FAQ
Service
Data
Files
Billing
I have signed up for the service. How do I download the data files?
Go to the Files portion of the Briter Systems Inc. web site after you have
logged in. The files available for download will be listed in daily and weekly
areas.
Click on the file, then select save from your browser to save the file to your
computer. You may also elect to have the files emailed to you or sent to your
ftp site. Read further in the FAQ for information on these options.
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How do I set up email delivery of the data files?
Login and go to the Account screen, and select manage account.
Make sure nothing is entered in the ftp section. Select deliver data by email in
the delivery option combo box. Enter the email address you want the files sent
to in the email address box. Choose from daily, weekly, or asap. Choose from the
list of files which files you would like included in the email.
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How do I set up ftp delivery of the data files?
Login and go to the Account screen, and select manage account.
Make sure nothing is entered in the email section. Select deliver data via ftp
in the delivery option combo box. Enter the ip address of the computer you want
the files sent to in the server address box. Choose from bihourly, daily(eod),
weekly(eod), daily(bi), weekly(bi) files to be delivered. Notice that if you
choose asap, every bihourly file will be sent as soon as it is created. Current
will send a file roughly every 30 minutes monday through friday, from 10:00am to
4:40pm. Choose from the list of files which files you would like sent.
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How often will the data files be delivered to me?
If you elect to have the files emailed to you, you will receive either 1
email every 30 minutes, once per day, or once per week; as you determine on the
manage account page. The email will contain the data files you select on the
same page.
If you elect to have the files sent to you via ftp; your ftp server will receive
either 1 file every 30 minutes, one per day, or one per week; as you determine
on the manage account page.
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How often can I get the data files?
You may download the data files as many times as needed as soon as they become available on the web site. New data files are generally available every 30 minutes beginning at 10:00am and ending at 4:30pm Monday through Friday.
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What data is collected?
Currently market data is collected on the roughly 3000 largest us stocks
which are traded on the us markets. Stocks are constantly added to the list and
some companies are bought or delisted, so the list is ever changing. The list
would correlate well to the Russell 3000.
From 9:30am to 4:30pm the data items specified below are collected and stored
for the 30 minutes intervals the stock market is open. Some data is collected in
real time, and some data is collected delayed. Typically the Nasdaq has 15
minutes delay, while the NYSE and AMEX have 20 minute delays. The data that is
collect real time at 10:00am is averaged for 10:00am with the delayed
information
collected at 10:15 (15 min delay), and 10:20 (20 min delay).
Over 11 million data points are collected per month, totaling over 130 million
data points for the year. The following is the list of data points currently
collected and distributed in the data files.
Name:
Symbol:
Current Date and Time (adjusted for delayed data):
Current Price (Last Sale):
Days Change value:
Days Change percent:
Days Volume:
Average Volume:
Annual Dividend Amount:
Dividend Yield:
Open:
Previous Days Close:
Day's High:
Day's Low:
52 week high:
52 Week Low:
P/E Ratio:
Earnings Per Share:
Market Cap:
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Where does data come from?
The data is collected from several financial sources. These may include, but are not limited too nasdaq, nyse, amex, cbsmarketwatch, yahoo finance, cnnfn. The list of sites used for data collection will continue to grow and change each year. Not all data is present at all of the sources, and none of the data from any single source is ever used in the data files. The data used to generate the files is always an average of the information of at least a minimum 3 sources.
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Why is the data averaged?
The data represents how the typical investor sees the stock market. No single site uses the same information, or has the information at exactly the same time. There are delays at different sites as well as differences in calculations of such things as earnings per share, average volume, and market cap to name a few.
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What is the timing of the data collection?
The data is currently collected on a 30 minute schedule for only the hours the market is open. This results in a very large set of data with a large sampling for the day (14 samples for each stock). Capturing the data at a higher frequency would result in much larger files, which may be difficult for many programs to handle. A higher sampling frequency is planned for the distant future.
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What is decile analysis?
Decile analysis is also known as segmentation, or Pareto Analysis.
The Pareto Principle states that only a "vital few" factors are responsible for
producing most of the results. This principle can be applied to quality
improvement to the extent that a great majority of results (80%) are produced by
a few key causes (20%). If we understand these few key causes, we will have an
improved understanding of our subject.
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What is segmentation by value?
Segmentation by value is a decile analysis ranking the data points by the
percentage their value constitutes for the sum of the whole. Each decile will
compose 10% of the value of the sum of all values in the data set. The data
points are sorted by value descending, then put into a decile bucket that
represents their significance to the sum of all values.
Example:
Data: stock, value, running total, % of total, decile
a 21
21 9% 1
b 20 41
18% 2
c 19 60
26% 3
d 18 78
34% 4
e 17 95
41% 5
f 16 111
48% 5
g 15 126
55% 6
h 14 140
61% 7
i 13 153
66% 7
j 12 165
71% 8
k 11 176
76% 8
l 10 186
81% 9
m 9 195
84% 9
n 8 203
88% 9
o 7 210
91% 10
p 6 216
94% 10
q 5 221
96% 10
r 4 225
97% 10
s 3 228
99% 10
t 2 230
100% 10
u 1 231
100% 10
In the example above you can see that the first 11 stocks comprise 80% of the
total value for all of the listed stocks. While the last 10 stocks comprise only
20% of the the total of the sum.
