ContentFollowing up on the Conglomerate Cheat Sheet and taking a cue (and a clue) from Magnetbox, Breakdown takes a look at a number of online resources for unearthing the roots of the corporate jungle. When in doubt about the ownership of a particular company, brand, or product, the following resources will prove invaluable in the discovery process. The best free sites are up at the top of the list.
Hoover’s — Even the free section is very useful, offering overviews and an accurate and informative “Subsidiaries/Affiliates” list for each company. Subscriptions range from $100/yr and up. Still, the free content alone make this one of the first places to look.
Yahoo Finance — A surprising amount of information available for free, including company profiles, historical data, and SEC filings.
Who Owns What — From the Columbia Journalism Review. A solid starting point for the holdings of major media companies. Focused primarily on print media, however, and lacks a good way to search for a particular holding. Worth visiting once at least for a look at the handful of company timelines.
RedBooks — The standard for advertising agencies. Click on the “brand name lookup” to quickly find out who owns a trademarked brand.
They Rule — Art meets economics meets technology. More of a toy than a research tool, this Flash application lets the user interact with webs that connect the board members of the 100 most powerful companies in the U.S.
Corporate Information — Free registration required. Not as easy to use as Hoover’s, but provides more information for free. Lacks an easy way of navigating subsidiary relationships.
Company Directories — From Duke University. Not a reference in itself, but a list of online tools and publications that provide corporate data. Most links are restricted to Duke’s network, thus making this list not worth the visit. Johns Hopkins has a similar list.
10k Wizard — Powerful search engine for all SEC filings. $175/yr. 7-day free demo available.
Who Owns Whom — The famed Dun and Bradstreet. Nothing appears available online for free.
Corporate Affiliations — From LexusNexus. $1,895 – $3,095. 7-day free demo available, or pay as you go. Seems like an incredibly comprehensive and useful resource, but hey, if Breakdown had that kind of bread in the cupboard, you wouldn’t be reading this article.