Downloading mutual fund data for Sesame

• Step 1: Finding the mutual fund
  • Step 1a: Searching a Specific mutual fund Using Names
  • Step 1b: Searching mutual funds Using the Fund Screener
• Step 2: Download Data
  • Step 2.1: Verification
  • Step 2.2: Data Downloader Window
  • Step 2.3: Downloading Price Data
  • Step 2.4: Downloading Dividend Data (Optional)
• Step 3: Data Downloaded: What’s next?

Step 1: Finding the mutual fund

As a first step the page of the mutual fund has to be located on Yahoo! Finance.

Search for either:

• a specific mutual fund (Step 1a)
• mutual funds, which comply with specific criteria (Step 1b).

(Data can be downloaded from a website, similar to the one shown on the Figure below.)

Step 1a: Searching a Specific mutual fund Using Names

A specific mutual fund can be searched and located based on its name or abbreviation (ticker).

 

1. Visit the Finance.Yahoo.com site!
2. Enter the name or ticker of the requested mutual fund in the search box! (e.g: Alliancebern Interm Bond K, or ABQKX)

3. Click on the requested mutual fund in the search results field! The page of the mutual fund is displayed.

4. Continue with downloading data.

Step 1b: Searching mutual funds Using the Fund Screener

Mutual funds can be searched according to type, fund manager, minimum investment amount, etc.

1. Visit the http://screener.finance.yahoo.com/funds.html site!
2. Set the appropriate search criteria (e.g. Category: Bond – Interm-Term, but you can specify any other search criteria as you like), then click the “Find funds” button.

   

   
   

3. Mutual funds that fulfill the set criteria are displayed. Select the one of interest, in the example “AllianceBern Interm Bond K”. (To select multiple funds, for example to compare them to each other, then these steps need to be repeated for each mutual fund separately.)
   
4. Click on “Quotes” in the line of the selected mutual fund. The page of the mutual fund is displayed.
5. Continue with downloading data.

Step 1c: mutual fund is Not Found

Some European mutual funds can only be located on Yahoo! Finance UK. Try searching Yahoo! Finance UK using the name of the mutual fund.

Step 2.2: Data Downloader page

From the Yahoo Finance website, price of shares, as well as dividend information of a mutual fund can be downloaded. To perform analysis using the Chartoasis Sesame application, price data is essential.

 

On the page of the mutual fund click on “Historical Prices”.

A page similar to the one shown is displayed:

It is practical to Bookmark the page for future use. Whenever up-to-date information is required on the mutual fund, it can easily be accessed from the bookmarks.

Step 2.3: Downloading Price Data

 

1. By default you do not have to modify any settings
   • Leave the radio-button on the top of the page set to “Daily“.
   • Modify dates only if the widest possible time range is not suitable for you.
2. On the bottom of the page click “Download to Spreadsheet“. Save the data file to your computer.

For saving data note the following:

• The file must be saved in .csv format. (Keep file extension!)
• The browser will offer the “table.csv” filename as default. Rename the file describing its contents, or the name of the respective index.
• Depending on the given computer settings, it is possible, that instead of downloading, the index data file is automatically opened in MS Excel, or Open Office. In this case do not save the file from Excel or Open Office as .csv (the original file format is changed, when doing so). —

To avoid opening .csv files with other software, right-click the “Download to Spreadsheet” URL, and:

• In Internet Explorer select “Save target as…”

• In Firefox select “Save link As…”

• In Google Chrome select “Save link As…”

Step 2.4: Downloading Dividend Data (Optional)

Dividend data is not absolutely necessary for analysis. (Chartoasis Sesame uses a data set for calculations that is adjusted according to dividends.)

1. Set the radio-button on top of the “Historical Prices” page to “Dividends only”.
2. Click “Get Prices“.
3. Click “Download to Spreadsheet” on the bottom of the page.
4. Save the data file on the computer.

Step 3: Data Downloaded: What’s next?

To start analysis:

 

1. Visit the Chartoasis Sesame site (www.chartoasis.com/sesameSelecting Historical prices on a mutual fund’s page)!
2. Load index data file using the button shown on the image below.

If dividend data was also downloaded, use this same button to load the data file.