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What is segmentation by rank?
Segmentation by rank is a decile analysis ranking the data points by the
where they fall in ranked order against the total number of data points. Each
decile will compose 10% of the data points in the data set. The data points are
sorted by value descending, then put into a decile bucket that represents their
significance to the number of data points.
Example:
Data: stock, value, cumulative position, % of data points, decile
a 21
1 5%
1
b 20
2 10%
1
c 19
3 14%
2
d 18
4 19%
2
e 17
5 24%
3
f 16
6 29%
3
g 15
7 33%
4
h 14
8 38%
4
i 13
9 43%
5
j 12
10 48%
5
k 11
11 52%
6
l 10
12 57%
6
m 9
13 62%
7
n 8
14 67%
7
o 7
15 71%
8
p 6
16 76%
8
q 5
17 81%
9
r 4
18 86%
9
s 3
19 90%
10
t 2
20 95%
10
u 1
21 100%
10
In the example above you can see that the first 16 stocks comprise 80% of the
data points for all of the listed stocks. While the last 5 stocks comprise 20%
of the the data points. This ranks the stocks relative to the number of data
point rather than to the sum of the value.
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What can I use segmentation data for?
Segmentation is a simple technique that helps you identify the most effective
factors in a data set. You can quickly focus on the key cause of a result. If
you are interesting in stocks that pay a dividend you can look at the
segmentation for the dividend value and readily see which stocks are the most
significant to the dividend category. Segmentation removes the work of comparing
different stocks on a single value. The stocks will all be ranked by segment as
to how significant they are to each value in the data file. You can now eaisly
sort the stocks based on their significance in multiple value categories.
For instance, if you are interested in finding the most significant stocks for
price, market cap, and dividend, all you will have to do is sort the data on
those 3 columns. The stock at the top of the list is the most significant, while
the stock at the bottom would be the least significant.
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Why only common US stocks?
These stocks are the most widely owned and often traded.
In the future other files containing 15,000 US stocks, and files containing
foregin stocks will be available.
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How can I request an addition to the file?
Email Briter Systems Inc. at and we will review and prioritize your request for a change. Common requests would be to add stocks, additional data points, or analysis results to the data file.
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Will more stock information be added in the future?
Yes, more information will constantly be added to the data files over time.
The data added will be driven by subscriber requests. Plans for additional data
items for the current stocks include an index of how many news articles the
stock has appeared in for the day, as well as profile information such as return
on equity, and return on assets. These data items are scheduled to be added in
the coming year. Plans for the distant future include stocks from foreign
markets (Europe, Asia, Australia), as well as futures contracts in the us, and
non stock information. Please note that some these data items will not be added
in the near future.
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Will more analysis be added in the future?
Yes, more analysis information will constantly be added to the data files over time. The analysis added will be driven by subscriber requests. All data points added will have the two segmentation analysis applied.
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Can I see a sample data file?
Go to the Support portion of the Briter Systems Inc web site Click on any of the sample files listed and select save from your browser. This will save the file to your computer.
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What format do the data files come in?
The data files are comma delimited ascii text files (CSV). These text files are then compressed into a "zipped" format. The compression allows them to be downloaded faster, and they will require less space on your computer when not being used. If your computer does not recognize zip files, you may download software to use the files. There are many choices for zip/unzip programs available on the web. You may choose to go to www.winzip.com to download a copy of the winzip software.
After unzipping the file you will have a larger ascii text file that can be read
by almost every software product on your computer. The following definition for
comma delimited files comes from www.webopedia.com.
Comma delimited files are a data format in which each piece of data is separated
by a comma. This is a popular format for transferring data from one application
to another, because most database systems are able to import and export
comma-delimited data.
For example, data pulled from a database and represented in comma-delimited
format looks something like the following. Each column value is separated by a
comma from the next column’s value and each row starts a new line:
Adams, Jane, 46, female, New York
Doe, John, 32, male, California
Jones, Sam, 13, male, Texas
Smith, Mary, 64, female, Louisiana
When data is represented in comma-delimited format they also are referred to as
comma-separated values, abbreviated CSV.
How do I unzip the data files?
If your computer does not recognize zip files, you may download software to
use the files. There are many choices for zip/unzip programs avaible on the web.
You may choose to go to www.winzip.com to download a copy of the winzip
software. Follow the directions supplied with the zipping software you shoose to
unzip the files.
After unzipping the file with the software you will have a larger ascii text
file that can be read by almost every software product on your computer.
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What is the file structure?
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What do I do with the data files?
