Business Information

Use the same basic business databases--Factiva, Business Source Premier, Nexis UNI, Reference USA.  see Companies tab above.

Trade Publications by Industry

Industry Ratios are in Factiva

To find industry ratios, choose the Companies/Markets menu at the top of the screen--then pick Industry from the drop-down menu.Select the Industry of your choice.  Once on the page, to locate the financial ratios for the industry, scroll down.  It's on the lower left hand side.

The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) are numerical classification systems created by the United States government.  These systems are used to group/classify like companies into industries for the purposes of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. The SIC system was originally developed in the 1930s and was last updated in 1987.  The NAICS system was first released in 2002 and last updated in 2017. 

While NAICS has "officially" replaced SIC, many business directories and databases still use one or both of the systems.  Therefore, it is important to know about both SIC and NAICS.

• The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) consists of four digit numbers that apply to a company based on the type of products or services it produces.
  • An example of an SIC Code is:  5812 = Eating Places
• The newer North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) employs six digits to allow for a more detailed system of industry classification. 
  • An example of a NAICS Code is: 722110 = Full Service Restaurants

Some library databases, books, and web sites allow you to search using SIC and/or NAICS codes.  Therefore, it is very important to know what the industry classification code is, before beginning your research.

WHERE TO FIND NAICS and SIC Codes -  NAICS Industry Codes (4 min video)