with graphs for industries (global or by country) as well as consumer behavior statistics
Click MarketLine link
Enter your company name and click GO
Click News for up to date industry news
Click Companies to see company profiles and SWOT analysis
Click Opinion to see analysts' predictions and trends
Click Industries to see comprehensive industry reports including Porter's 5 Forces analysis with graphs

IBISWorld

Use IBIS World for a strategic analysis of your industry with easy access to upstream and downstream industries (supply chain) that your industry may be dependent upon or support

Click IBIS World
Enter keywords to describe your industry
View reports by clicking on their title
Move through report contents by using links to the left or clicking the PDF link to get the whole report
To see related industries follow links in the box on the lower left called See Full Context

ABI Inform

Review more detailed industry surveys and industry-related intelligence at ABI Inform Trade and Industry
- Click ABI Inform Trade and Industry
- Click the Browse tab at the top of the screen
- Select FirstResearch for quarterly industry reports; these reports are more granular that S&P's and oftentimes deal with very specific sub-industries while using examples of particular companies within the industry
- Excellent resource for finding detailed information on a specific function or business within an industry (e.g. automobile dealerships as opposed to simply automotive industry.)
- TIP: There are other links to things like market share, market research reports, and industry trends and forecasts; to get to these materials is a little tricky. You need to do the following:
  - Click the link for the thing you want
  - ProQuest will bring back all of the documents about that topic in the database; it could be thousands!
  - Limit to your industry or company by scrolling to the bottom of the page and adding the connector AND plus your keywords (e.g. AND automotive industry)

Mergent

Mergent is another source of compiled industry surveys both United States and global ones
- Select Mergent Intellect
- Click Industry Reports
- Select your industry
- The industries covered are very broad but can be useful for the 'big picture'

Industry Ratios

D&B Key Business Ratios

Retrieve industry ratios to determine how the industry is doing in terms of solvency as a whole along with highs and lows for companies in that industry
- Select D&B Key Business Ratios
- Select your industry from the pull-down

BizMiner

Get sample financial statements and up to 5 years of historical industry ratios with charts from BizMiner
- Select BizMiner
- Enter a keyword for your industry or search by SIC Code (Standard Industrial Classification)
- TIP: Use Google to find your company's SIC code by googling the company name and 'sic code'; It's a 2-6 digit code; Best one to use is the 4 digit one...2 digit SIC codes are too general; 6 are too specific.
- Click Search
- Select the industry that most matches yours
- Click Show Industry Reports
- Choose Industry Financial Profiles
- Select your revenue range (or all) and whether you want a 3 or 5 year report

Scholarly Articles

Business Source Premier

Business Source Premier also has industry surveys and analysis; Theirs are unique in that they provide country breakdowns as well as archive up to 10 year's worth of historical, archived surveys
- Click Business Source Premier
- Select Publications towards the top of the screen
- Move your eye down to the Browse box
- Select Match Any Words
- Enter your search terms free text (like a google search)
- Click Browse
- Review results
  - Click the title
  - Click the year to get the most recent stuff (on the right-hand side)
  - Results may come back as a set of documents! This means the documents as a whole make up the report. You'll have to email/print each one individually...