Many people load the data files into Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access and use features of those programs to analyze the stock information. There are also relational databases such as Oracle and MySql which can hold many years worth of data, and integrate well with analysis tools. The data files will produce over 400 million data points per month, and over 5 billion data points per year. This is a lot of information, and will be extremely helpful in your stock trading endeavors.
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How can I get the data file into Microsoft Excel?
First make sure you have unzipped the data file by using pkzip or any compatible software. From the file menu in excel select open, then in the "files of type" combo box at the bottom of the open dialog choose "Text Files (*.prn, *.txt, *.csv)". Select the directory where you have saved the data file (unzipped data file), and click the open button. That's it, the file should now be opened and ready for use in excel.
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How can I get the data file into Microsoft Access?
First make sure you have unzipped the data file by using pkzip or any compatible software. After creating a new access database or opening and existing access database, go to the access menu and select insert, then select table. A new table dialog window should appear. Select import table from the available options then click ok. From the import dialog window in the "files of type" combo box at the bottom of the import dialog choose "Text Files (*.txt; *.csv; *.tab; *.asc)". The import text wizard will be displayed along with a sampling of the data. The wizard should select the proper choices for the next few steps. You should see that the delimited file type is chosen, click next. You should see that comma has been chosen for the delimiter type. On this screen you also need to select the check box titled "First row contains field names", click next. You may choose to create a new table to store the data, or choose an existing table and the data will be added to the selected table. If you chose to add the data to a new table, you can change the names of the columns, or leave them as defined in the data file. You should also choose the stock symbol, and quotedate columns to be the primary key for the table. The data should now be ready for use in Microsoft Access.
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How can I get the data file into a relational database?
There are many ways to get ASCII text comma separated files into any relational database. These csv files are the most common format for moving data from one database to another. The first thing to do is to look in your database's documentation to see if a tool was included with your database to load information from csv text files. Most databases come with such a tool. For Oracle the tool is named sql*loader, for mysql the tool is named mysql import. If your database does not include a tool to load csv text files, it is possible to write an application to load the data via a programming language. This would be a very unlikely necessity as almost every database vendor includes a tool to load csv text files.
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What software tools are provided to analyze the data?
There are many software products available that can be used to analyze the data in the data files. Many of these tools are called "data mining" tools. There are data mining tool available from dozens of companies. Some companies that make these tools are cognos, idis, spps, and many more. A good way to find these tools is to search the web via google, or yahoo for the term "data mining software". Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access are also good tools to use to analyze the information in the data files. Currently Briter Systems Inc. does not supply any tools to analyze the data.
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What software tools are provided to load the data?
As a general rule, every database, or computer application that can store structured data, can load data from an ascii csv text file. If the software you are using does not support reading information from a csv file, feel free to email support at Briter Systems Inc. for ideas on how to get around the limitation. Check the sections in this faq on how to load the data files into excel, access, and relational databases for directions on how to load the data files into popular software. Currently Briter Systems Inc. does not supply any tools to load the data into other software.
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When does my account get charged?
You will be charged on the same calendar day each month that you started your
subscription.
If you have payment scheduled for a day that does not occur in a given month
(e.g. the 30th does not occur in February), the payment will be made on the 1st
day of the following month. Thereafter, the payment will occur on the 1st of
each month.
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Will I be charged more as new data and analysis is added to the files?
The rate charged for the service will not change according to the amount of data or analysis provided in the files. If rate change occurs, you will be notified via email, and there will be a notice displayed on the web site at least 30 days in advance. You will continue to be able to access the data files without additional charge as for the length of your current subscription. When the current subscription is due for renewal you will be charged the current rate disclosed on the web site for the contract renewal.
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How does billing work?
Billing for the stock market data file subscription is handled through PayPal.
Each month PayPal will charge your account for the subscription fee.
Briter Systems, Inc. will not ask for your credit information. All payment
information is stored with PayPal.
You may cancel the service at any time through PayPal or through the Briter
Systems, Inc. web site.
Click subscribe on the account signup screen to get started.
To learn more about PayPal subscriptions go to:
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/xcl/rec/subscr-intro-outside
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Why do I have to use PayPal?
Briter Systems believes that utilizing a third party billing solution will
give subscribers more control over their payments. Subscribers will be able to
cancel their subscription through the third party, and Briter Systems will not
store credit card information for the subscribers.
This will give our subscribers a greater sense of security when dealing with
their subscription, and more payment options to choose from.
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What is your refund policy?
Refunds will only be granted if there is a serious error in the data files or a prolonged disruption of service.
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How do I cancel my subscription?
You will need to cancel your subscription at the
PayPal website.
First log on to PayPal with the account you signed up for our service with.
To cancel your subscription:
1. Click the My Account tab.
2. Click the History subtab.
3. Choose the Subscriptions field from the Show dropdown menu.
4. Check the From box and change the date back 2 years.
5. Click Search.
6. To view the details of a specific Subscription Creation, click Details in the Details column.
7. At the bottom of this page, click Cancel Subscription.
8. On the confirmation page, click Cancel Subscription again.
9. Your subscription will be cancelled and you will not be billed again