Skip to Main Content

Course & Subject Guides

BUSFIN 1347 - Pittsburgh Campus

This guide is intended to assist Prof. Schlingemann's BUSFIN 1347 course on Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Structures.

Analyzing the companies involved

There are multiple places to go to analyze the invovled companies.

Capital IQ, Nexis Uni, and Mergent Online provide detailed company reports. Additional options are listed below. And don't forget to seek out company news!

Company Profiles and Histories

 first page of a mergent company profile

There are many places you can find information about a company and its history. Try the following approaches:

  • Company's website
    • Websites often include an "about us" section that sometimes detail their history. Remember, the company will explain its history the way it wants to be seen.
  • Annual report
    • Public companies are required to file an annual report to the U.S. government, known as a 10-K. These reports will often include a section on the company's history. Again, remember this is a self-reported history.
  • Find books/ebooks that contain corporate histories
    • Books about a company often include historical background.
    • Do a keyword search in PittCat to find any books in the University Library System which cover your company's history.
  • Search for articles
    • Newspaper, trade/magazine, and scholarly articles that mention or are about specific companies might provide some historical information.

Accompanying image is from a company report in the Mergent Online database.

Although it might take some digging and persistence, searching for articles that refer to your company can prove helpful. Try the below databases, along with Google and Google Scholar.

Company News

business newspaperFinding up-to date company information and news can be really important when working on research projects, networking, and job hunting. Use the following resources to help.

Many companies are using social media outlets both to convey their message and to track what customers are saying about them on the web. Social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube can provide insight into your company and the responses of their users.

For example, searching Twitter for your company or product line can yield a bevy of marketing insight and customer commentary.

Many databases offer alert services. Look for any button or link that says alerts or save search or something similar. Most databases will first require you to sign up for a free account. 

For further information about setting up alerts, RSS feeds, and other ways to get up-to-date company news more quickly, refer to the following guide.