Subject and Research Guides: Company, Industry &amp; Country Information: Company research

Doing company research

1. Search the company in the databases on this page.

2. Look at the company's website.

3. Search for newspaper, journal and trade publication articles about the company.

You may find it useful to know what type of company it is: public or private, a subsidiary or a non-profit.

As a rule the larger the company the easier it is to get information on it. There is a lot more information and analysis available for public companies than for private companies or subsidiaries

Key databases for researching companies

BoardRoom This link opens in a new window
Boardroom is a database of directors and senior executives working for Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed companies.
D&B Hoovers This link opens in a new window
D&B Hoovers is a sales, marketing and company research database that includes current information on thousands of companies in Asia and the Pacific and worldwide.
DatAnalysis Premium This link opens in a new window
DatAnalysis Premium is a premier research tool, providing comprehensive data on all companies listed on ASX, as well as those delisted since 1989.
IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
IBISWorld is Australia's largest provider of industry-based research. IBISworld includes profiles on the 2000 largest Australian companies, organisations and government businesses
Marketline Advantage This link opens in a new window
MarketLine Advantage is an online database containing profiles of major companies and industries worldwide.
Passport This link opens in a new window
Euromonitor International’s Passport is an integrated provides access to business intelligence on industries, economies and consumers.

Company Types

It can be helpful to consider what type of company you are seeking information on:

Public listed / quoted

Trade stocks or securities on an exchange (e.g. the ASX).
Are required to disclose information about their operations and performance, this means a lot of information is available in the databases and on company websites.

Private / proprietary / unlisted

Not always required by law to disclose information for public inspection, therefore they can be harder to research.
Resources to research private companies include some of our databases (as indicated), news sources and company websites.
In Australia, large proprietary companies are required to lodge financial information for public inspection, therefore information is available in the databases.

Subsidiary

A subsidiary company is one that is owned by another company.
Financial information on a subsidiary is sometimes not available and it is necessary to read the reports of the parent company.

Non-profit organisations / Not-For-Profit / NGO

Can fall into a number of categories including associations and not-for-profit unlisted public companies.
For information on a non-profit organisation, in addition to the databases try:
- Australia Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission - government regulator, with basic financial and company information for registered charities.

Government entities

IBISWorld has company profiles for 286 Australian government bodies