How to Check a Company’s Revenue: Key Sources and Methods

A company’s revenue is a key indicator of its financial health. Whether you’re an investor, competitor, or just curious, knowing where to find this information can help you make informed decisions. Revenue figures are often publicly available, but the sources vary depending on whether the company is private or publicly traded.

Several reliable sources provide revenue data, including official filings, industry databases, and financial news reports. Understanding these sources ensures accuracy and deeper insights into a company’s financial standing.

Company Investor Relations Page

Publicly traded companies maintain an investor relations (IR) page on their website, a primary source for financial data, including revenue. These pages provide earnings reports, financial statements, and presentations detailing performance. Revenue is typically highlighted in quarterly and annual reports with management commentary explaining trends and growth drivers.

Investor relations pages often include earnings call transcripts and presentations breaking down revenue by business segment, geographic region, or product category. Some companies provide historical financial data for trend analysis.

Many IR pages feature interactive tools, such as financial calculators or downloadable spreadsheets, for analyzing revenue trends. Some companies offer email alerts for earnings releases, ensuring investors receive updates as soon as new financial data is published.

Regulatory Filings

Government-mandated financial disclosures provide one of the most reliable ways to verify a company’s revenue. Public companies in the U.S. must submit detailed reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with the most relevant being Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. The 10-K, an annual filing, includes audited financial statements, management discussions, and risk factors, while the 10-Q provides unaudited quarterly updates. Both contain income statements listing total revenue.

Beyond revenue figures, these filings offer insights into financial stability. The Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) section explains revenue trends, cost structures, and profitability factors. Footnotes in financial statements may reveal revenue recognition policies, deferred revenue, or contract liabilities, providing a clearer picture of how a company records sales.

The SEC’s EDGAR database offers free access to these filings. Similar regulatory bodies exist in other countries, such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK and the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), each providing public access to company financials. While private companies are not required to file with the SEC, they may disclose revenue in state filings, credit reports, or bond prospectuses if they issue debt.

Industry Data Services

Subscription-based financial databases offer another way to access company revenue figures, particularly for businesses that do not publicly disclose financials. Services like Bloomberg Terminal, S&P Capital IQ, and FactSet aggregate data from multiple sources, including company filings, analyst estimates, and proprietary research. These platforms provide historical revenue trends, industry comparisons, and revenue projections.

Industry data services often include revenue segmentation by product line, business unit, or customer type, offering a detailed view of income sources. This is useful for evaluating companies with multiple revenue streams, such as technology firms with both hardware sales and recurring software subscriptions. Many platforms also integrate financial ratios like revenue growth rates and revenue-to-expense ratios to assess operational efficiency.

Private company revenue estimates are another feature of these databases. While private businesses are not required to disclose financials, data providers compile revenue estimates using sources like supplier contracts, government procurement records, and industry benchmarks. Some services also track revenue guidance issued by company executives, offering insight into expected future performance.

Financial News Websites

Major financial news outlets regularly report on company revenue, often providing context that raw financial statements lack. Publications like The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Financial Times analyze earnings announcements and revenue trends, incorporating expert opinions and market reactions. These articles help investors understand how revenue figures compare to analyst expectations, as earnings surprises—whether positive or negative—often influence stock prices.

Some news platforms, such as CNBC and Reuters, offer real-time earnings coverage, summarizing key takeaways shortly after companies release their financial results. Financial news websites also publish interviews with executives, where management may discuss revenue growth strategies, new product launches, or market expansion plans. These insights provide a forward-looking perspective that financial statements alone do not capture.