Databases
Database | Description |
---|---|
ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry | Source for trade and industry news covering companies, products, executives, and trends. View Full Description |
Banking Information Database | Index and full-text collection for banking and financial industry information. View Full Description |
Business Source Complete | Includes scholarly journals, books, case studies, marketing research and other business and economics material. View Full Description |
Cabells : Journalytics | Contact and submission information for scholarly publishing in various business subjects. View Full Description |
Canada's Information Resource Centre | Several Canadian reference resources in one search interface. View Full Description |
Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database | Provides access to Canadian journals, magazines and news resources on all topics. View Full Description |
Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database: Business | Index for scholarly, professional and popular literature on Canadian business, finance and economics. View Full Description |
Canadian Census Analyzer | Census Profiles tables by census geography or by census year, plus Microdata Files and Postal Code Conversion Files. View Full Description |
Canadian Newsstream | Full text of many Canadian newspapers. View Full Description |
CANSIM @ CHASS | Canadian socio-economic statistical data. For advanced users. View Full Description |
CANSIM @ Statistics Canada | Canadian socio-economic statistical data. View Full Description |
CARDonline | Canadian advertising rates and data for media View Full Description |
CBR | Information on Canadian companies and corporations, including biographical sketches of senior executives. View Full Description |
CFMRC/TSX Database Annual Update | Toronto Stock Exchange historical data hosted on the U of T CHASS platform. View Full Description |
Conference Board of Canada: E-LIBRARY | Research reports on public policy, economics and management. View Full Description |
CPA Canada Standards and Guidance Collection (CPACHB) | Provides access to the CPA's Accounting Handbook and additional resources. View Full Description |
CPI.Q | Index for Canadian academic journals and popular magazines View Full Description |
CRSP Databases: CRSP US Stock and CRSP Historical Indexes | Security prices and other historical data for more than 20,000 companies from the New York Stock Exchange, AMEX and NASDAQ. View Full Description |
EconLit | Citations, with selected abstracts, of articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, reviews, conferences and working papers. View Full Description |
EDGAR | The US Security and Exchange Commission’s database of public company information View Full Description |
EIKON and Datastream | An international historical financial database View Full Description |
emerald insight | Collection of books and journals published by Emerald, chiefly for management and technology. View Full Description |
Encyclopedia of Global Brands | Origins, marketing, development and the future of well-known brands. View Full Description |
Entrepreneurship Database | Index and full text collection of resources, including video clips, business cases and publications, regarding the study and practice of entrepreneurship View Full Description |
Europa World | Contains political and economic information and selected data on countries and organizations worldwide. View Full Description |
Factiva | A full-text resource with news, business information and journal articles drawn from almost 9000 worldwide sources, including Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and the KW Record. View Full Description |
Financial Performance Data | Industry Canada's performance benchmark data for financial planning of start-up and established small and medium sized businesses. View Full Description |
Financial Performance Indicators for Canadian Business | NAICS key financial ratios in downloadable files organized by year, region and operating revenue. View Full Description |
Gartner | Provides information technology-related research and market analysis View Full Description |
IBISWorld | Industry market research reports. View Full Description |
IIAC: Investment Industry Data | Securities industry statistics and performance data, bond and money market trading data from the IIAC. View Full Description |
Industry Canada | Reports, statistics and other government publications on business and technology topics. View Full Description |
Industry Norms & Key Business Ratios, 2011 edition (via CHASS) | Contains industry norms, starting in 2000, with twice yearly updates (Spring & Fall). View Full Description |
IntelliConnect | Platform providing access to Canada Income Tax Guide, Dominion Tax Cases, and Tax Planning for Small Business. View Full Description |
International Financial Statistics (IFS) | Financial data about the member countries in the IMF available in tables or through queries. View Full Description |
Investext (via Mergent Online) | Full-text database of investment research reports. View Full Description |
JSTOR | Current and back issues of journals in arts and sciences. View Full Description |
Key Business Ratios | Industry benchmarking data for public and private companies. View Full Description |
Market Research & American Business, 1935-1965 | Market research reports and supporting documents regarding the American consumer boom of the mid-20th century. View Full Description |
Market Share Reporter | Presents comparative business statistics with an immediate overview of companies, products and services and cites original sources View Full Description |
MarketLine: Advantage | A collection of company, industry and country information, including over 200 countries and major industry sectors. View Full Description |
