Databases Finance V4 Aug2007

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ISD Library

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Sources of financial information Introduction The LBS Library has a wide range of financial resources. The guide aims to represent optimal solutions to financial information questions using the most important sources, not all the possible solutions or potential sources. This guide emphasises market information rather than company or accounts information. More technical products like Reuters and Company Analysis are excluded. We welcome suggestions for additional material and better solutions to those proposed. Business Brain on the Portal is recommended as an additional source of help.

Key to sources B Bloomberg CIQ Capital IQ DFO Datastream For Office DSA Datastream Advance F FAME/AMADEUS/OSIRIS SDC SDC Platinum/Thomson Deals Note: In the case of Datastream, it is assumed that the simplest platform is preferred: i.e. Advance for Office over DS Advance, and DS Advance over DS Windows.

List of topics. In the guide they are arranged alphabetically. Equities

Bonds

Markets

Interest rates

Miscellaneous

Betas

Benchmark bonds Bond ratings

Commodity prices Constituents of an index Index values Industrial ratios

Inter-bank rates Risk free rates

Events studies

Swap rates T-bill rates

Recommendations Subsidiaries

Company prospectuses Dead stocks Dividends Earnings estimates Forecasts PE ratio Rate of return Return on capital Risk premium Weighted average cost of capital

Bond yields Corporate bonds

Govt bonds

Mergers

New issues RNS Share ownership Share prices Unadjusted prices

Definition of financial and investment terms are provided by Datastream, Bloomberg and SDC. You can also use the following sites: www.investopedia.com www.investorwords.com

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ALPHABETICAL LIST OF TOPICS Benchmark bonds B The command GGR gives generic or benchmark bonds by country. DFO Choose BOND INDICES and select Market for country required and Name contains Benchmark as criteria.

Betas (Current) B Use the DES or BETA with an Equity Ticker to find information on betas. The figure on DES seems to be a mid- point between the raw and unadjusted betas given on the BETA page. Note: Bloomberg betas are un-geared. DFO For a current beta, use the Static request, and the BETA Datatype. DSA Use Equity and then Company overview.

Betas (Historic) DS betas are calculated using an formula set out in DS Windows Program 69BETA. This formula has been converted into a DS Expression with the code 897E for DFO and E175 for DSA. Different expressions are used because DFO can only cope with user input for one variable, i.e. the equity. DFO Use the Time Series Request. Enter the expression 897E in the Datatype box and the equity code in the series box. The frequency must be monthly. DSA Open the Multiple Series then Time Series tab to start the process. Select E175 with the Expression picker. Enter a code for the equity index and then a code for the equity. Change the Settings so that the frequency is at least monthly. Set the date range.

=== Other Use the periodical London Business School Risk Measurement Service for tables of betas.

Bond ratings (Credit ratings) B Use the command CRPR with an Equity ticker for bond ratings

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Commodity futures prices B Under Commodity the CTM menu displays tickers for all future contracts traded worldwide listed by commodity. Otherwise, use the CEM menu for a list of futures exchanges, which can be sorted alphabetically or geographically, and select contracts traded on particular exchanges.

Commodity prices DFO Choose Time series; select Commodity in the Series look-up, using the find box and/or by the filters. Specify period and frequency

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Company Prospectuses Other Use Perfect Information/Perfect Filings to obtain prints of filed documents

Constituents of a market index B Find the Index Ticker by using either the HELP function or and Option 1; issue the following command MEM DSA Choose CONSTITUENTS LISTS as the series. Find the Index List code by using the find box and/or the filters. Choose List of Series-Summary and then the Static Data tab to view the list. Alternatively choose LOCAL LISTS, highlight the list, and then choose List of Series-Summary and the Static Data tab to view the list Other: For the UK, check with the Stock Exchange Fact File, shelved at 72 511 EBBB, or current FT., The periodical London Business School Risk measurement service also has lists of constituents of FTA indices The London Business School Library has compiled an electronic list of FTSE 100 constituents for each year of the index. It is available as an Excel file.

Credit ratings see Bond ratings Dead Stocks DFO Use the EQUITIES code look-up. Within Navigator, choose the option Dead within the Status criterion for equity selection.

