Company Research 

Is the company privately or publicly-held ?

Privately-held Most companies in the U.S. are private. Shares in a private company are held by a small group of owners and are not traded on the public market. Private companies are not legally required to disclose financial information with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)

Publicly-held A publicly held company is owned by the general public including company officers, employees and investors. It's stock is listed on the public market, and stock exchange and must file financial statements and reports with the SEC.

Finding company information can be complicated. However, the Web has made the search a bit easier.

• Public or private?  Find out by searching the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website. If the company is not listed with the SEC, then it is most likely privately-held.

• Search the company's website on Google. Use quotes around the company name, "kaiser aluminum"

• Search Yahoo! Finance. Type the company's name in the Get Quotes box. Look for the company profile, and other helpful information on the left menu. 

Tip: It is easier to find information on larger publicly-held companies than it is to research smaller privately-held local companies.

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