Research Guides: Business: Industry Information

What an Industry Profile Contains (Usually)

By country (e.g. Ice Cream in the US)

Activities
Major companies
Current condition and projections for the future
Trade associations
Government and legislative issues
News

Find Information about an Industry

Business Insights: Essentials This link opens in a new window
Presents full text profiles, including histories, chronologies, civil claims, financial data and rankings, of US and international firms; articles from business journals, newsletters, and the business sections in newspapers; selected investment reports from Investext; industry overviews; and industry trade associations. Formerly called Business and Company Resource Center.
EMIS (Emerging Market Information Service) This link opens in a new window
EMIS, Emerging Market Information Service, presents news, industry information, company profiles, reports, and financial data, closing price quotes, macroeconomic statistics and forecasts, and legal and political news from emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe including the Baltic States and Russia. Searches can be narrowed to resources in English though they include many articles in over a dozen languages.
IBISWorld Industry Market Research This link opens in a new window
IBIS World Industry Research Reports provides current reports on U.S. industries. Each report consists of 30 to 40 pages of key statistics and analysis on market characteristics, operating conditions, current and forecast performance, major industry participants and more. The Library subscribes only to this section of IBISWorld.
RMA Statement Studies This link opens in a new window
RMAU Online (formerly known as eStatement Studies) is a professional level financial analysis tool that draws data from financial statements. It offers financial ratios benchmarks, industry default probabilities and cash flow measures.

International Trade Administration (ITA): Trade Data & Analysis
Industry-by-industry overview of the U.S. economy.
Yahoo Finance
Financial information and commentary on U.S. companies and markets.

Print Resources - Business Ratios

Industry norms and key business ratios, one year by Dun & Bradstreet
Call Number: HF5681.B2 R6
ISBN: 9781630534974
Publication Date: 2016
Almanac of Business and Industrial Financial Ratios by Leo Troy
Call Number: HF5681.R25 A45
ISBN: 080803829X
Publication Date: 2014
RMA Annual Statement Studies by Robert Morris Associates
Call Number: HF5681.B2 R6
ISBN: 9781570703287
A source of composite performance metrics, featuring data for over 760 industries, derived directly from more than 173,000 statements of financial institutions' borrowers and prospects.

Industry Financial Ratios

Business Insights: Essentials This link opens in a new window
Presents full text profiles, including histories, chronologies, civil claims, financial data and rankings, of US and international firms; articles from business journals, newsletters, and the business sections in newspapers; selected investment reports from Investext; industry overviews; and industry trade associations. Formerly called Business and Company Resource Center.
IBISWorld Industry Market Research This link opens in a new window
IBIS World Industry Research Reports provides current reports on U.S. industries. Each report consists of 30 to 40 pages of key statistics and analysis on market characteristics, operating conditions, current and forecast performance, major industry participants and more. The Library subscribes only to this section of IBISWorld.
RMA Statement Studies This link opens in a new window
RMAU Online (formerly known as eStatement Studies) is a professional level financial analysis tool that draws data from financial statements. It offers financial ratios benchmarks, industry default probabilities and cash flow measures.

Industry Codes

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)
The standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying businesses by industry. NAICS codes are most often used in resources to help users find industry information and companies similar to each other.
SIC (Standard Industrial Classification)
SIC is an older indstry classification system mainly replaced by NAICS in the late 1990's.