Financial ratios are used against another company, or in comparison with the industry average in order to benchmark or measure a company’s performance. They are based on data found in balance sheets, income statements and sometimes based on share prices. SEC filings will also contain financial ratios. You can search for the company name and "investor relations" to find the company's page. From the company's investor relations page, there should be a link to company financials, where you can access SEC filings.

Steps for finding ratios in Nexis Uni:

1.On the main search page, access the Company Dossier, use the drop down menu at the top left of the screen:

2. Use the "Find a Company" search to locate your company. (Remember that the results will list the top 3 companies found, if you don't see your company listed, click on "View All".) When several companies with similar names are listed, the company address can be useful in determining whether you have selected the right one from the results. In this case, we are searching for Amazon.com:

3. When the company page opens, click Financial Overview on the left side of the screen. (note the other

4. When the page opens, click on "Ratio analysis".

5. Data for the most recent fiscal year available, plus 2 years previous,  will show. Use the "Older Data" link at the bottom of the table to view earlier data.