Dun & Bradstreet reports

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B;) reports provide information about the creditworthiness of businesses around the world. D&B; reports are the most widely used financial reports used by businesses in the United States in determining credit, marketing, purchasing, and receivables management decisions. D&B; dominates the commercial credit-data market. Many corporate financial officers rely solely on D&B; reports to make credit decisions. Created in 1841, Dun & Bradstreet is a long-established U.S. business that maintains files of information on more than 10 million firms worldwide. D&B; analysts gather data by reviewing customer-supplied information, INTERVIEWING company executives, examining public documents about businesses, and reviewing credit references. Over 100,000 companies use D&B; reports to
• target market prospective companies
• assess risk of doing business with other companies
• set credit terms
• define collections methods for credit
• analyze COMPETITION
• evaluate potential vendors
Having a D&B; report is often a prerequisite for doing business with major U.S. CORPORATIONs. Business managers tend to be RISK averse, not wanting to be surprised by either competitors or suppliers. Bankruptcy of an important supplier can create chaos and be costly to a company. Financial reports like those D&B; supplies are used to reduce uncertainty. D&B; reports typically include a summary BALANCE SHEET, an INCOME STATEMENT, and a payments record indicating how timely the firm has been paying its bills. Background information about the company, its history, facilities, owners, litigation, bankruptcies, and settlements are also included. D&B; also published MOODY’S RATINGS, reports focusing on the status and details of corporate securities, but in 2000, Moody’s was separated into its own publicly traded company.