Strategic CorporateStrategic CorporateResearchResearch

Laura L. LeavittLaura L. LeavittLabor Relations & Business LibrarianLabor Relations & Business LibrarianSchool of Labor & Industrial RelationsSchool of Labor & Industrial Relations

Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University(517) 355-4647(517) 355-4647

leavitt9@msu.edu http://www2.lib.msu.edu/branches/lir/http://www2.lib.msu.edu/branches/lir/http://www.lib.msu.edu/staff/leavitt9/http://www.lib.msu.edu/staff/leavitt9/

StrategicCorporateResearch2008.ppt StrategicCorporateResearch2008.ppt

August 19, 2008

Today’s ObjectiveToday’s Objective

• Learn how to Learn how to researchresearch employers & employers & industries industries using a variety of resourcesusing a variety of resources

• ……. to . to better assess the REAL threats better assess the REAL threats and opportunitiesand opportunities faced by a company faced by a company or industryor industry

• …….and place you in a .and place you in a better overall better overall bargaining positionbargaining position..

Topics for Today:Topics for Today:

• Unique features of business informationUnique features of business information

• Company & industry profiles, Company & industry profiles, descriptions and statisticsdescriptions and statistics

• Financial informationFinancial information

• Company & industry analysis Company & industry analysis

• News & recent eventsNews & recent events

• Legal/regulatory environmentLegal/regulatory environment

Business InformationBusiness InformationUnique FeaturesUnique Features

Initial things to consider…is the Initial things to consider…is the company:company:

Public or private ?

Subsidiary or parent ?

……and, is the information:and, is the information:

““Free” or proprietary ?Free” or proprietary ?

General Company Info: General Company Info: Profiles & directoriesProfiles & directories

• Hoover’s (Hoover’s (free) & ) & Online Pro Plus ($)($)• Marketline Business Information Centre

(Datamonitor) ($)(Datamonitor) ($)• Reuters Company Profiles• Business & Company Resource Center Business & Company Resource Center

(available through (available through MeL))• Thomas Register• Yahoo! Finance

General Company Info: General Company Info: Profiles & directoriesProfiles & directories

• State & Local ResourcesState & Local ResourcesCrain’s Detroit Business Internet Direc

toryChamber of Commerce directoriesChamber of Commerce directories

Ex: Ex: Des Moines PartnershipPublic library filesPublic library filesOffice of the Secretary of StateOffice of the Secretary of State

See See Business Filings by State

Financial InformationFinancial Information

• EDGAR Website of corporate filings with the U.S. Website of corporate filings with the U.S.

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and Proxy Statements10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and Proxy Statements

• Yahoo! Finance• Mergent Online ($)($)• How to read financial statementsHow to read financial statements

– Baruch College’s Guide to Financial Statements– IBM Investor Guide – Financial Statements

Industry InformationIndustry Information

• OverviewsOverviews– Dun & Bradstreet Industry Reports Free Free

registration required.registration required.– IBISWorld Industry Reports Brief reports Brief reports

free, longer reports for sale.free, longer reports for sale.

• Market ResearchMarket Research– Plunkett ($) ($)

Industry InformationIndustry Information

• Trade Associations & Trade MagazinesTrade Associations & Trade Magazines– ASAE’s Gateway to Associations– Trade Show Directory

• StatisticsStatistics– Bureau of Labor Statistics– Economic Census

Analysis & OpinionAnalysis & Opinion

• Investext Plus ($)– 1,000’s of ($)– 1,000’s of analysts reportsanalysts reports

• Motley Fool – community driven – community driven ratingsratings

• Zack’s – ABR’s (Average – ABR’s (Average Brokerage Ratings)Brokerage Ratings)

News & EventsNews & EventsWhat’s the Buzz?What’s the Buzz?

• Magazines & newspapersMagazines & newspapers– PR Newswire– Wall Street Journal – Business Week– Fortune– Forbes– Crain’s Detroit Business– Financial TimesFinancial Times– EconomistEconomist

News & EventsNews & EventsWhat’s the Buzz?What’s the Buzz?

