Company & Industry Research

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. NAICS has replaced the SIC system and was implemented with the 2002 Economic Census. Codes are reviewed and updated every five years. Search by keyword from the census.gov site.

Search the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system from OSHA.gov by keyword to find the SIC code that classifies your industry. SIC codes are still used in some databases and reference sources, but the system is no longer being updated.

A report similar to the "Annual Report" but usually containing more details. It is submitted annually by public companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is due within 60 days after the end of the fiscal year. 10-Q is the quarterly report.

An annual document that public companies must provide to their shareholders to describe their operations and financial health. It is often available through the company's website. It is similar to the 10-K but often contains commentary and pictures.

A larger firm that owns or controls subsidiary companies.

Usually owned by the company's founder(s), family, or a small group of private investors. They do not have the same requirements as public companies to file with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The amount of information available on private companies is very limited.

Authorized to sell stock to the general public. They are legally required to file financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and must share information with their shareholders.

A company that is partly of fully owned or controlled by another company (parent company).

An arrangement of characters that represent a publicly traded company.