Thomson One try out

This is going to be a long post.
Content:
1. General look and idea of Thomson One
2. Deal
3. Company Views

Currently the Data Center VU and  selected researchers at the economics faculty of Vrije Universiteit are viewing and reviewing a trial version of Thomson One. The test is whether extra cost is worth the web based interface (hence enabling remote access), user friendliness and content (loss / gain).

General impression of TO
I have got the impression that this trial version lacks a couple of essential functionalities that, in my humble opinion, makes or breaks Thomson One, like marker related M&A deals over a given period.
This trial version does not provide it. (Screening and analysis, M&A)

The top Bar operates/ navigates with mouse over (sometimes a bit difficult to make your selections)

!!! Important note:  !!!
Each time you press another option from the TOP Bar the bar right beneath it changes
(looks AND content) In fact: it's the very same menu as the one directly under the TAB. (see below)

TAB Market Views: 
News & Quotes (all parts work) > searchable is> price chart > Corporate Events, Corporate Governance, Estimates, Economics, Market pulse,  Currencies, Benchmark Bonds and Money Market Rates do provide data. Business strategy and deal activity do not.

Example output Tata Steel





TAB Company Views
Overviews, news & corporate events, corporate governance, price chart, fundamentals, estimates, debt overview, deals, share ownership, research, filings* (see below) and officicers & directors all provide data.
TAB Watchlist views
All items provide data.
TAB Screening & analysis
All items come up with this message:

!!
Thomson One demands a total new approach to the SDC database.
Not only is the interface web based, but the menu structure differs dramatically.
!!

DEAL
In this post I'll to illustrate a basic search with the following specifics:
Market US+non-US, years > 2000, Specific deal > Tata acquires Corus Group PLC
These are the conditions of the first search action we use in our presentations SDC Platinum.

- Compare Thomson One to SDC Platinum in an earlier post (same deal) Tear sheet M&A Tata Steel acquires Corus. -

By default Thomson One remembers the latest search action.
Screen after start up:

In order to go to deals select the following mouse over actions

Company views

(click)





The next screen looks like.

Looking up Tata Steel guides you to the Navigator (the one Datastream uses) > you can select one or more equities for your research.
As for mentioned conditions: mind the fields right above the list. Set the conditions as much as possible as I mentioned. Changing the settings and pressing the SUBMIT button, will change the appearance of the list.
Changing range into 2011-2013

Back to 2003. Take care of the following settings:

Next press the red button:  (mouse over says show deal list)
In the mentioned conditions we were interested in an M&A deal  with Corus PLC

Nice feature in Thomson one: all advisors involved are presented without having to look them up.
Two buttons on the left side are noteworthy:

Tear sheet and view filings
Tear sheet info and filings both show deal data like date announced, deal synopsis, deal status etc etc. As far as I can see at this point I can't see any difference.






The tabs on top of the page provide further informations (part also shown in the first page)

SAVING
On the top right of the list screen the export (saving data) options are mentioned, format Excel or PDF.

COMPANY VIEWS

Overviews
Company overview and peer analysis (related indices and sectors)
Herein: segmentation and key competitors

This table contains a link : comparable analysis

Filings:
An interesting section of Thomson One.
It contains annual reports, among others.
Company information offers the possibility of checking company filings.
The picture shows filings of Corus, raleted in the deal.
But you can also select menu filings and start looking.








There is also a historic list (depending on what a company has provided, but it can go back quite a ways. For instance AHOLD  offers filings dating all the way back to 1981.

Searching for filings:












Pressing the + unfolds further options
Interesting is the part where you can check prospectuses.
Since we have  trial license I'll have to further investigate whether filings actually do provide data.


The search menu only provides listings that are added. So, if there are no 10-K of 20-F listings, you will get no output. Not only that, but even when there *are* filings, the search menu may not produce (filter) them, resulting in no hits.

The other option is browsing the filings list: Ahold got 1181 listings, which could make it tedious.

Officers and Directors:
After selecting a company  it's is easy to get an overview of Current AND historic officers and directors.
Shown example is Ordina.

If present, it is possible to further filter on Committee

 * Unfortunately no historic audit committee members *










 University of Amsterdam M&A Manual (B. Witlox)

Additions (15th October)
Whether is is because this is a trial version, but things that appear not to function or are absent, or aren't easily found. Experience - and sources on the internet strongly support my assumption. This is unfortunate.
- Custom Report
- Multiple series (more than one deal)
- IPO
- New issues

** Further posts will follow **