ACC211 - Fundamentals of Accounting Principles subjectId: 690260

Welcome to the University of Miami Libraries Research Guide for ACC211. This guide recommends various library research databases that will provide the data needed to develop a company analysis.   

COMPANY CLASSIFICATIONS
Companies are classified as either public, private or a subsidiary of a larger company.

Public companies sell shares of the company (stocks) to the general public, and are required to submit financial information and annual reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Searching for data on a public company is easier that seeking data on a private or subsidiary company.

Private companies do not sell publicly traded stocks and as a result, are not required to release information to the government or the general public  Searching for data on a private company is challenging and is typically limited to directory information and/or news articles.

Subsidiaries of public companies can be difficult to research because the parent company is not required to report on each of them.  Subsidiary information may or may not be found in the parent company's reports and/or within news articles.

List of 100+ Business Databases
The University of Miami subscribes to over 700 online databases. From the list of 700, over 100 databases are dedicated to the subject discipline of business.  Click the link above to access all the business databases.

Remote Access
Remote access to the University of Miami's online database is possible from anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access.  Once you have selected a library research database, you will be prompted for your CaneID name and password.  This process is necessary to authenticate your enrollment status at UM.

NOTE:  If you have a firewall on your computer, please bring down the firewall.  All the library research databases contain encrypted data and this will not pass through a firewall

These databases will provide important financial reports (such as 10-K and 10-Q), as well an overview of the company's financial status.

- Mergent Online:  This database provides financial reports that include the balance sheets, income statements, retained earnings, and cash flow data.  Additionally, this database provides the annual 10K report.  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.

- S&P NetAdvantage:  This database provides financial reports that include the balance sheets, income statements, retained earnings, and cash flow data.  Additionally, this database provides the ability to download the financials into an Excel spreadsheet.  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.

If you have a research question this guide does not address, please send an email to:  IRC.reference@miami.edu

- Mergent Online:  Enter a company name or ticker symbol in the homepage's search box.  At the next screen, click on the company name.  Once the company profile appears, select the tab labeled "Company Financials".  Under this section, select "Ratios".  This search will return profitability, liquidity, asset and debt management ratios.  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.

- Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage:  Enter a company name or ticker symbol in the homepage's search box.  Once the company profile appears, select the "Ratios" link which is located under the "Financials/Valuation" section.  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.
 

If you have a research question this guide does not address, please send an email to:  IRC.reference@miami.edu

​- Business Insights Global:  Search this service to obtain a SWOT analysis report.  Enter a company name on the database's homepage and review the company profile.  Select "SWOT Reports" to review several analyst reports. Open the PDF file to begin reading a report. Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.

- Morningstar Investment Research Center:  Select "Screen for Stocks." Conduct a company search by entering the company name on the homepage's search box and selecting from the drop down menu. Scroll down to the "Morningstar's Analysis" section. Lastly, select "Read Full Analysis."  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.

- Value Line Research Center:  To view the analyst's opinion, enter the company name on the homepage's search box.  Once the company profile appears, scroll down the screen to the "Commentary" section.  Select "Read More" in order to print or read the full commentary.  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.

If you have a research question this guide does not address, please send an email to:  IRC.reference@miami.edu

- Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage
Select the "Markets" tab, then click on "Refine Industry". This will bring you to a search page, where you should input your industry key words and select "Search". This will filter the options and highlight your specific industry. You will need to check the box to the left of your choice, then click "Submit". From this page, you will select the "Key Stats & Ratios" tab under "Industry Profile" to view or download the industry statistics.  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.

If you have a research question this guide does not address, please send an email to:  IRC.reference@miami.edu

- Hoover's Company Profile:  This database allows you to see a company's top competitors and compare profits and ratios.  Enter the company name in the homepage's search box.  Select the company's full-text PDF report.  Go to the section labeled "Competitor List".   Comparative company financials is located under the "Competitive Landscape" section.  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.

- Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage:  Search for a publicly traded company and compare it to others in the industry by selecting "Quick Comps" within the menu column.  This will provide company comparative financial data plus more.  Watch a 1-minute demo video of this search. 

Note:  Additional company comparative data can be obtained by selecting the "Industry Survey" tab. Next, click on the drop-down menu and select a GICS industry category and press "Search".  Select the most recent industry report in PDF format.  Open the PDF report and go to the "Comparative Company Analysis" section to view the list of company competitors.  Watch a 1-minute video demo of this search.


 

If you have a research question this guide does not address, please send an email to:  IRC.reference@miami.edu

If you are having difficulty extracting data on your company of choice, click here for assistance.