Investors often wait eagerly for a company's report on annual revenues to gauge the amount of business it generated during the year. Different companies report annual revenues at different times of the year, based on when their fiscal, or financial, year ends. The availability of a company’s information depends on the type of company. A publicly traded company is required by law to openly disclose its financial info because its stock trades on the open market, but finding out the revenues of a privately held company might require more of a scavenger hunt.
Public Companies
Step 1
Visit the investor relations section of the company’s website. Find its annual revenues listed among its other key financial information. A company might show this information on a chart or graph, or might show some type of financial fact sheet.
Step 2
Obtain a copy of a company’s annual report to shareholders. You can download this report from the investor relations section of its website, or request a copy from its investor relations department. Locate its annual revenues at the top of the income statement in the report.
Step 3
Download a copy of the company’s Form 10-K from the investor relations section of its website or from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s online EDGAR database. Form 10-K is the annual report public companies must file with the SEC. This form provides more detailed information than the annual report to shareholders. Find annual revenues on the income statement and in the “management’s discussion and analysis” section of the form.
Private Companies
Step 1
Check a private company’s website for its annual revenues or for a press release announcing annual revenues. Also, check internet search engines for any news stories that might report this information. A privately held company might tout its annual revenues on its website for promotional reasons, or might leak the info to financial journalists. For example, a company that grew annual revenues by 50 percent might issue a press release to create a buzz about its success.
Step 2
Contact the company to ask for its annual revenues or to request a copy of its annual report. You might also find its annual report on its website. Because a private company is not obligated to dish out its financial info, be prepared to be denied. If you get its annual report, find its annual revenues on the income statement.
Step 3
Search online databases that provide financial information on private companies. Some of these databases charge money, but are available for free at an academic or public library.
