Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via
Excel)
This guide gives an introduction to the main functions and data categories within datastream.
Contents
Setting up Datastream ......................................................................................................................... 2
Datastream Toolbar within Excel ....................................................................................................... 3
Company requests: Single company ................................................................................................ 4
Company requests: Multiple selections and lists ............................................................................ 6
Constituent Lists ............................................................................................................................... 6
Criteria Search for Equities ............................................................................................................. 7
Importing Lists from other databases .......................................................................................... 10
Datastream Request manager ......................................................................................................... 12
Datastream: Finding Economic Data .............................................................................................. 13
Finding Economic data: Using Explorer...................................................................................... 13
Finding Economic Data: Using Criteria Search ......................................................................... 15
Exchange Rates ................................................................................................................................. 19
Exchange Rates: Criteria Search ................................................................................................ 19
Exchange Rates: Explorer ............................................................................................................ 21
Interest Rates...................................................................................................................................... 22
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Setting up Datastream
If you have never used Datastream on the computer you are sitting in front of today, you MUST follow
these simple steps before you can use it:
1. Install Datastream user settings
Go to Cardiff Apps on the desktop…
RIGHT click on Datastream User Settings and click verify.
2. Run Datastream 5.1
Double click on Datastream 5.1 on the Desktop
3. Open Excel
Go to Start – All Programs – Microsoft office 2010 or 13 – Excel 2010 or 13
A Datastream tab should then add itself to the Excel toolbar:
Note: You must complete in this order. If you try to open Excel (step 3) before you run Datastream (step 2)
you will not be able to access Datastream.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Datastream Toolbar within Excel
To access data, click on the Datastream tab in Excel to see the Datastream toolbar:
The most common way you will access data is through the Time Series request option . Time Series
Request is most used for downloading data for companies or other types of series over time. This will allow
you to e.g. see share prices for a company over a number of years or see GDP values for a country for a
number of years.
Static request is used for data that doesn’t change, for example, company codes, company industries etc.
Time Series Request
Click on Time Series request and a Time Series Request box will appear. Click on Find Series.
You are then presented with the Navigator Screen, where you can start searching for data. This workbook
covers a number of different data categories, and the first step for accessing each data category is via the
toolbar, as described on this page.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Company requests: Single company
This section explains how to download data for single companies and small selections of companies.
Click on Time series in the toolbar, and then click on the Find series button as described above.
First choose the appropriate category , in this case Equities.
Type in a company name and click on Search. The results will appear like this:
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Use the tick box next to the company to download the select company, multiple companies can be selected
in this way as well. The Filter menu on the left will help you narrow your results. The information in the
centre will help you decide whether the company or security you are looking at is the right one.
Once your selection has been made, click Use.
The company code is then sent back to the Time Series request box:
The next step is to click on the Datatypes button. This allows you to pick the data you would like to
download for the company.
Make sure that the drop down box is set to Equities. You can search for the datatype you want to download
e.g. price and filter the results.
Or if you would rather browse the categories you can click on Display Hierarchy. As you did with the
company names, click the check box next to the datatype you would like to download. The click Use (The
All button changes to Use when a datatype has been selected).
Next select the frequency of the data – from daily to yearly.
Specify the start and end period of your time series request.
Use UK date format for a specific date, e.g. 01/01/2002. You can also use relative dates, e.g. -2Y for the
last two years of data. You can also use Base Date to take all data available.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Finally press submit to download the data into Excel:
Company requests: Multiple selections and lists
Datastream allows you to build your own lists of companies in different ways, either by downloading premade constituent lists (i.e a list of the constituent companies of a particular index, for example, the FTSE
100).
Or you can search for and create your own list of companies in different ways too.
Constituent Lists
In the Datastream Naviagator choose Constituent lists from the single category menu (see page 1).
Search for the desired constituent list, these often mirror the names of equity indices, for example the
constituent list code for the FTSE100 is LFTSE100.
Click on the symbol (also known as the mnemonic) to download it to the Time Series Request box.
Choose your datatype from the Equities category in the same way as outlined in section one.
Example:
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Criteria Search for Equities
If you don’t have a specific company index in mind, you can search the entire equities database using the
advanced search called Criteria Search.
The search screen below shows how you can use fields such as Market and Sector to draw up a list.
These check boxes are quite important. Primary Quote and Major Security help to focus in the results to
main domestic listings, excluding things like cross-listings and secondary share types.
The Status defaults to Active companies but can be changed if you want to see companies listed as
inactive - “Dead”.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Example search:
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Results List:
Again, just select the companies using the tick boxes provided to return the company codes to the Time
Series Request box.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Importing Lists from other databases
It is paramount to have a unique identifier for each company in your list, preferably one which is compatible
with Datastream. The following codes can be used:
Datastream code, Datastream symbol, ISIN, SEDOL, CUSIP.
Datastream does not recognise local codes, for example, companies house registration number.
There are numerous ways in which you might approach this task.
Create List from Range:
In the Datastream toolbar click on Create List (From Range). Click Change Selection and highlight your
range of codes within Excel. Say OK. It’s a good idea to give the list a unique name you will recognize in
the List description field.
The list will now be uploaded into Datastream. You can now call on this list to download data for it.
To recall the list, go to Time Series request and click on the list picker icon:
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Find your list, highlight it and click ok.
You can now find a datatype you want to download for each company in your list and download the data as
you would in a regular time series request.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Datastream Request manager
The request manager is another way of managing data, it allows you to download, for example time series and static requests simultaneously.