Mergent Online | Provides business and financial information on more than 10,000 public companies around the world. Includes Investext. View Full Description |
NetAdvantage | Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys and the Register of Corporations, Directors, and Executives. View Full Description |
Nexis Uni | Full-text documents for international news, business, legal research, and key people in the news. View Full Description |
odesi | Repository of socio-economic survey, census, and polling data from Statistics Canada, Ipsos Reid, Gallup, etc. View Full Description |
Passport | Euromonitor's market research data for countries and companies. View Full Description |
PitchBook | Company information data and analytical tools. View Full Description |
Political Risk Yearbook | Country reports with political and economic information. View Full Description |
ProQuest Historical Annual Reports | Full-text company reports. View Full Description |
ProQuest One Business | Search tool for business and management publications. View Full Description |
Regional Business News | Index of regional business publications throughout the U.S. View Full Description |
RMAU Online: Search Statement Studies | Financial composite data for U.S. companies (and some non-U.S.). Also known as Annual Statement Studies. View Full Description |
Scholars Portal Journals | Several thousand full-text electronic journals; especially strong in sciences and social sciences. View Full Description |
Scott's Directories | Directory of Canadian companies with contact and basic business information. Please "LOG OUT" when you're finished. View Full Description |
SEDAR | Securities filed electronically with the Canadian Securities Administrators. View Full Description |
ThomasNet | Search directory by product or company for U.S. and Canadian information. View Full Description |
Web of Science Core Collection | Citation indexes for the arts & humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences. View Full Description |
World Factbook | Information on countries of the world prepared by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. View Full Description |
WRCERG: Waterloo Region Collaborative Economic Research Group website | Waterloo region economic data & analysis View Full Description |
WRDS: Wharton Research Data Services | Contains company finances as well as equity and fixed income data, and is intended for in-depth financial and accounting research. View Full Description |
- Industry information
- Industry classification codes
- Industry financials and ratios
- Industry / trade journals and newspapers
- Industry associations
- Industry statistics
- Canadian trade resources
Industry information
Canada only:
- Industry Canada
- Includes industry profiles. Enter industry keyword in search box.
- Associations Canada
- This resource provides a listing of Canadian Associations. Associations may provide detailed information on their respective industry. N.B. Be sure to uncheck all databases, with the exception of Associations Canada.
Canada, U.S. and international:
- IBISWorld
- Contains Canadian, US and Chinese Industry Reports, iExpert Summaries, and Business Environment Profiles. Industry market research reports contain such information as trends, statistics & analysis on market size, market share of major companies, industry growth rates, and key external forces affecting supply and demand.
- ProQuest One Business
- Enter industry name or keywords into the search box in the top field, then select "Industry Report" under "Document type", and click "Search". Alternatively, click "Industry Reports" under "Featured Reports" on the left panel, then enter industry name or keywords in the top field before clicking Search.
- Marketline
- Provides industry reports and analysis including Porter's Five Forces analysis. Enter in keywords into the search box in the middle and select "Industry Profiles" from drop-down menu in the right box.
- S&P NetAdvantage
- Includes Industry Surveys. Click on the "Markets" tab at the top of the screen and select your industry under the Industries subheading or click on "Industry Surveys" under the Market Research subheading.
- Passport GMID
- Offers industry/market analysis and forecasting. Select an industry from drop-down "Industries" menu or enter keyword in search box.
Industrial classification codes
Many government websites, and some databases, organize business information using an industry classification system, with a specific code for each industry. You may find it helpful to look up the code for your industry as part of your research.
Note: If you are researching a very specific or very new industry, it may not be included in these industry classification systems.
The two most common industry classification systems are NAICS and SIC. Both are hierarchical, organized by broad industry categories, each divided into more specific industries.
- NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)
- Developed in 1997, by Canada, the United States and Mexico. Industry codes are from 2-6 digits long.
- SIC (Standard Industrial Classification)
- An older industry classification system. NAICS was intended to replace SIC, however, some resources still use SIC codes to classify information.
Industry financials and ratios
Canada only:
- CFMRC/TSX Database Annual Update
- Contains Toronto Stock Exchange historical data, including monthly stock data since 1950 and daily data since 1975, daily and monthly index data, and interest and foreign exchange rates. Additional information relating to earnings, betas, and volume is also included. Access via the CHASS platform maintained by the University of Toronto. On CHASS, click the link under "Latest Edition" to start.
