Research Guides: Company Information: An Introduction: Find/Create Lists

Finding or Creating a List of Competitors, Suppliers, Customers

Numerous databases provide lists of comparable companies. These are often peer-group listings or rankings of companies.

Other databases allow one to create tailor-made lists of companies using a variety of parameters. Many of these databases will allow one to download results of these searches into report formats or Excel spreadsheets.

Create Your Own Company Rankings and Lists

COMPUSTAT North America
Somewhat cumbersome to use, this database allows one to search for comparable companies using a variety of variables. Menu page provides step-by-step boxes for input of variables.
Datastream Advance
Mergent Online
Use the advanced search feature to select criteria. Click "add" and then "search" to retrieve a list of companies.
Nexis Uni
- Click on "Menu" on upper left side of screen.
- Choose "Company Dossier"
- Choose "Create a Company List"
- Select & input tailored variables.
Reference Solutions
Click on the custom search tab and select criteria from all or some of the categories listed on the left side of the screen. Sample question would be compiling a list of wood household manufacturers in North Carolina within a particular sales range.

Bankruptcies

Bank Failures
Census Bureau: Business Dynamics Statistics Data
Statistics on "business deaths" (data available to 2021)
Florida-UCLA-LoPucki Bankruptcy Research Database (BRD)
The BRD contains data on all large, public company bankruptcy cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Courts from October 1, 1979 to 2022

Databases Containing Lists of a Company's Competitors, Customers, Suppliers

Gale Business: Insights
Company and industry information: profiles, news articles, chronologies, rankings, SWOT analyses, market share, market size, etc.
Factiva
Click on "COMPANIES/MARKETS" tab on top of screen. Click on "COMPANY" and type in ticker or company name. Scroll down resulting page and look for "PEER GROUP" for a listing of the top ten competitors.
FAITS (Faulkner Advisory for IT Studies)
Database of technology companies only. Select "COMPANY PROFILE" from the middle box ("Explore by Report Type") of the home page. Select the company from the list of technology companies. Scroll down the report to the section entitled "COMPETITORS".
Also includes a brief section listing alliances and joint ventures.

Forbes Annual Ranking - America's Largest Private Companies

Mergent Online
Type company name or ticker. Click "COMPETITORS" tab.

Business and Trade Journals

Trade Journals:

Many trade journals publish company rankings within the industries they cover. These rankings include both public and private companies. Check these sites for trade journals and business magazines that provide corporate rankings:

Business Magazines:

Forbes Magazine

Numerous rankings including America's Largest Private Companies, Global High Performers and more.

Fortune Magazine: Numerous rankings including the Fortune 500, the Most Admired Companies, The Global 500 and the Fastest Growing Companies

Inc. Magazine: Numerous rankings including the Inc. 500 (privately held, fastest growing), Top Women-Run Companies, Top Latino and Hispanic Run Companies, Top Black Companies