Get the most up-to-the-minute information on publicly held businesses

Find publicly held company rankings, profiles, corporate structures, contacts and other vital company information to increase your business intelligence and gain a marketing edge. Services and directories are good sources to obtain information on publicly held corporations.

I recommend: Selectory gives you unlimited online access to top  publicly held businesses in both the United States and Canada as well as global companies. Get profiles on 14 million U.S. businesses and 1 million Canadian firms. The company offers a free trial to its service as well. Jigsaw provides a profile directory of 1 million top companies with 8 million contacts at all levels. It also offers a free sign up.

Find sources that provide trends and analysis reports on top publicly held companies

You want analysis tools as well profiles on top companies. Track trends and get statistical tables and other market data on some of the leading corporations.

I recommend: Plunkett Research, Ltd., provides trends, technologies, market data and statistics on various size companies, including publicly held companies. OneSource has 16 million profiles that include corporate financials, customized analyst reports and other data that can integrate with your CRM system.  Another well-known directory of publicly held companies is Standard & Poor's Capital IQ while the S&P 500 is the most famous of publicly held company rankings.

Get information on publicly held corporations by industry

Analyze industry trends and other data on top companies across industry sectors. Get industry overviews on finance, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing and other areas.

I recommend: Hoovers provides research on various industry sectors, including construction and real estate, finance and insurance, food and agriculture and manufacturing. First Research provides profiles on 300 U.S. industries that include overviews, quarterly industry updates, industry forecast and basic financial information.