- Financial Performance Data
- Presents financial data for small and medium-sized businesses (revenues ranges of $30 thousand to $5 million and $5 million to $20 million) in more than 1000 industries in Canada, including more than 30 performance benchmarks. Reports feature statistics for profitable and non-profitable businesses that includes net profits and net losses, and detailed financial data on revenues and expenses, industry averages for income statements and balance sheet items as well as financial ratios. Consult this research guide on how to create a report for a specific industry.
- Financial Performance Indicators
- Contains key financial ratios by industry groupings compiled from the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS 2007) from 1994 to 2011. Statistics Canada continues to provide information on Canadian businesses through alternative data sources. Information on specific financial ratios continues to be available through the annual Financial and Taxation Statistics for Enterprises program: Table 33-10-0006-01; the Quarterly Survey of Financial Statements: Tables 33-10-0007-01 and 33-10-0008-01.
- Industry Norms & Key Business Ratios
- Comprises of a set of business ratios, measured as relationships between companies' balance sheet and income statement categories, across industries as per Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. Coverage from 2004 to 2011 and available online at CHASS.
Canada, U.S. and International:
- IBISWorld
- Provides Canadian, US, and Chinese industry reports. Enter industry keywords, NAICS code, or company name in the search box. Data on revenue, wage, cost structure, profits, etc. are included within the report.
- Factiva
- Captures industry averages and ratios. Click on the Companies/Markets tab on the top of the screen and then select Industry. Choose an industry.
- Marketline: Advantage
- Enter industry keyword in the search box > select "Industry Profiles" from the drop-down menu. On the results page, refine the results by sector, geography or date if necessary. Open the industry analysis report and click View Online, View as PDF or Export Full Report. Total market value and revenue data, and financials of major players in this industry are included within the report.
- E-Statement Studies
- Contains composite financial data, including ratios, on major types of industries mostly US-based. Arranged by NAICS code, this work makes it possible to compare one company's performance relative to other companies in the same industry. Search for industries using either their name (or partial name) or by NAICS code.
- Mergent (D&B) Key Business Ratios
- Features 14 key business ratios for public and private companies in 800 lines of business in the U.S. and Canada. Search data by SIC and NAICS code, line of business, asset range and year. Input financial data and instantly compare any balance sheet with industry benchmarks.
- S&P NetAdvantage
- Key stats and ratios are included in industry profiles. To access, click on the "Markets" tab at the top of the screen and select your industry under the Industries subheading.
Industry statistics
- Canadian Industry Statistics
- Presents and analyzes industry data on a number of economic and financial indicators using the latest annual data sources from Statistics Canada, including average revenue and average hourly wage. Enter a keyword or NAICS code into the search box.
- CANSIM @ CHASS
- Provides access to the data series from which many of the Statistics Canada publications are derived.
- International Trade Administration
- Provides trade statistics for the U.S. Of special note is the U.S. trade data section under "Trade Data & Analysis".
- Statistics Canada Data
- Contains thousands of tables and reports from all fields and provides fast access to a large range of the latest statistics available in Canada. Enter keywords into the search box. Filter by subject, geography or survey if applicable before running a search. To use a data table, click on the title and use "Add/Remove Data" tab to get customized data.
Industry/trade journals and newspapers
Trade journals and newspapers can be found in the following databases:
- ProQuest One Business
- Business Source Complete
- Canadian Newsstand
- CBCA Complete (Canadian Business and Current Affairs)
- Canadian Periodical Index (CPI.Q)
- Factiva
- Nexis Uni
Industry associations
- Associations Canada
- This resource provides a listing of Canadian Associations. N.B. Be sure to uncheck all databases, with the exception of Associations Canada.
Canadian trade resources
- Canada's Gateways
- Includes information on Canada’s three main Gateways and Trade Corridors, as well as Foreign Trade Zones
- Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database (1988-)
- Detailed trade data using the Harmonized System (HS) classification of goods (based on the 6-digit commodity level)
- Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
- Contains international trade market reports
- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Provides useful Canadian trade facts
- Trade Data Online
- Generates customized reports on Canada and U.S. trade in goods with over 200 countries
- Annual Reports and Regulatory Filings
- Company Overviews
- SWOT Analyses
- Market Share Information
- Company Financials
- Analyst Reports
- Private Companies
- Company Rankings
- Article Databases
Public Companies
Public companies issue securities which are traded on the open market (stock exchange or over-the-counter market). These companies must meet stringent reporting requirements set out by securities regulators, including the public disclosure of financial statements and reports discussing the state of the company.
