Key Sources of Historical Financial Data for Analysis
Historical financial data is essential for analysts, investors, researchers, and policy makers who want to understand market behaviour, evaluate economic trends, and develop sound financial strategies. It serves as the foundation for investment analysis, academic research, economic forecasting, and risk management. This article outlines the most important sources of historical financial data, categorized into key areas like stock market data, economic indicators, corporate financials, fixed income instruments, and alternative assets. 1. Stock Market and Equity Data Stock market data is among the most commonly used in financial analysis, whether for backtesting trading strategies or evaluating long-term performance. Popular free sources include Yahoo Finance and Google Finance, which provide historical price charts, dividends, and split information. These platforms are easy to use and allow data downloads in spreadsheet format. For more in-depth and institutional-grade data, platfo...