SEC.gov

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provides financial and business information about publicly held companies. EDGAR is the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval System. All companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free.

EDGAR is a major resource for corporate information. You can retrieve real-time filings for a specific company and find key company information, such as a company’s name, address, telephone number, state of incorporation, Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code, and fiscal year end. You can also find a company’s Central Index Key (CIK) number, which is the unique number assigned to individuals and corporations who file disclosure documents with the SEC. All new electronic and paper filers, foreign and domestic, receive a CIK number

To search EDGAR, simply type in the name of the company or its CIK number. You can also search for all SEC-registered companies in a particular state. Or you can search for all companies with a specific SIC code. Once you have found the company you want, you can limit the search results by date.

Forbes

Forbes is one of the most comprehensive news and business sites on the web, and and great place to get up-to-date information on companies and the markets. The site covers both public companies and entrepreneurial companies. The in-depth stories are outstanding.

Dun & Bradstreet

Dun & Bradstreet has a variety of databases of information on both public and private companies. For example, with D&B Hoovers, you can uncover targeted leads and new sales opportunities. With DNBi, you can get access to credit reports.

LexisNexis

Lexis Nexis provides authoritative legal, news, public records, and business information with legal, tax, and regulatory publications. LexisNexis is a fee-based service, with several different payment options.

Yahoo Finance

Yahoo Finance provides free information and news on primarily public companies. The information includes market capitalization, trading volume, earnings, debt, and other information. Yahoo Finance also has current stock market information, updates on cryptocurrencies, and breaking financial developments.

Wall Street Journal

The WSJ provides breaking financial and business news, stock market information, articles on tech and other industries, and in-depth articles on both U.S. and foreign companies.

Company websites

A company’s own website will often contain a great deal of information about the company, its products or services, its management team, its mission, press releases, and more.

MarketWatch

MarketWatch provides comprehensive information and news, primarily on public companies. For example, the site will provide a company’s opening and closing stock price; the number of shares outstanding; the public float; earnings per share; market capitalization; stock trading ranges; and more.

Google

And, of course, Google’s search engine will often be the best first place to begin your company information search, which will likely send you to one of the above sites.