Information on public companies is considerable and includes everything from company profiles, history, financial statements, recent developments, and corporate social responsibility.
Annual Reports and Regulatory Filings
Find annual reports for Canadian publicly-traded companies (from 1997+).
Find annual reports for U.S. publicly-traded companies (from 1994+).
Coverage includes company filings for over 10,000 publicly-traded companies worldwide. Enter the company name or ticker symbol in the search box > click ‘Go’ > once on the company profile page, select the ‘Reports’ tab.
Coverage includes US company filings. Select "company information" under "Guided Search" > Enter a company name > select "SEC filings" from the drop down menu> click "Search".
ProQuest Historical Annual Reports
Coverage includes 800+ US companies. Filings available from the 1800’s +.
Company Overviews
Enter company name or ticker symbol in the search box then click ‘Go’.
Enter company name in the search box > select ‘Companies’ from the drop-down menu.
Select “Company Info” under Guided Search > enter the company name > select "Company Profile" from the drop down menu> click "Search".
Select the ‘Companies/Markets’ tab at the top of the screen and then select ‘Company’.
Includes data, analysis and dashboards for companies. Click on Go in the Companies section on the right side of the home page> enter the company name.
Enter company name into the search box in the top field, then select "Company Profile" under "Document type", and click "Search". Alternatively, click "Company Reports" under "Featured Reports" on the left panel and then enter company name in the top field before clicking "Search".
SWOT Analyses
Enter company name in the search box > select ‘Companies’ from the drop-down menu > click ‘Search’ > Company SWOT analyses can be found within the company profile reports (see the right-hand column of the report).
SWOT analyses for selected international companies are available in the Global Company Profile reports. Click Go in the Companies section on the right side of the home page > enter the company name into the search box > click “Search” > select the company’s “Global Company Profile” report if available > once in the report see the “SWOT” section of the report (under “Strategic Evaluation”). Note: SWOT analysis may not be available for each company.
Market Share Information
Provides some information on the market share for Canadian companies, products and/or services but the main focus is U.S. and International. Search by company, product, industry keyword, or industry classification codes.
IBISWorld industry reports provide market share for companies and products and/or services within Canada, USA, and China. Market share information can be found under the sections ‘Major Companies’, ‘Competitive Landscape’, and ‘Products & Markets’.
Developed by Euromonitor International, Passport provides data on market share, brand shares, and retail shares of companies and products globally or by country/region. Market share data is generally included in the ‘Market Data’ section of industry reports or in the ‘Competitive Positioning’ section of the global company profiles.
Article Databases
Market Share information can also be found in trade articles. Conduct a search for market share information in the following article databases by using keywords, such as the company’s name with the phrase “market share” or “brand share”.
Company Financials
- Eikon and Datastream
- Eikon provides access to real time market data, news, fundamental data, analytics, trading and messaging tools. Datastream provides data on worldwide equities, market indices, economic indicators, fixed income securities and associated indices, commodities and derivatives. Eikon and Datastream can be accessed remotely. We have a limited number of logins. Please check User ID availability, contact libbusiness@wlu.ca to book a time, get login credentials and instructions for using these resources.
- Mergent Online
- Contains ratio analysis and up to 15 years of financial statements for public companies worldwide. Data can be downloaded into Excel. Enter company name or ticker symbol in the search box, then click "Go" > select the Company Financials Tab.
- SEDAR
- Includes Canadian public company profiles and documents (e.g. annual reports), and mutual fund groups' reports (from 1997+).
- PitchBook
- This resource is a private equity and venture capital database covering a wide range of firms as well as startups. Search thousands of private equity and venture capital deals by hundreds of criteria. Users need to create a personal user account on Pitchbook with their Laurier email address following instructions under Access Requirement. These accounts are deleted every year on June 30th and need to be recreated. Within Pitchbook, "Help Center" at the top right corner provides tutorials on how to run basic and advanced searches.
- Factiva
- Coverage includes a few years of financial statements, financial ratios, stock price activity, share ownership, and more. Select the Companies/Markets tab at the top of the screen and then select ‘Company’. Enter company name in the search box under Get Company Snapshot, select the right company if more than one company are displayed. Click on "Financial Results" from the left column on Company Snapshot page.
- Marketline: Advantage
- Enter company name in the search box > select "Company Profiles" from the drop-down menu. On the company listing page, select the company match and you will be directed to the company profile page. Click on "Financials" on the left-side panel.
