Compile a basic profile of the company

• Company web page (search for company name on Google)

• Look for what's there--and also what isn't.

• What face are they putting forward?  What issues are they trying to address?
  example: BHPBilliton's environmental policy

• Full name, where incorporated, public or private?

• Home stock exchange; handy to look up by "symbol" ("ticker symbol")

• Annual reports: http://www.annualreports.com/

• Commercial databases available at libraries

• Lexis-Nexis, http://gateway.uvic.ca/lib/org/ebl/lexis/

• Investor-oriented sites

  • Globe Investor
    http://www.globeinvestor.com/
    Look for 'Recent news' links
    Top 1000 public and top 300 private companies:
    http://www.globeinvestor.com/series/top1000/

  • Stockwatch
    http://www.stockwatch.com/
    Investor-oriented information on Canadian and US companies, includes “forum” pages with discussion on company.

  • Yahoo finance
    http://finance.yahoo.com
    Good source of news articles.

  • Stockhouse Canada
    http://www.stockhouse.ca/
    Includes “Bullboards” (investor chat)