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Company and Industry Research

How to Find a Company's Place in the Industry

Determining a company’s place in the industry:  Market Share, Ratio Comparison

Information on market share is usually found in the articles in business periodicals and trade journals.  The following sources can be used to supplement the information you find in articles and reports.

The following are some excellent print & online sources which can be found in the Reference section.

Business Rankings Annual Online:  2009 - 2016  Features top-ten lists for more than 10,000 companies, products, services, and activities ranked in a variety of ways.

Market Share Reporter  (AUD/SCH REF HF5410.M35)  Presents comparative business statistics. Each entry features a descriptive title; data and market description; a list of producers/products along with their market share; and cites original sources.  Available online:  2013 back to 2008; Also available in print:  AUD = 2007 & 08 & SCH = 1999 - 2007.  Use tips.

D&B Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios (AUD/SCH REF HF5681.R25 I524) analyzes US companies, both public and private, for over 800 different four-digit SIC codes in terms of 14 common business ratios.  The library has the following editions in print:  Schaumburg = 2008 back to 1993; Chicago = 2007 back to 1997.  Three years worth of data is searchable online.

eStatement Studies (Risk Management Association) (AUD/SCH REF HF5681.B2.R58) is similar to the D&B, except using the NAICS system.  Provides composite performance metrics for 19 ratios (industry benchmarks) sorted by NAICS code. Features data for over 762 industries derived directly from more than 250,000 statements of financial institutions’ borrowers and prospects.  The library has the following editions in print:  Schaumburg = 2008 back to 1997; Chicago = 2008 back to 1984.  The library's online edition provides data back to 2003.

Looking for a company to research?  Some directories like Mergent Intellect or Mergent Online can sometimes provide lists of major companies by industry.

Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys (AUD REF HC106.6 .S74)  2013-14 available in book form at the Library, the S&P Industry Surveys are a 2-volume set which is printed quarterly, with information for each report updated twice annually.  Each industry report includes a section regarding "How to Analyze a ________ Company", both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Almanac of Business and Industrial/Financial Ratios ("Troy's") (AUD/SCH HF5681.R25.A44)
Provides the six-digit NAICS codes and provides 50 performance indicators on 195 industries.  The Almanac is based on tax information from over 5 million US and international companies.  The library has the following editions in print:  Schaumburg = 1998 to present; Chicago = 1978 to present (incomplete sets).  Currently not available as an online product.

American Customer Satisfaction Index:  ACSI reports scores on a 0-100 scale at the national level and produces indexes for 10 economic sectors, 44 industries (including e-commerce and e-business), and more than 200 companies and federal or local government agencies.

SRDS Media Solutions provides contact information for local Radio, TV, and Cable stations.  Click on "Market Analysis" or "Market Profile" to obtain demographic and economic information on a specific Demographic Metropolitan Area.

International Marketing Data and Statistics     AUD/SCH REF HA42.I56  AUD = 2012; SCH = 2012 & 2003 in print

The Neilsen Company provides in-depth marketing "Media Usage" reports on such topics as "The Year in Sports", and "Global Advertising Trends".  To view the reports, Neilsen requests that users fill out a form.