- Nexis Uni
- Contains ratio analysis and three years of financial statements for public companies worldwide. Select "Business" under "Discover topics" > click on "Find a company" under "Company Dossier" (top left) > Enter a company name > select ‘Financial Overview’ from the left column.
- WRDS: Wharton Research Data Services
- WRDS includes databases such as: COMPUSTAT, CRSP, Dow Jones Averages, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Penn World Tables, Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX), and Thomson-Reuters Institutional Holdings (13F). It is intended for in-depth financial and accounting research. Registration is required for access. Go to the WRDS website, and click Register at the top right corner. Your Laurier email address is required for registration.
Analyst Reports
Investext (via Mergent Online)
A full-text database of investment research reports. It contains detailed data and analysis on publicly traded companies in a wide variety of industries. The information is contained in reports generated by analysts at research organizations worldwide. Information provided may include trends, sales and earnings forecasts, market share projections, and research and development expenditures. On Mergent click Investext tab, select criteria and click ">> submit" button to execute search.
Select “Company Info” under Guided Search > enter the company name > select "Analyst Reports" from the drop down menu> click "Search".
Private Companies
Private companies do not issue shares that are publicly traded and are thus not mandated by securities regulators to report their financials and company information publicly. Therefore, information on private companies is limited. You may find a profile, contact information, names of senior executives, brief business description, date of incorporation, and sometimes broad annual sales/revenue estimates that are self-reported.
*When researching a private company, a great place to start is their website.
The following online resources may provide information on private companies:
This resource is a private equity and venture capital database covering a wide range of firms as well as startups. Search thousands of private equity and venture capital deals by hundreds of criteria. Users need to create a personal user account on Pitchbook with their Laurier email address following instructions under Access Requirement. These accounts are deleted every year on June 30th and need to be recreated. Within Pitchbook, "Help Center" at the top right corner provides tutorials on how to run basic and advanced searches.
Select "company information" under "Guided Search" > Enter a company name
Enter company name into the search box in the top field, then select "Company Profile" under "Document type", and click "Search". Alternatively, click "Company Reports" under "Featured Reports" on the left panel and then enter company name in the top field before clicking "Search".
Online directory of contact information and profiles for Canadian manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and business services. Select ‘Account Login’ > build a search with different variables including geographic, demographic, products, and other indicators.
Directories of Canadian Companies
Use directories of Canadian companies to find suppliers, research competitors, check a company's federal corporation status and more. Search or browse the directories. Consult with various directories by sector.
Article Databases
Conduct a search for news, trade, or scholarly articles on the company in an article database. See the ‘Article Databases’ section of this guide.
Company Rankings
Canada only:
Report on Business, Top 1000 (Globe & Mail)
- Located in the WLU Reference Shelves – 2nd Floor, call number HG4090 .R45
- Ranks the 1000 largest publicly-traded companies in Canada; measured by assets and ranked according to their after-tax profits in their most recent fiscal year.
Financial Post Magazine, FP500: Canada’s largest corporations
- Located in the WLU Reference Shelves – 2nd Floor, call number HG4090.A1 F5
- Ranks Canada’s 500 largest corporations by revenue, assets, and profitability.
- Ranks the fastest growing companies in Canada, by five-year revenue growth.
U.S. and International:
- U.S. companies are ranked by total revenues for their respective fiscal years.
- Also available in print: WLU Reference Shelves - 2nd Floor, call number HG4057 .A258
- Annual ranking of the world’s largest public companies, based on a composite score from equally-weighted measures of revenue, profits, assets, and market value.
- Annual ranking of the largest corporations in the world, by total revenues.
- Ranks the top 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.
Article Databases
Articles (news, trade, or scholarly) are a great resource when conducting business research such as learning more about a company (public or private) or industry. Further, article databases bring not only online articles together, but other resources such as company profiles, SWOT analyses, industry reports, and other research reports into one search engine.
Use keywords in the following article databases to find relevant articles and other resources. For example, if you are searching for information on the strategic objectives of a particular company, search for the company’s name with keywords/phrases such as ‘strategy’ or ‘strategic direction’ or ‘strategic objective’.
Basic country research
Key resources:
- BBC News Country Profiles
- Provides a quick guide to the economics, politics and history of countries and territories, including quick facts, profiles of political leaders, an overview of the media market and a chronology of key events.
- Europa World Online
- Covers political and economic information and selected data on countries and organizations worldwide. Select a country from the drop-down menu and hit "Go".
