Datastream Navigator update

Thomson Reuters Datastream now has a updated version of Datastream Navigator (version 4.5).

The most obvious difference is that the “datatype search” screen has been redesigned – see screenshot below.

As usual in Datastream, first check that you have the correct category in the top left (choose Equities or Equity Indices or Exchange Rates or Interest Rates or Economics or …)

The results are displayed using “Sort by Ranking” as default. For equities and equity indices the datatype RI (total return index) is a little way down. (I guess it is not as popular with commercial Datastream users as academic ones.) If you want “key datatypes” then use the “Display Hierarchy” link on the left-hand side.

Datastream Navigator 4.5 datatype search (click to expand)

Selecting a row will give the definition in a pop-up window – clicking the symbol link selects the datatype. Use the check-boxes at the left if you want to select multiple datatypes.

The search box works well with the sort by ranking – search for “debt” and “Total Debt”, “Long Term Debt” and “Net Debt” are in the top five of 352 results. Searching for “book to market” finds the MTBV (Market to Book Value) datatype – improving on the previous Datastream Navigator version -see Datastream searching for book to market (posted April 2013)

There is further information available on the “Help” tab, including a Thomson Reuters training video What’s new in Datastream Navigator 4.4 (Thomson Reuters Datastream customers only).

Finally, you may wish to use our three Datastream getting started guides, updated to reflect the changes above.

• Datastream: Part 1 (Getting Started)
• Datastream: Part 2 (List Creation)
• Datastream: Part 3 (Request Tables)

Previous posts on Datastream Navigator:

• Datastream Navigator – new interface (May 2011)
• Datastream – changes to the Navigator interface (June 2013, Aberconway library)
• Worldscope accounting data – finding data tips (July 2011)