A small company doesn't have to file full accounts, I tried it with a company I used to work for.
And they are usually a couple of years old.

If it's PLC, shareholders get copies of the accounts.

And the accounts prove very little, that same company I worked for had a decent turnover, low overheads was sold a couple of years back and went into administration before Xmas with a lot of debt.
Curiously the other companies in the new owners group survived.
.