Mergers & Acquisitions Information Sources
Compiled by Prof. Martha Cooney
mcooney@liu.edu, 516-299-2310
September 2007
Center for Business Research
Please contact our business librarians
who can help you locate and use the resources you need.
Company and Industry Information
Company and Industry Information Sources.
This CBR research guide will link you to Library databases and print resources for
finding company and industry information
Researching Mergers and Acquisitions
SEC Filings:
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings are required for
public companies and will provide valuable information on the scope and terms
of specific M&A deals. Look for filings such as the 8-K, 10-K,
and Proxy Statements (e.g. DEFM, PREM). For a description of filings, go to:
www.sec.gov/info/edgar/forms/edgform.pdf.
Locating SEC Filings:
SEC filings are available from multiple sources including the ones described and linked below.
| SEC Filings & Forms |
http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml |
| The official
site of the SEC will link you to all filings for a company available in EDGAR, the Electronic Data Gathering,
Analysis, and Retrieval system. Current and retrospective SEC filings are available from 1996
(and sometimes as far back as 1993). |
| Search tip: See
Researching Public Companies Through EDGAR:
A Guide for Investors for information on how to use the SEC's EDGAR database.
The section on Business Combinations will be especially useful. |
| Mergent
Online |
| The Mergent database
provides 15 years of data on U.S. and foreign public companies. |
| Search tip: To
locate SEC filings, click on the tab for EDGAR Search. At the search screen, type in company name or
ticker, choose date, and select filing from drop down menu. Downloading options include Word, PDF,
HTML, and Excel formats. |
| Hoover's
Online |
| The Hoover's database
provides information on thousands of public, private, and international companies. Links are
also provided to SEC filings. |
| Search tip: Type
in the name of the company in the search box. At the next screen choose your company from a list.
When the information on your company appears, there will be links on the left. Select the link for SEC
Filings. When the list of SEC filings comes up, choose the filing you need. You can also click on a link
for 10-Ks only. |
Locating M & A Deals:
| Mergers
& Acquisitions: The Dealmaker's Journal (bimonthly journal) |
Available in print in the Periodicals
Dept. and also online in
Business
Source Premier |
| Use this trade
journal to locate information on merger and acquisitions activity. A feature in each issue provides
round-ups of current M&A activity. See the February issue for a statistical wrap-up of the
top deals of the previous year. |
| Search tip:
To locate Mergers & Acquisitions: The Dealmaker's Journal online in the Business Source
Premier database, click on the link above. When the journal page comes up, select the link for the
February issue to access the statistical wrap-up of the previous year's M&A activity. To find a
round-up of current M&A activity (e.g. deals in process), click on any recent issue and look especially
for the articles on Deal Flow. To search by keyword, subject, or company name, select the link for
"Search Within this Publication" on the journal page. |
| Mergers
& Acquisitions Report (weekly newsletter) |
Available online in
Business
Source Premier |
| This weekly
newsletter provides current articles on mergers and acquisitions. See summary data on U.S. public
and private merger activity, divestitures, and foreign transactions in the Worldwide Mergers &
Acquisitions section of each issue. |
| Search tip:
To locate Mergers & Acquisitions Report online in the Business Source Premier database,
click on the link above. When the journal page comes up, select any recent issue and look for the
Worldwide Mergers & Acquisitions article for data on deals in process by size and industry.
To search by keyword, subject, or company name, select the link for "Search Within this Publication"
on the journal page. |
| Cases in Corporate
Acquisitions, Buyouts, Mergers & Takeovers |
Available in print only:
Bus HD 2746 .C38 1999 |
| Provides detailed
profiles of companies that have engaged in a wide range of M&A activity. See p.1477 for a list of
deals from 1868 to early 2000. For more recent information, consult Mergers & Acquisitions,
Mergers & Acquisitions Report, or search the
Library databases for current articles. |
Finding Books:
| Library Online Catalog |
http://liucat.liu.edu |
- Search by any
keyword or use subject headings such as:
Books that are not available at the CWP campus can be ordered through
Interlibrary Loan.
To search specifically for books available online, look for the notation: [electronic resource] next
to the titles of books when searching in LIUCat, or use the Library's
ebrary database for a
collection of 25,000 e-books. |
Finding Articles in Library Databases:
The following databases are available on campus and from home. A barcode
will provide access from off campus. Go to the Circulation Desk of the Library with
your University I.D. to obtain a barcode.
These databases will provide many full-text articles about all business topics
including merger and acquisitions activity.
| Business
Source Premier (Ebsco) |
| Business Source Premier
provides full text articles for thousands of business journals and thousands of company, country,
and market reports. Coverage includes virtually all subject areas related to business. |
| Search tip 1: To find
articles on merger activity, type in relevant keywords or use the subject heading "Consolidation and
Merger of Corporations". For articles on a specific company, combine the name of the company
with the subject heading. |
| Search tip 2: Use the
folder feature to save your search history and the results of your searches. Click on the "Sign In"
link to set up your personal folder. |
| Search tip 3: You can
format your search results according to a specific citation style (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). After
performing a search, click on a result. The print, save, and email options all provide links to a Manager
screen which will give you the option of selecting a Citation Format. Choose your format from the
drop-down menu and press the appropriate button to print, email, or save your article. Your citation
will be formatted according to the style you have selected. Note: Although this feature is very good, you
will need to double-check each citation to make sure it is correct. See also
Citation Style for Research Papers. |
| Mergent
Online |
| The Mergent database
provides 15 years of financials, investment information, annual reports, and EDGAR (SEC) filings.
Financials can be downloaded to Excel and reports of multiple companies can be created. |
| Business
& Company Resource Center |
| Use "Advanced Search" to
locate company and industry information, investment reports, history, rankings, and many current articles. |
| Search tip: To
locate industry reports, click "Advanced Search". Select "Industry Overviews" from the
drop-down menu and type in industry keyword(s). |
| ABI/Inform
Global (ProQuest) |
| The ProQuest databases
provide a wealth of information in full-text articles. Use the "Advanced Search" to locate articles
by specific company and/or subject heading. |
HTML by Robert Delaney
robert.delaney@liu.edu
|
