[mg87059] Re: [mg87018] Re: [mg86952] The FinancialData Function

[Andrzej Kozlowski <akoz at mimuw.edu.pl>]

I agree that FD has fantastic potential and maintaining and developing  
of it and similar functionality is a far more promising aim than, for  
example, trying to make Mathematica notebooks a standard for academic  
publishing.

Recently I showed this to students in a financial mathematics class  
and everyone looked genuinly stunned.

I can't believe WRI doesn't realize what a great idea they have  
stumbled on.

Andrzej Kozlowski


On 29 Mar 2008, at 10:22, robert prince-wright wrote:
>  I called Wolfram and asked the same question.
>
>  I gather the FinancialData[] information is taken from data  
> packlets on a Yahoo server, and other sources. This funtion has the  
> potential to be VERY usefull to small enterprises and individuals  
> like me who don't have access to realtime equities data. Now, I've  
> tried to use FD to monitor the performance of my stock portfolio and  
> ran into problems with some of the international (Canada, Australia  
> etc.) stocks. While this was frustrating I was able to get  
> information on all my US and most of my internationals.
>
>  I presume you have looked at the Help Documentation and at the  
> Wolfram Site - it gives enough to make a good start, but there seems  
> to be a mismatch between the functionality of FinancialData[] and  
> information available at the servers. This means you can make calls  
> and get nothing back. In that regard the documentation could be  
> improved.
>
>  Now one caveat. I am not so sure - having spoken to WRI - that they  
> realise there should be some obligation on their part to maintain  
> FinancialData as a core function in Mathematica. Their tech suppport  
> gave me the impression that FD is being trialed and that its  
> continuance was to some degree dependent on their having free (or  
> cheap) access to the data servers. This scared me a little since I  
> have already spent significant amounts of time writing my portfolio  
> tracker and I can imagine there are small enterprises out there who  
> are doing the same. It seems like WRI could leave us stranded if  
> they don't continue to provide this function in Mathematica.
>
>  BTW - the inclusion of Curated Knowledge like FD into Mathematica  
> 6. is pretty stunning. I am sure McKinsey and Co would have charged  
> me a few hundred thousand dollars to write my portfolio tracker -  
> instead I spend a  few evening a week for a month and bingo I am  
> getting the same information tha Charles Schab gives me plus the  
> ability to analyze - well done WRI !
>
>  I would be intereseted to hear from others.
>
>
> Gregory Lypny <gregory.lypny at videotron.ca> wrote:
>  Can anyone tell me where I can get more information about the data
> sources for Mathematica's new function FinancialData?
>
> Regards,
>
> Gregory
>
>
>
>
> Robert Prince-Wright
> Houston
> TX, 77006
> USA
> ---------------------------------
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>
> Robert Prince-Wright
> Houston
> TX, 77006
> USA