- globalEDGE - Global Insights
- Global Insights provides international business and trade information on over 200 countries, 50 U.S. states, as well as nearly two dozen industry sectors, and many of the world’s trade blocs. Under "Global Insights", select from one of the four options: "By Trade Bloc", "By country", "By State", or "By Industry".
- Nexis Uni
- Offers country analysis, political risk overview, and economic overview. From main page, click "Country Info" under Guided Search. Select a country from the drop down list and choose a source you want to search, then click "Search".
- Mergent Online
- Provides country statistical data. Select a country from the drop down menu under "Country Profile" (found on the right side, under the calendar).
- U.S. Department of Commerce: International Statistical Agencies
- Provides links to national statistical agencies arranged alphabetically by country.
- World Bank: World Development Indicators
- The World Bank's principal data source on the global economy, including demographic, social, economic, financial, natural resources and environmental indicators for more than 200 countries and 18 country groups. First select your country by searching or browsing the country list. Then expand the "Series" to select individual variables. Finally, click "Time" at the bottom to select the year(s) for which you want statistics. View data as a table, chart or map by selecting an output icon at the top right.
- World Factbook
- The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency provides country-specific information, including country profiles and select data. Click on the box indicating “Please select a country to view”.
Advanced country research (risk, cultural intelligence, etc.)
Key resources:
- Find country profiles, economic indicators, and business risk factors from country reports, produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Oxford Economics, Fitch, and Mergent. Once in the database, click on "Country Reports" under Featured Reports on the left panel, then enter country name into the top field. You can refine results by selecting items under "Report containing", or selecting report providers.
- Country Profiles
- UK. Foreign & Commonwealth Office
- Countries and Topics
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- International Monetary Fund: Country Information
- Select a country from the alphabetical listing.
- Marketline
- Includes country analysis - PESTLE. Type in country name then select "Countries" from drop-down menu beside the magnifying glass. Click the search icon.
- Passport GMID
- Includes demographic, economics and marketing statistics for 205 countries. Click on the "Economies" tab and select a topic or use the keyword search box at the top.
Country risk research:
- Coface
- Find Country Risk Assessments for 160 countries, along with information on payment methods, debt collection and insolvency trends. Select a country from the drop-down menu (middle of page) and click "OK."
- Factiva
- On the search page, click on the "Source" field, search for "Economist Intelligence Unit" (EIU), then select "EIU - Risk Briefing". Select country of interest under the "Regions" field. Once country and source are chosen, click "Search".
- Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR)
- Published semi-annually by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- Nexis Uni
- Offers country analysis, political risk overview, and economic overview. From main page, click "Country Info" under Guided Search. Select a country from the drop down list and choose a source you want to search, then click "Search".
- Passport GMID
- Provides Risks and Vulnerabilities reports to assess the current economic situation across 85 core countries. To access the Country Briefings on Risks and Vulnerabilities, select Economy, Finance and Trade under the Economies tab at the top. Under Analysis Finder on the left, select Country Briefing from the drop-down menu. Then select a country from the drop-down menu (use the + sign to expand the options next to regions). Click "Go." See also the Business Environment reports.
- Political Risk Yearbook
- Includes all 100 of Political Risk Services' Country Reports, including political and economic risk analysis.
- Worldwide Governance Indicators
- "The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) project reports aggregate and individual governance indicators for 215 economies over the period 1996–2016, for six dimensions of governance: voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, control of corruption." Click "Interactive data access", then click the "Country Data Review" tab. Under "Worldwide Governance Indicators" select indicator, year and country.
- World Investment and Political Risk
- "World Investment and Political Risk examines general trends in the global economy and FDI, corporate perceptions of political risk and risk-mitigation strategies, as well as the latest developments in the Political Risk Insurance industry." Please note that no new reports have been issued since 2013.
Cultural intelligence/business abroad:
- Canada and International Trade
- Canada. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
- Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
- Canada. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
- Country Insights
- Centre for Intercultural Learning, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is Canada's "largest provider of intercultural and international training services for internationally-assigned government and private sector personnel." Select a country from the drop-down menu to find information on topics ranging from conversation styles to cultural stereotypes.
- Doing Business
- The World Bank Doing Business project provides measures of business regulations and their enforcement in 189 economies that allow for comparisons across countries and over time.
- Exporting
- Canada Business Network. Government Services for Entrepreneurs
- PKF: Doing Business in
- PKF International Limited provides information about the financial, legal considerations that could affect business dealings within a particular country.
