Research Guides: Company Information: An Introduction: Foreign Cos.

SEC Reporting Requirements

Foreign companies listed on exchanges in the United State must comply with reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange commission (SEC). All companies must file an annual report, Form 20F, within six months of the company's fiscal year end.

Initial public offerings are filed on Form F1, a registration statement and prospectus.

The SEC publishes a list of International Registered and Reporting Companies.

For more information about the SEC's rules for foreign issuers, read Accessing the U.S. Capital Markets:A Brief Overview for Foreign Private Issuers.

American Depository Receipts

"The stocks of most foreign companies that trade in the U.S. markets are traded as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). U.S. depositary banks issue these stocks. Each ADR represents one or more shares of foreign stock or a fraction of a share." (SEC)

Read "An Introduction to Depository Receipts" at the Investopedia website.

Bloomberg - Available in the Subotnick Center
For a list of ADRs, type ADRM and then hit GO.
DR Search
Search J.P. Morgan's DR Directory of companies with depository receipts. Find brief profiles and commentary..

Databases

Bloomberg Professional
Mergent Online
Provides detailed information on publicly held foreign companies. Financials are reported in the home country currency, but can be changed to dollars from the drop down menu on the left side of the screen.
Nexis Uni
Click on "Menu" on the top left-hand side of the screen.
Click on "Company Dossier"
Search for the company by name of company.
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Create a list of comparable companies by country, sales, industry, etc. by selecting "Create a Company List" in the Company Dossier section of Nexis (see above)
S&P NetAdvantage
Type company name into the search bar. Results contain company filings (20F if the company lists on the US exchanges), annual reports and tearsheet information.
Click on "Investment Research" or "Equity Research" on the left side of the screen to find analyst reports on the company, if any.

Company Directories

Uniworld Online
Online directory of American firms operating in foreign countries and foreign companies operating in the United States. Company information (address, executive names, sales, # of employees) is provided for foreign and U.S. parent companies and their divisions. Target a specific geographic area from country to zip code or search by company name or industry.

Kompass Business Directory
Worldwide B2B directory. Search for companies by name, activity, product, executives, or location.
Official Company Registers
A comprehensive list of official registries for countries around the world. Note that many are fee-based or require a subscription; others are only available with native language search and report options.

Global Securities Regulators

Financial Regulators Gateway
Links to regulatory agencies worldwide. Covers securities, banking and insurance regulators. Includes links to text of local securites law.