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How to Find Company and Industry Information: Industry Information

This guide will assist you in locating company and industry information using library resources.

How to Locate Industry Information

Industry Information can be found in many of the library databases, especially: D&B Hoover's Business Browser, Key Business Ratios, and Small Business Reference Center. Other business databases may have industry information as well.

Click on tabs for more information.

Quick Links

Locating Industry Information in the Databases and Online

Click on the Research Industries tile on the homepage. There are two options to start your search on this page

Keyword Search. Type in keywords related to an industry and click on "View Results."

Industry  D&B Hoovers Industries are selected by default; click on "Change" to choose another classification, such as NAICS 2022 and several others. Enter the industry name or code, or use the "Browse" feature to select from a list of major industries, which can be expanded to more specific sub-industries. Click on "View Results" then on the desired report to view the full report. 
Be sure to check the options on the left for more information, such as Analyst Reports, Industry Participants, and Industry Activities.

First Research and Mergent have partnered to provide nearly 500 Industry Profiles. It may take a few clicks to actually get into the database. Once you are on the page where you can see the image below, you can start searching by typing an industry keyword or industry code in the search box. The results will include not only the industry you searched for, but also closely related ones.

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You can also Browse Industry Profiles. There are eleven general industries; click on one to display the subindustries. Then click on the one you are interested in. 

 

Industry benchmark data, provided by Dun & Bradstreet, features 14 key business ratios for public and private companies in 800 lines of business.

  • Click on Reports at the top right of the page. 
  • Use the drop-down menus to locate either the SIC number or the Line of Business, (alphabetical listing of SIC categories) and the other options, as well as the NAICS code, will automatically fill in.
  • Reports will display data for the last five years in either Table or Chart format. It will display Ratios on opening, but you can also select either Variance or Norms at the top of the report (above the search). 

Ratios Tab

  • The ratios table is organized by Industry Quartile for the last five years, and are grouped under Solvency, Efficiency, and Profitability. Hover over the black  book icon next to each for a description.
  • Upper, median, and lower quartile values are shown for each year. The number of sample company statements used to compile the data for that industry is shown under the year.

Variance tab

  • The variance table compares the industry median value vs. prior two medians values for the last five years. The types of median variance data include various Solvency, Efficiency, and Profitability ratios. Hover over the black book icon next to each for a description.

Norms tab

  • Displays up to five years of industry financial data averages, including Cash, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Liabilities and Assets, Net Worth, Working Capital, etc.

To find Industry Profiles, follow the instructions on the Gale Business Insights: Global page. 

You can also use the tabs on the search page to find MarketLine Industry Profiles and Plunkett Reports, which include analytics, deep financial benchmarks, metrics and revenue forecasts.

      Select  Industry Information by Small Business                    Type category.

  • Select one of the many small business types listed
  • Now click on Industry Information
  • A list of reports will appear. Most of these will be detailed, current Industry Reports for a specific NAICS number.  
  • These reports are 90 - 200+ pages in length and can be downloaded, printed, and emailed.

Websites with Industry Information

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