It is also useful for downloading data for companies where you might have different date ranges for each company. Below is a snapshot of how
you might set up a request for a list of companies with different dates. In the Find Series column the numeric code entered is the datastream
code for each company. Finished example below:
A short video and explanation on how to use this method is given on the Aberconway Library blog called Downloading price data from
Datastream for use in event studies.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Datastream: Finding Economic Data
Finding Economic data: Using Explorer
Click on Time series, then Find Series then select Explorer. Select Economics.
You will be presented with the list of categories as shown above. One of the most useful of
these categories is Key indicators by country. This will contain frequently asked for
indicators such as GDP, employment figures and so on by country.
Click on a country from the list – in the example below United States has been selected:
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
You can use the filter on the left to filter by source, frequency, adjustment.
You can see details such as the frequency and coverage in the results.
Selecting the data
To select one variable, click on the blue highlighted text in the symbol column.
To select multiple variables, click on the boxes beside the variables, then click on Use
The code(s) for the variables are then inserted into the Time series request box where you
can add in dates and frequencies – you will NOT need to add a datatype, unlike with equities
and equity indexes.
Note on frequencies: The majority of macroeconomic data will be available annually or
quarterly. You will need to make sure to select the correct frequency for the data selected,
as economic data is often limited to particular frequencies such as annual and quarterly. You
cannot select annual data, and then try to download as monthly data, you will only be able to
get the data as an annual figure. You can however, select quarterly data and download it as
an annual figure.
Obtaining further information on variables
To obtain information such as the scale of the variable, click on the title. A box similar to the
one shown below will appear: if you want to save this information you can copy and paste
this information, or take a screenshot.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Finding Economic Data: Using Criteria Search
You can search the entire Economics database using the advanced search called Criteria
Search.
You will need to select Economics within criteria search
You can then do a detailed search – you type the country name into the Market field.
Example search: Below is a search for Annual GDP in the United Kingdom. There is a drop
down menu in the name field – this defaults to contains but can be changed to starts with,
as below – this can make the results more relevant:
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Limiting by adjustment.
Go to the
box beside the adjustment option. You can select from a range of options:
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
The most useful of these will be the constant and current prices options, to allow you to
search for e.g. Real GDP which will usually not be listed as real GDP, but will have the
adjustment for constant prices.
Limiting the data by sources
You can also limit the data by source – you can limit it by International or national sources by
ticking the relevant box.
OR you can select a particular source – to do this go to the
box beside the source option.
You are presented with a list of sources. You can search or browse. You can select , for
example International Financial Statistics as a source.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Example Results:
Please note: Key information such as source, scale and so on are listed in these results – make sure to make note of the scale and other
information as this WILL NOT be downloaded with the data.
Selecting and downloading the data




To select one variable, click on the title of the variable or the blue highlighted mnemonic in the DS Mnemonic column.
To select multiple variables, click on the boxes beside the variables, then click on Use
The code will now be inserted in the Time Series Request box, where you can add in dates and frequencies – you will not need to add a
datatype.
Click on submit to download the data.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Exchange Rates
Exchange Rates: Criteria Search
Criteria search is easiest to use for Exchange rates, as you can specify currencies in the
search fields .
Click on Criteria search and then select Exchange Rates as the data category:
Example Search:
Start Date
Note on selecting currencies
You do not need to enter a start date
– you can see the start dates in the
results and set the dates when you
download the data.
It is not enough just to type in a partial title e.g.
‘UK pound’ , you must have the full title of the
currency. You can type this in if you know the full
title – automatic suggestions should appear in
the currency boxes as you type, and you can
select the currency.
If you don’t know the full title click on the
button
beside the From Currency , or the
To Currency fields. You can search for or browse
the currencies in the list that appears and select
the correct currencies.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Example results:
Forward rates are listed as well as normal exchange rates.
Selecting and downloading the data




To select one variable, click on the title of the variable or the blue highlighted mnemonic in the DS Mnemonic column.
To select multiple variables, click on the boxes beside the variables, then click on Use
The code will now be inserted in the Time Series Request box, where you can add in dates and frequencies – you will not need to add a
datatype. All frequencies can be used.
Click on submit to download the data.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Exchange Rates: Explorer
If you need to find particular types of exchange rates e.g. spot rates, the explorer function
can be useful.
Click on Time series, then Find Series then select Explorer. Select Exchange rates from the
data category drop-down list.
Select the most relevant explorer grouping and a list of results will appear, below is the list of
Bank of England Spot rates:
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Interest Rates
The explorer search is probably most useful for interest rates, as key interest rates are
grouped by country and are therefore easier to find compared to using criteria search.
Click on Time series request then Find Series. Select Explorer. Select Interest Rates.
You will be presented with the list of categories as shown below. One of the most useful of
these categories is National Interest Rates. Select a country to see the list of rates. In the
example below, the United Kingdom has been selected:
Clearing Banks Base Rate is also known as the Bank of England Base Rate. Once this box
is selected the information about the interest rate will appear - you can see the date
coverage.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
Select the data by clicking on the hyperlinked text in the symbol column, the code will now be sent back to the Time Series Request box.
You can then set the frequency and date for the data – for the start date you can set a particular date or set the date to base date if you want to
download all the data that is available.
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Datastream: Using Advance for Office (Datastream via Excel)
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