LibGuides: Accounting: Company Analysis

SWOT Analysis

By Xhienne (SWOT pt.svg) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunties, and Threats. A SWOT analysis is a process companies use to assess themselves and their competitors and formulate their strategies.

Information in a SWOT analysis is organized into internal and external factors:

1. An examination of the Strengths and Weaknesses of a company. This is an internal look at company operations to identify what the company does well and where it needs to improve. It focuses on the current situation.

2. An examination of the external environment in which the company operates. This means identifying industry trends and outside forces that could pose Threats or provide Opportunities for the company. It focuses on the future.

Finding Company Information

Articles from Business Databases
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Search for articles and news sources about companies in the business and accounting databases listed on the Articles page of this guide.
Company website
The first place to look for company history, annual reports, press releases, and other important company info. Usually at the bottom of the company's website under "About," "Investors," etc.
EDGAR - SEC Filings
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforces regulations that set the standards for public disclosure of financial information by public companies. Search the SEC's EDGAR database for public company 10-K reports and other filings.
Fortune 500 Companies
A list of the top 500 United States based companies, ranked by their revenue for the relevant fiscal year. The list includes public companies and private companies for which revenues are publicly available.

Business Market Research Collection This link opens in a new window
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The Business Market Research Collection provides company, industry, and geopolitical macroeconomic market research.

Finding Published SWOT Analyses

What's a SWOT analysis? See the box to the left for an explanation.

You can find published SWOT analyses in GALILEO's business article databases. Here's a sample search using the Business Source Complete database:

RESEARCH TIP: published SWOT analyses can be outdated or incomplete, so evaluate them as you would any other information resource. If you use them in your report or presentation, you need to cite your sources.

Subject Guide

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