Sourcing company Betas in Datastream
10/12/2019
![business-1730089_1920](https://blogs.cranfield.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/business-1730089_1920-1.jpg)
Datastream provides current Betas and pre-formatted expressions to calculate historical betas for quoted companies around the world. In order for Datastream to display Beta calculations, at least 2½ years of data are required. Data is not held historically although it is possible to use formulae to calculate historic Betas.
Current Betas
- From the menu options choose ‘Static Request’. A search form will appear.
- Click on the orange ‘Find Series’ button beside the top search box. This will take you into the Navigator where you can search for the company you want. Type the name of the company in the search box, e.g. BP, and select the correct company from the options displayed.
- Next click on the ‘Datatypes’ button. Ensure ‘Equities’ is displaying in the drop down box to the left of search box and type in “Beta”
- Click on ‘Search’ and from the options displayed select ‘Beta (WS) – WC09802’.
- Leave the date box empty.
- Click on Submit and the latest beta value will be displayed.
- Results can be transferred to Excel.
![](https://blogs.cranfield.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DS-Static-requestBETA.jpg)
Historical Betas
- This time, select ‘Time Series Request’.
- Click on the orange ‘Find Series’ button and follow the steps above to find the company you need.
- Then click on the ‘Expression Builder’ icon – below the orange Datatypes button. You will be taken to the Expressions page.
![](https://blogs.cranfield.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DS-Expressions-picker-1.png)
- Make sure that Expression Picker tab in the top left hand corner is selected.
- In the Search For boxes choose ‘Any’ and then enter beta. Click on Search and a list of relevant expressions will be displayed.
- Select BETA, MONTHLY, 5 YEARS by clicking on the code ‘458E’
- Enter your time period, e.g. -2Y, and frequency e.g. Quarterly.
- Click on ‘Submit’ and your values will be displayed.
- Results can be transferred to Excel.
![](https://blogs.cranfield.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DS-HistoricalBeta1.png)
Datastream is accessible on-campus in the School of Management via the VMWare application. Please ask if you need any assistance.
If all of this sounds a little complicated and scary, why not have a read of our Beginner’s guide to sourcing a company Beta too.
If you have any questions on Datastream or on sourcing financial data, please contact MIRC staff for more information.
Feature image from Pixabay. Available at: https://pixabay.com/photos/business-stock-finance-market-1730089/
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Keren Tuv: My Cranfield experience studying Renewable Energy
Hello, my name is Keren, I am from London, UK, and I am studying Renewable Energy MSc. My journey to discovering Cranfield University began when I first decided to return to academia to pursue ...
3D Metal Manufacturing in space: A look into the future
David Rico Sierra, Research Fellow in Additive Manufacturing, was recently involved in an exciting project to manufacture parts using 3D printers in space. Here he reflects on his time working with Airbus in Toulouse… ...
A Legacy of Courage: From India to Britain, Three Generations Find Their Home
My story begins with my grandfather, who plucked up the courage to travel aboard at the age of 22 and start a new life in the UK. I don’t think he would have thought that ...
Cranfield to JLR: mastering mechatronics for a dream career
My name is Jerin Tom, and in 2023 I graduated from Cranfield with an MSc in Automotive Mechatronics. Originally from India, I've always been fascinated by the world of automobiles. Why Cranfield and the ...
Bringing the vision of advanced air mobility closer to reality
Experts at Cranfield University led by Professor Antonios Tsourdos, Head of the Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems Centre, are part of the Air Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC), which aims to demonstrate the commercial and operational ...
Using grey literature in your research: A short guide
As you research and write your thesis, you might come across, or be looking for, ‘grey literature’. This is quite simply material that is either unpublished, or published but not in a commercial form. Types ...