Content
Bureau Van Dijk provides a number of databases that provide different types of company information. The different databases integrate relatively well, and provide data in comparable formats.
- Orbis Europe
This database provides financial, ownership, and other company information for large and very large European companies. This includes both public and private companies, and both industrial as well as financial type companies. The coverage is approximately 10 years of data. Data on board members is often available as well as Shareholder data. FInancial data is available in a Global (more generic) format that makes it easier to compare data on firms from different countries.
- Orbis Bankfocus
This source covers information on banks, insurance companies, and other types of firms in the financial services industry. Bankfocus provides the company data in formats that are more suitable for these firms. Specific items for banks include Capital Tier ratio information as well as ownership data. The coverage is approximately 10 years of data on financial type companies worldwide.
- Zephyr
This database has information on mergers and acquisitions, Initial Public Offerings, and Venture Capital. It covers similar data when compared to SDC Platinum. There are differences on the availability of specific variables as well as some coverage. SDC is older and has more historical data. From approx. 1999 to now the coverage is likely to be the same. Zephyr is available from any computer, on or off campus.
N.B.: Financial data in both Orbis Europe and Orbis BankFocus originates from specific financial statements that are based on different levels of consolidation. Make sure to check for this if this is relevant for your research as this influences comparability of the data between companies.
Documentation and manuals
Bureau van Dijk provides user guides within the respective websites. These guides are available only if you are logged on to the database.
Other information
Practical information on using this database is also available at the following blogs:
Although you will not yet find much information on Orbis on these blogs, the information for Amadeus, a similar database from Bureau Van Dijk, could also be helpful for Orbis.