Dividends B Data about an equity’s dividends may be obtained by using the command DVD with the Equity Ticker DFO There are 22 Datatypes for all aspects of dividends. For dividend yield use DY.

Earnings estimates WRDS FirstCall has historical and real-time earnings estimates

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Events studies CIQ Choose Screening and Analytics. Select charting. Add company with options. Add events required. Click on generate chart. Other Perfect Information has RNS announcements. Use the left hand toolbar to pick individual events and announcements. Factiva has RNS and news items. WRDS Eventus performs event studies on US and Canadian companies with CRSP stock price data.

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Forecasts WRDS The IBES database has consensus and detailed forecasts for EPS, Revenue and cash flow

Gilts see Government bonds Government bonds (Gilts) B Type TK then select country. DFO Select Bond Indices in Series and use Find/Filter to obtain series required.

Industry ratios DFO Use Equity indices. Search for an industry group by selecting the market and then by including a term for the industry within Name. Only pre-determined industry groups are available on Datastream. F Construct a set of companies by using the Select by criteria option. This may be choosing a SIC code or other grouping, or by matching product and other criteria that describe a given company. Then use the FAME analysis software to obtain aggregate ratios for the company set.

Inter-bank Rates B Type LR DFO Choose Time series; select the rate you require from the find box and/or by the filters. Specify period and frequency

Mergers B Type MA CIQ Use the Transaction screening page. Select general criteria about the market and then specific criteria about M&A to find deals that meet your requirements SDC Use the M&A Database to identify mergers and acquisitions on a global basis according to a wide range of criteria.

New Issues SDC Use the New Issues Database to identify new stocks on a global basis according to a wide range of criteria.

Price Earnings Ratio B The command GRET, when used with an Equity Ticker, will find a table of PE information. DFO Use either Time Series for historic numbers, or Static Request for Data for a list of companies. The Datatype is PE.

Rate of return B To compare a stock’s rate of return with its sector and abroad market average, type the Equity Ticker COMP DFO Choose Time Series. Include the Datatype RI with either the company code or the Index code to obtain a return index

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Recommendations B Select Use the command ANR with the company ticker to obtain buy or sell recommendations. Other Use the Investext Plus Database to find Analysts’ reports.

Regulatory News Service see RNS announcements Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) B Select the Equity Ticker and type FA; select item 4 Profitability. DFO Use Time Series and WC08376 as the Datatype.

Return on Shareholders Equity (ROI) DFO Use Time Series and use WC08301 as the Datatype.

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Risk free rate of return B Type IYC which retrieves the International Yield Curves screen; type 1; enter curve number in yellow box and DSA Choose Bond Indices and country, or Bonds, and search with Benchmark as part of the name

Risk premium B Use the command EQRP with a company ticker DSWINDOWS Use the 69RP program to see how a risk premium for a market might be constructed.

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RNS announcements B Use the following commands RNS, 1 and 25 Other Use the database Factiva. Select RNS as the source.

Share Ownership B Use the command PHDC with a company ticker DSWINDOWS Use the 130 suite of programs for lists of shareholders and recent changes in major UK companies F Select company and view report to view major shareholders

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Share Price Graphs B Use the GP command with the ticker symbol DFO Download the time series and use the Excel chart option to construct the graph. DSA Select the equity and use the Chart report type to obtain the graph. Other Use Factiva and the charting facility

Subsidiaries F Search on Company name and then click on subsidiary within company report

Treasury Bills Interest rates DFO To find the instrument, choose interest rates. Search by selecting the market, and then by including Treasury or an equivalent within the Name

Unadjusted Share Prices B Type the command PDF and select option 10 Equity . Then tab down to PX History and change the Y to N and 1 to Update Look up the share price in the normal way, and though there is nothing on the table or graph to indicate it, the prices are now unadjusted. Remember to change the default back. DSAFO In Time Series or Static requests use the Datatype UP. Do not use the normal default which is for adjusted prices.

Values of an index B Find the Index Ticker by using either the HELP function or and Option 1; issue the following command; for a Line chart (Index Ticker) GP ; for a table, replace GP by HP DFO Choose TIME SERIES. Insert the code for the index you require. Specify period and frequency.

Weighted average cost of capital B Use an equity ticker and then the command WACC

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