Mergent Online provides access to an index of real-time EDGAR (SEC) filings. The database has searchable data companies on the NYSE, AMEX, and NASDAQ exchanges, including business and financial data on global, publicly listed, private, and inactive companies. 

 

Use the guide below for instructions on researching industries and businesses through Mergent Online.

 

Step 1:

To begin your search of business financials, go to Mergent Online. This database provides researchers with ample means to search for business financials, including through a Basic Search, Advanced Search, Executive Search, Government Filings, Bond Search, Country Insight, Economic Research, Industry Analysis, and Report Viewer. Researchers can access each of these search types through tabs near the top of the page. 

 

 

Step 2:

Mergent Online provides researchers various ways of beginning their research through a Basic Search, such as entering a Company Search, which requires a company symbol or name, or through a Classification Search, which requires an NAICS code or SIC code.

 

 

Step 3:

Entering the required search terms for a company will produce a listing of all businesses with that name. With certain companies, for example, Home Depot, only one result arises. The result produces Corporate Information, SIC code, Ticker Symbol, and other data.

 

Step 4:

Click on the name of the corporation being researched, in this case, Home Depot.

 

 

Step 5:

Clicking on the business's name, for example, Home Depot, will display Company Details, which provides a tremendous amount of corporate information, including Business Summary, Price of Shares, Key Executives, Key Financials, and Company News/Events. Tabs near the top of the page, especially Executives, Ownership, and Company Financials, will be of great use in researching business financials.

Click on the Executives tab.

 

 

Step 6: 

Clicking on the Executives tab will display a wealth of information related to the staffing of the business being researched, in this case, Home Depot. The information includes the price of an individual share of stock, the number of employees within the company, CEO compensation, and CEO tenure. In addition, a listing of key officers within the business is provided along the bottom of the page. Scrolling over an executive's name will provide a limited biography.

 

 

Step 7:

Click on the name of an executive, such as Edward P. Decker. This will produce Decker's work-related biography, compensation history, holdings, and other information, as available.

 

 

Step 8:

Return to the previous webpage. Once there, continue your research by clicking on the Ownership or Company Financials tab, or any other tab that interests you.

 

 

Step 9:

To ensure a robust and accurate report, researchers should peruse this entire record provided through Mergent Online before concluding the analysis.