- U.S. Commercial Service
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- World Values Survey
- The World Values Survey is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life. It consists of nationally representative surveys conducted in almost 100 countries. Click “Data and documentation” and then click on “online analysis”. Click on a wave period and select a country to see the data.
This guide provides information sources to help you conduct research on finance.
- Company Financials
- Industry Financials
- Government Finance
- International Finance
- Personal Finance
- Citing Sources
Company Financials
- Eikon and Datastream
- Eikon provides access to real time market data, news, fundamental data, analytics, trading and messaging tools. Datastream provides data on worldwide equities, market indices, economic indicators, fixed income securities and associated indices, commodities and derivatives. Eikon and Datastream can be accessed remotely. We have a number of logins for booking. Please check User ID availability, contact Business Librarians to book a time, get login credentials and instructions for using these resources.
- WRDS: Wharton Research Data Services
- WRDS includes databases such as: COMPUSTAT, CRSP, Dow Jones Averages, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Penn World Tables, Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX), Thomson-Reuters Institutional Holdings (13F), and more. It is intended for in-depth financial and accounting research. Registration is required for access. Go to the WRDS website, and click Register at the top right corner. Your Laurier email address is required for registration. The Getting Started page provides instructions on using CRSP Monthly Stock file to retrieve one year of monthly prices for three securities.
- PitchBook
- This resource is a private equity and venture capital database covering a wide range of firms as well as startups. Search thousands of private equity and venture capital deals by hundreds of criteria. Users need to create a personal user account on Pitchbook with their Laurier email address following instructions under Access Requirement. These accounts are deleted every year on June 30th and need to be recreated. Within Pitchbook, "Help Center" at the top right corner provides tutorials on how to run basic and advanced searches.
- Mergent Online
- Contains ratio analysis and up to 15 years of financial statements for public companies worldwide. Data can be downloaded into Excel. Enter company name or ticker symbol in the search box, then click "Go" > select the Company Financials Tab.
- CFMRC/TSX Database Annual Update
- Contains Toronto Stock Exchange historical data, including monthly stock data since 1950 and daily data since 1975, daily and monthly index data, and interest and foreign exchange rates. Additional information relating to earnings, betas, and volume is also included. Access via the CHASS platform maintained by the University of Toronto. On CHASS, click the link under "Latest Edition" to start.
- SEDAR
- Includes Canadian public company profiles and documents (e.g. annual reports), and mutual fund groups' reports (from 1997+).
- Factiva
- Coverage includes a few years of financial statements, financial ratios, stock price activity, share ownership, and more. Select the Companies/Markets tab at the top of the screen and then select ‘Company’. Enter company name in the search box under Get Company Snapshot, select the right company if more than one company are displayed. Click on "Financial Results" from the left column on Company Snapshot page.
- Marketline: Advantage
- Enter company name in the search box > select "Company Profiles" from the drop-down menu. On the company listing page, select the company match and you will be directed to the company profile page. Click on "Financials" on the left-side panel.
- Nexis Uni
- Contains ratio analysis and 3 years of financial statements for public companies worldwide. Select "Business" under "Discover topics" > click on "Find a company" under "Company Dossier" (top left) > Enter a company name > select ‘Financial Overview’ from the left column.
- Top of page
Industry Financials
Canada only:
- Financial Performance Data
- Presents financial data for small and medium-sized businesses (revenues ranges of $30 thousand to $5 million and $5 million to $20 million) in more than 1000 industries in Canada, including more than 30 performance benchmarks. Reports feature statistics for profitable and non-profitable businesses that includes net profits and net losses, and detailed financial data on revenues and expenses, industry averages for income statements and balance sheet items as well as financial ratios. You can follow steps to create a report for a specific industry.
- Canadian Industry Statistics
- Presents and analyzes industry data on a number of economic and financial indicators using the latest annual data sources from Statistics Canada, including average revenue and average hourly wage. Enter a keyword or NAICS code into the search box.
- Financial Performance Indicators
- Contains key financial ratios by industry groupings compiled from the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS 2007) from 1994 to 2011. Statistics Canada continues to provide information on Canadian businesses through alternative data sources. Information on specific financial ratios continues to be available through the annual Financial and Taxation Statistics for Enterprises program: Table 33-10-0006-01; the Quarterly Survey of Financial Statements: Tables 33-10-0007-01 and 33-10-0008-01.
