Company data such as return on assets and return on equity are analyzed with respect to trends in their own performance, and relative to industry averages.

FORBES: 2004 Mutual Fund Survey

In some cases that may be a 10-K with words and tables stored as one big chunk of data which can be analyzed later.

FORBES: Capital Markets Increase Their Demand for Unstructured Data, Big Data

As with all of the methods I use and discuss, multiple time periods must be analyzed.

FORBES: Avoiding Those Costly Impulsive Trades

This data, which is pivotal to decisions around financial investments as risk and return are analyzed, can now be disclosed in a more coherent and efficient matter now that standards are being established as with the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and the US launch of the SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board).

FORBES: Sustainable Capitalism....If not now, then when?