Advantages vs. other sources:
Allows for a lot of data to be downloaded without hitting academic download limits (like with Bloomberg).
Includes data on inactive companies (a lot of commercial databases wipe out data once a company becomes inactive).
WRDS (Wharton Research Data Services)- https://wrds-www.wharton.upenn.edu/login/
You can register for an account, which will be reviewed by a South Alabama Administrator. WRDS is the platform that serves up the data from different sources. Additional data sources are available for a fee. To see data sources that are available now, go to https://wrds-www.wharton.upenn.edu/pages/get-data/
Popular data sources in WRDS
1) Compustat-Capital IQ
Compustat Fundamentals provides standardized North American and global financial statement and market data for over 80,000 active and inactive publicly traded companies.
Capital IQ
A Standard & Poor's business, Capital IQ delivers comprehensive fundamental and quantitative research and analysis solutions to over 4,200 investment management firms, investment banks, private equity funds, advisory firms, corporations, and universities worldwide
2) CRSP
The Center for Research in Security Prices, LLC (CRSP) maintains the most comprehensive collection of security price, return, and volume data for the NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ stock markets. Additional CRSP files provide stock indices, beta-based and cap-based portfolios, treasury bond and risk-free rates, mutual funds, and real estate data.
3) Financial Ratios Suite by WRDS
It’s a web-based engine that delivers over 70 pre-calculated financial ratios for all U.S. companies across eight different categories (Valuation, Liquidity, Profitability, and etc).
We have the firm-level and industry-level financial ratios by WRDS.
4) DMEF Academic Data
Direct Marketing Educational Foundation contains customer buying history for about 100,000 customers of nationally known catalog and non-profit database marketing businesses.