Merritt Research Services aims to provide the most comprehensive collection of data possible. In some instances, however, adequate disclosure has not been provided by the Credit. In those cases, certain data fields will be left blank. Blank data fields are not to be confused with zeros, which indicate a zero balance or value. In addition to insufficient disclosure, fields might also be left blank when data for a particular field is not broken out in enough detail for us to populate the respective field accurately. This situation might arise if a line item on a financial statement is combined with another line item, and a detailed break-out is not provided in the notes to the financial statements. It may also occur when a field is described in the notes to the financial statements, but an actual value or break-out is not provided. In these situations, it would be misleading to represent the data field with a zero. By leaving the field blank, we are signaling to our users that although not disclosed in the financial statements or notes, there may be an actual value for that specific field.
