Stock prices
The UL has two databases to get stock data: Datastream and CRSP. Apart from the way to get data the five most important differences are:
- Access: Getting data from Datastream is only possible at the Datateam pc's in the UL. You can however prepare yourself at home with the Datastream Navigator. CRSP is accessible via VPN from home.
- Geographical coverage: CRSP only contains American stocks. With Datastream one can search for stock prices from Europe, America, Asia, Oceania and Africa.
- Historic: CRSP has data started from 1925. Datastream contains stock prices from 1973 onwards.
- Identifiers: to get data from financial databases like CRSP and Datastream identifiers are needed, these are codes identifying e.g. a company, stock or bond. In Datastream one can use ISIN-, SEDOL- or DS-codes, in CRSP you need the CUSIP (8 digits) or Ticker symbol to retrieve the data.
- Update: CRSP is being updated every quarter of a year, while in Datastream the stock prices up til yesterday can be found.
In the example are the identifiers for the company Microsoft.
Identifier | Database | Microsoft |
CUSIP-8 | CRSP | 59491810 |
DS Code | Datastream | 719643 |
DS Mnemonic | Datastream | @MSFT |
ISIN | Datastream | US5949181045 |
PERMNO | CRSP | 10107 |
SEDOL | Datastream | 2588173 |
Ticker | CRSP | MSFT |
