Industry reports and statistics

Where do I find industry statistics and reports?

This was one of the most popular Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Jan-Mar 2012. (See FAQ popular questions page for full list)

We have checked and revised the answer.

The Bloomberg command is now BI (Bloomberg Industries) and there seems to have been considerable effort on this area of Bloomberg recently. It now covers around 100 industries (some North America only but most global) and additional information available via to Bloomberg help key.
(Previous post – mobile phone industry data on Bloomberg )

GMID from Euromonitor concentrates on consumer goods, but also includes a wide range of country-specific industry reports in Passport Industrial.

Datamonitor industry profiles are available from both Business Source Premier and Thomson Research. ( See post – Industry information from Thomson Research )

When looking for information on an industry consider using market research databases, business news and trade journals.

Finding companies in an industry – industry/sector codes

Industry or sector codes are a useful resource for identifying the companies in an industry. SIC (Standard Industry Codes) are the most common, but SIC does come in US and UK variants so some care is needed. In addition, companies have a primary SIC code (their largest area of business) and other secondary SIC codes.

Below is a FAME screenshot looking for UK supermarkets – the UK SIC code 5211 is used by most except Asda which uses 5227. (Since the search is on all SIC codes it picks up companies you would not normally classify as supermarkets.)

FAME retail search - click to enlarge

 Alternative approaches -

Market research reports can be an excellent resource for identifying the key companies in an industry, e.g. for UK supermarkets, Keynote has the Supermarkets 2010 Business Ratio Report.

Share/stock classifications such as the ICB (Industry Classification Benchmark) and the GICS (General Industry Classification Scheme) are used to classify companies from the perspective of investors. For the ICB, supermarkets are in Sector 5330 (Food and Drug Retailers) – remember that this will only identify quoted companies so UK companies in this sector will not include Asda which is a subsidiary of the US co Wal-Mart.

For details of the various industry classification codes see FAQ answer:

• How can I find a listing of SIC, ICB, GICS or NAICS Codes and other industry classifications?

For useful links on industry information:

• Where do I find industry statistics and reports?
• Where can I find specialised industry market research?

Overall, if you want to identify quoted companies based on their investment sector this is fairly straightforward.  If you want to identify companies based on their operations, industry codes are a good start but you probably want to cross-check using other resources.

How to Target and Research Potential Employers

The MBS Library Service provides access to key resources and databases which can assist you with your job search, interview preparation and Career development plan.

Careers Guides

Find publications relating to your career developemnt eg. Managing your career, CV/Interview preparation and tips on networking techniques, via the Library Catalogue.

Company Research Databases

Use the databases located in the “Databases” section of the Library’s “E-Resources” page to:

• Target Listings of UK/International companies
• Locate details of top companies in specific sectors
• Research latest company developments 

Target and Research Companies: Access FAME/ORBIS

• Identify and create target sector lists for UK/International companies
• Establish top companies/key competitors in specific markets/sectors
• Examine and Compare Financial performance of companies
• Analyse a company’s performance against key competitors
• Examine Corporate structures, board members and key contacts

Research Company News and Developments: Access FACTIVA

• Enhance your background knowledge for applications and interviews
• Examine latest company/industry developments from leading global news and trade publications
• Examine the impact of the latest political/economic events on companies/industries
• Up to 20 years of news updated daily

Other Library Databases  

• Research Market Analysis – Access Mintel, Keynote, Passport GMID, Frost and Sullivan, providing detailed tailored analysis for international and consumer markets . See the “Markets and Sectors” section of the Library Databases page.
• Create Company/Industry Capsules – Access Business Source Premier (Business Searching Interface) providing brief company/industry snapshots for key international companies and markets. See the “Management Literature” section of the Library Databases page.

Specialist Databases: Access BLOOMBERG (available for use within the Eddie Davies Library)

• Locate essential data within the “Bloomberg Careers Centre”
• Provides the Facility to search for Jobs/Recruiters by region
• Details upcoming Job Related Events
• Lists latest Job Postings

Additional Sources: VAULT (Online Careers Portal)

In addition to the Library databases on offer, MBS students have access to an online careers portal via their own career service. Vault provides:

• Online career development guides
• Occupational profiles
• Articles and online videos offering career/personal development advice.

To access Vault contact your University Careers Service adviser

Further Information on how to find, access and search any of the library databases detailed within this guide can be found on the Library’s E-Resources page.

The Library is providing a season of Open Training programmes over the Summer including sessions in July on Targeting and Researching Potential Employers

A detailed guide which expands further on the information provided above is also available via the Library Web-site.   

A New Look for GMID

GMID, Global Market Information Database, provides access to International market analysis and socio-economic/demographic data. It is an excellent resource for researching country intelligence, international markets and international consumer lifestyles.

As of this week there have been a few changes including a new interface, improved usability and a slightly new name, Passport GMID. For those who regularly use GMID don’t worry although it may look a little different the core functionality and content remain the same. In essence the new features include:

• A new look: a new simplified search interface including quick access to key industries/consumer data and analyses
• Predictive text searching: to help you make more targeted free text searches
• Better organised results: relevance driven and with filters to help you refine searches
• Faster navigation: seamlessly move between results page, content and related content
• Improved downloads for stats: to help you leverage data more easily

On accessing Passport GMID there is a short introductory video to familiarise you with the new interface and help you make the most of the new functionality.

To access Passport GMID, see “Markets & Sectors” or “Countries & Regions” via the library databases on the MBS Library website: http://www.mbs.ac.uk/library.

Further help on accessing and using GMID see our Helping You – Research Guides section via our website.