It is easier to find information about public companies (those that sell stock to shareholders) than about private companies (those that are privately owned by an individual or a group).
When looking for information about a company, consider both information from the company itself (e.g., the company website, ASX filings, press releases, etc.) as well as information about the company written by others (e.g., newspaper articles, analyst reports, articles by professors, etc.).
Finding information about a company includes the following steps:
- Get an overview of the company, find out if it is public or private.
- Find the company website and review it carefully, particularly the sections for investors or media/press.
- If the company is public, find relevant reports and annual reports to shareholders.
- Search for news, magazine and journal articles for information. This may be the only way to find information on private companies.
- If the company is public, search for analyst and brokerage reports. These sometimes contain an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).
- Identify competitors.