• News AlertsNews AlertsGoogle Alerts

• Discussion Groups/BBsDiscussion Groups/BBsYahoo! Groups

• Anti-Company SitesAnti-Company SitesStarbucksStarbucks

• http://www.starbucked.comUnited AirlinesUnited Airlines

• http://www.untied.com

Legal & Regulatory Legal & Regulatory EnvironmentEnvironment

• Legislation & LitigationLegislation & LitigationTHOMAS (Federal legislation) (Federal legislation)Michigan Legislature (track Michigan (track Michigan

bills and laws)bills and laws)

• Government & Related SitesGovernment & Related SitesOSHA NLRB BLSEEOC SECEPA FreeERISA

Watchdog ResourcesWatchdog Resources

CorpWatchInterfaith Center on Corporate Respo

nsibilityLaborNetPesticide Action Network Environmental Defense’s Environmental Defense’s ScorecardThird World Network

Union DataUnion Data• UnionStats UnionStats

http://www.unionstats.com

• Online collections of CBAs/contracts:Online collections of CBAs/contracts:– UC-Berkeley IIR Library UC-Berkeley IIR Library http://

iir.berkeley.edu/library/contracts/index.html – Department of Labor Department of Labor http://

www.bls.gov/cba/cbaccess.htm – Michigan Public Sector Agreements Michigan Public Sector Agreements http://

turf.lib.msu.edu/awards/contractsindex.html

Need Help? Contact Me!!

Laura L. LeavittLaura L. LeavittLabor Relations & Business LibrarianLabor Relations & Business LibrarianMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University50 Law College Building50 Law College BuildingEast Lansing, MI 48824-1300East Lansing, MI 48824-1300517-355-4647517-355-4647leavitt9@msu.eduleavitt9@msu.edu

LIR Library website:LIR Library website:http://www2.lib.msu.edu/branches/lir/http://www2.lib.msu.edu/branches/lir/

URLs for Web ResourcesURLs for Web ResourcesInvestopedia Investopedia http://www.investopedia.comHooversHoovershttp://www.hoovers.comReuters Company ProfilesReuters Company Profileshttp://today.reuters.com/business/companyprofiles.aspx Michigan e-Library (MeL)Michigan e-Library (MeL)http://www.mel.org Thomas Register of ManufacturersThomas Register of Manufacturershttp://www.thomasregister.com Yahoo!FinanceYahoo!Financehttp://finance.yahoo.comCrain’s Detroit Business Internet DirectoryCrain’s Detroit Business Internet Directoryhttp://www.crain.com/datacenter/cdb/netindex.cfm

URLs for Web ResourcesURLs for Web ResourcesDes Moines Partnership Business DirectoryDes Moines Partnership Business Directoryhttp://www.desmoinesmetro.com/directory.aspLLRX’s Business Filings by StateLLRX’s Business Filings by Statehttp://www.llrx.com/columns/roundup29.htmEDGAREDGARhttp://www.sec.gov/edgarhp.htm IRIN (Annual Reports)IRIN (Annual Reports)http://www.irin.com/cgi-bin/main.cgi?index=main Dun & Bradstreet Industry ReportsDun & Bradstreet Industry Reportshttp://www.zapdata.com IBISWorld Industry ReportsIBISWorld Industry Reportshttp://www.ibisworld.com/snapshot/industry/?id=

ValuationResources ZacksZackshttp://www.zacks.com

URLs for Web ResourcesURLs for Web ResourcesMotley FoolMotley Foolhttp://www.fool.comTHOMASTHOMAShttp://thomas.loc.gov Michigan LegislatureMichigan Legislaturehttp://legislature.mi.gov Baruch College’s Guide to Reading Financial StatementsBaruch College’s Guide to Reading Financial Statementshttp://www.baruch.cuny.edu/tutorials/statementshttp://www.baruch.cuny.edu/tutorials/statementsIBM Investor Guide – Financial StatementsIBM Investor Guide – Financial Statementshttp://www.ibm.com/investor/help/guide/introduction.wss http://www.ibm.com/investor/help/guide/introduction.wss Financial TimesFinancial Timeshttp://www.ft.comhttp://www.ft.comEconomistEconomisthttp://www.economist.comhttp://www.economist.com