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Industry Research: Home

This guide lists books and databases useful in locating industry information including overviews, ratios, codes and financial performance.

Getting Started

This guide is here to help you by providing information, tips, and links to resources relevant to your academic success. Use the tabs at the top of the page to get started.

Remember that you can always contact a librarian if you ever need help in your academic endeavors!

Consultant Websites

In addition to database searches (see blue tab above), websites found on the Company Research guide can also be helpful for researching their respective industries. The following accounting/auditing/consulting companies also offer overviews of several industries:

PwC  focuses on audit and assurance, tax and consulting services. PwC monitors 16  industries and provides services, including resources, deals, forensics and consulting services. They make available many free reports on these key industries.

Deloitte is a worldwide audit, tax and consulting services company. Pull down from "Industries" to find free forecasts and analyses of various broad industries.

KPMG is a global network of independent member firms offering audit, tax and advisory services. Pull down from "Industries" to "All Industries" to explore their reports, interviews with industry leaders and case studies.

Industry names

Why are there so many industry name variations and classifications for the company I'm researching?

Two annoying facts and what to do about them:

Annoying fact #1: Different databases will refer to the same industry by different names. This happens because there are many industry classification systems in use, and some of them are specific to the databases we use. (Is the industry name motor vehicles, cars or automobiles?)
What to do: Start by searching for your company in the database, then click on the linked industry report.

Annoying fact #2: Different databases classify the same company in different industries. This happens because many companies operate in more than one industry, or their operations can be classified in more than one way.
What to do: Pick one industry to focus on -- the one with the most information available.