Public companies are traded on stock exchanges or over-the-counter and are subject to regulation by Security Exchanges. They are required by law to file reports publicly. This makes it relatively easy to find information about public companies. However, private companies, other than federally regulated ones, are not required to report publicly and therefore it is much more difficult to find information about them. The databases below contain public filings of Canadian and American companies. To learn more about public filings please consult our specialized guide.
The following databases are recommended for public company research. Collectively they provide overviews of the companies as well as information on operating conditions, financials and much more. York University Students can access most of these resources remotely from home using their Passport York.