In this section of your analysis, you want to provide the key facts an investor wants to know: brief history, products &/or services produced, and any other key statistics that you determine to be relevant to the overview.
This should be your first stop when researching a company - it's a good source for:
Corporate information may be buried on the main web site - look for an "About Us" or "Company" or "Investors" link on the home page.
But remember: the main purpose of a company's web and annual report site is to promote itself, so "trust but verify" - all of the information on the company's achievements and performance can (and should be) be verified in external sources.
The annual report is a legal requirement for public companies, but it's also a vehicle for retaining and attracting investors; it's a great source for:
However, remember that the source of this information, especially around actions and accomplishments, is the company itself. Always "trust but verify" using external sources.
The most recent report (and sometimes previous reports) is usually available on the company's web site. Annual reports are also available from these sites:
A company profile is the first document you should seek after you locate the company's web site and annual reports. Company profiles can be useful in every section of your analysis and offer basic factual information (e.g., stock ticker symbol, fiscal year end, company history, key people) and third-party perspective on the company's strengths, weaknesses, and competitiveness. Different sources provide different types of company profiles, so look for one in each of the sources below (but be aware that not all companies will be included in each of these sources).