- Industry Norms & Key Business Ratios
- Comprises of a set of business ratios, measured as relationships between companies' balance sheet and income statement categories, across industries as per Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. Coverage from 2004 to 2011 and available online at CHASS.
Canada, U.S. and International:
- IBISWorld
- Provides Canadian, US and Chinese industry reports. Enter industry keywords, NAICS code, or company name in the search box. Data on revenue, wage, cost structure, profits, etc. are included within the report.
- Factiva
- Captures industry averages and ratios. Click on the Companies/Markets tab on the top of the screen and then select Industry. Choose an industry.
- Marketline: Advantage
- Enter industry keyword in the search box > select "Industry Profiles" from the drop-down menu. On the results page, refine the results by sector, geography or date if necessary. Open the industry analysis report and click View Online, View as PDF or Export Full Report. Total market value and revenue data, and financials of major players in this industry are included within the report.
- E-Statement Studies
- Contains composite financial data, including ratios, on major types of industries mostly US-based. Arranged by NAICS code, this work makes it possible to compare one company's performance relative to other companies in the same industry. Search for industries using either their name (or partial name) or by NAICS code.
- Mergent (D&B) Key Business Ratios
- Features 14 key business ratios for public and private companies in 800 lines of business in the U.S. and Canada. Search data by SIC and NAICS code, line of business, asset range and year. Input financial data and instantly compare any balance sheet with industry benchmarks.
- S&P NetAdvantage
- Key stats and ratios are included in industry profiles. To access, click on the "Markets" tab at the top of the screen and select your industry under the Industries subheading.
Government Finance
- Statistics Canada
- Contains thousands of tables and reports from all fields and provides fast access to a large range of the latest statistics available in Canada, such as government revenue and expenditure, interest rate, exchange rate, etc. Type keywords in the search box. Filter by subject, geography or survey if applicable before running a search. To use a data table, click on the title and use "Add/Remove Data" tab to get a customized report. Tutorial: How to use the data tables.
- CANSIM @ CHASS
- Provides access to the data series from which many of the Statistics Canada publications are derived.
- Bank of Canada
- Find banking and financial market statistics, surveys as well as policy papers.
International Finance
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis - FRED: Economic Data
- Provides historical U.S. economic and financial data, including daily U.S. interest rates, monetary and business indicators, exchange rates, balance of payments and regional economic data.
- Datastream
- Provides access to international macroeconomic and financial time series for around 175 countries (includes IMF and OECD data). This resource can be accessed remotely through Excel add-in with Eikon Desktop. We have a number of logins for booking. Please check User ID availability, contact Business Librarians to book a time, get login credentials and instructions for access.
- IMF Data
- Includes data on government finance, international financial statistics, balance of payments, and much more. Major economic and financial indicators are available on annual, quarterly or monthly basis where applicable. Click on the Data Topics tab and then select one database, e.g. International Financial Statistics.
- OECD iLibrary
- A wide variety of socio-economic indicators at the annual, quarterly and monthly frequencies for OECD member countries. Click on the Statistics tab, and search statistics by keyword, country, indicator or select a database.
- World Development Indicators
- The primary World Bank collection of global development indicators, compiled from officially-recognized international sources. Select countries, series and time, then click the Apply Changes button. Data are available on an annual basis only.
- UNdata
- Statistics from all the major UN sources. Click Datamarts tab. On the Explore page, select Datasets and click the +sign in front of the database name to find the datasets of your interest; or select Sources or Topics to search data.
Personal Finance
- ODESI
- Contains microdata from Statistics Canada, Elections Canada, as well as polling data. Click on Browse at the top right of the homepage, browse the categories on the left-side panel and select a resource. For instance, in the Consumer Surveys folder, Survey of Financial Security (SFS) provides data on financial assets, debts, networth and financial behaviours and attitudes of survey participants. You can select variables and subsets from the survey and download data files in Stata or SPSS formats.
- Tutorial: How to Find and Download Microdata via Odesi
- Tutorial: Downloading a Subset in Odesi (from Scholars Portal)
- Tutorial: Creating a Cross Tabulation in Odesi (from Scholars Portal)
Citing Sources
- Citation Styles
- The Laurier Library provides guidance on citing in different styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) and by subject including government publications and data and statistics.
- Business Citation Guide
- Developed by business librarians at Bronfman Business Library at York University, this guide provides great examples of citing business resources including industry reports, company reports, analyst reports from databases.
- Citing Economics and Financial Databases
- Includes examples of in-text citation and reference citation for financial and economics databases