本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Start your digging at the company's website. There you'll often find a history of the firm, descriptions of its products and services, an archive of press releases and past annual reports. Also visit FreeEDGAR.com, where you can access financial statements filed with the SEC (look for quarterly 10-Q reports and annual 10-K reports). The 10-K reports typically include a lengthy section on risks the firm faces, as well as management's view of the company's prospects.

You'll need to learn about the firm's industry, as well as the company's competitive position and prospects. Determine exactly how the company makes money and how financially healthy it is. (Does it have a handful of big customers or many small ones? Rising or falling debt levels? Rapidly increasing sales and profits? Piles of cash?)

To research an industry and learn about a company's competitors, you might find these websites useful:

Polson Enterprises' Industry Research Desk:
http://virtualpet.com/industry/rdindex2.htm
U.S. Business Reporter:
http://www.activemedia-guide.com/indreporter.htm
Yahoo's Industry Research area:
http://biz.yahoo.com/research/indgrp/更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net