Compustat
What Is Compustat?
Compustat is an extensive database of fundamental financial and market information on both active and inactive global companies, indices, and industries.
The type of information distributed by Compustat incorporates Global Industry Classification Standards (GICS), pricing data, earnings data, insider and institutional holdings, and other information directed at investors, analysts, economists, scholastics, and different specialists.
Figuring out Compustat
Compustat is a leading mechanized source of market intelligence and company data — and one of the most seasoned: It has been delivered by Standard and Poor's (S&P) starting around 1962. Its registered name is a blend of "PC" and "insights," reflecting how novel the configuration must have appeared to Space Age users.
The service incorporates raw financial reports documented by each public company, annually and quarterly. This incorporates current income, expenses, assets and liabilities, and past reports of similar data to work with trend analysis. Stock price history is additionally accessible.
The Compustat database is utilized by institutional investors, universities, portfolio managers, and analysts. In addition to publicly accessible information, Compustat incorporates datasets proprietary to Standard and Poor's, including stock reports and credit ratings issued by the firm.
Compustat essentially draws its data from SEC filings, which it standardizes to consider better comparisons. It supplements this data with additional data sources depending on the situation.
Special Considerations
Each report incorporated into the Compustat database is inspected by analysts for adherence to its reporting and presentation designs. Automated systems perform a wide assortment of internal data checks that help further guarantee data consistency.
For instance, revenue in an annual report regularly mirrors the accumulated total of all approaching cash, yet in a Compustat report, it could be adjusted to recognize revenue from genuine operations and revenue that came about because of one-time-only occasions (which the corporate report could only rundown in footnotes or enhancements). Or on the other hand take the detail called cost of sales: In a few corporate reports, they reflect direct cash outlays, while in others they incorporate material allocations for some sorts of depreciation. In the last option case, Compustat's standardized reporting would separate the depreciation components and show them separately.
Compustat Info and Products
Compustat offers supporters various databases. The two major ones are North America and Global, however there are several add-on databases too. Overall, the accompanying information is accessible:
Fundamentals
- Compustat Data including Compustat North America, Compustat International, Compustat Global, and Compustat Point-in-Time data sets
- Industry classification and universe management by GICS, NAICS, and SIC
- Key market identifiers, including CUSIP, ISIN, and SEDOL
Integrated Databases
- Monthly and daily pricing data
- Standard and Poor's and other leading Index Data
- Gauges data from Capital IQ and Thomson I/B/E/S
- Qualitative content including business descriptions, officer information, and executive compensation
- Corporate Actions and Insider and Institutional Holdings
Proprietary Data
- Capital IQ qualitative data
- Standard and Poor's Stock Reports
- Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys
- Standard and Poor's Issuer Credit Ratings
How Compustat Works
Compustat Stats
A few fun realities about the Compustat database:
- Covers 56,000+ companies worldwide
- Covers 88,000+ securities, more than 45,500 of them non-North American securities
- Incorporates companies from 112 nations
- Addresses 98% of the world's total market capitalization
- Has annual data dating back to 1950; quarterly data from 1962 (U.S. companies)
- Has data dating back to 1979 for global companies
Features
- Compustat, distributed by Standard and Poor's starting around 1962, is a widely utilized financial database and information provider.
- The service covers huge number of companies worldwide across many markets.
- With data dating as far back as 1950, Compustat is a leading source of intelligence for financial market professionals, investors, and scholastics.
