Some valuation firms and practices that have specialties in various sectors put out some interesting industry-specific reports, and they are free. Here are a few recent ones (click on the titles for the links):

• “The Food Monitor,” published by B. Riley Advisory Services, a firm that has a specialty in working with and appraising large and well-known companies in the food service industries, provides information on most commodity food products, including industry trends, market pricing, and their relation to the valuation process;
• “Value Focus: Auto Dealer Industry,” from Mercer Capital, has midyear 2023 data on sales, blue-sky multiples, and guideline public companies; and
• “Global Software Sector Update—Fall 2023,” from Kroll, and a companion report with valuation data, examines M&A deal volume and data from public transactions in the software sector, including firms offering business intelligence and analytics, communications and collaboration, marketing, cybersecurity, and more.