Directories may also be used to determine what the companies produce and sell. The Kompass Directories index manufacturers by product. Directories have other innovative uses too. Business - Annual Reports . Many newswires contain copious amounts of information about companies - and describe products, mergers and fiascoes.
Prominent newspapers specialize in covering business.
This is described in more detail in our Newswires and News Databases article. News is generated locally, then distributed globally through the newswires. Associated Press , Reuters , or the top of the line Bloomberg Business News each deliver business news targeted to the investor. Current press releases are usually free online but past news is indexed into commercial databases. This information is also rather ubiquitously used in the preparation of company profiles.