SIBL > Searching for Company Information

Is the company Private or Public?

Publicly-held companies (i.e. companies which sell stock to the general public) are required to disclose certain financial information to their shareholders and to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For this reason, it is often much easier to locate information on these companies than on privately held (or closely held) companies.

Some directories may include information on public companies, some both public and private companies, and a few may deal only with private companies. Whichever the case may be, knowing which type of company you are looking for will help you to avoid needlessly searching in inappropriate sources.

• Is it a private company?
• Is it a public company?
• Is it soon to be a "going public" company?

(If you answer YES - follow the link to a suggested search strategy)