WRDS (Wharton Research Data Services)

NYU faculty teaching courses that require the use of WRDS for course assignments can create class accounts to provision access to specific parts of the data platform to their students. Initiate your request for a class account using the Registration form.

WRDS has support materials for instructors who wish to teach using WRDS on their website including a wide variety of video tutorials.

Note: You must be logged into WRDS to view the linked content below!

Classroom Tools by WRDS is a teaching and learning toolkit designed for faculty who are introducing finance and business concepts in the classroom. It includes instructional materials such as teaching notes, slide decks, spreadsheets, sample queries, custom visualization interfaces, and more. Find below the top 10 most popular Classroom Tools at use at NYU:

1. Efficient Frontier: Use the interactive platform to learn how risk and return characteristics change as stocks are added and removed from a hypothetical portfolio. The application is designed to help you visualize key concepts in diversification and portfolio optimization as you manipulate portfolio parameters and observe the results.
2. Portfolio Diversification: Learn the necessary steps required for achieving a diversified portfolio. You will be introduced to concepts such as variance, standard deviation, and correlation. You will also learn about the efficient frontier as you develop skills in writing basic functions and producing graphs in Excel.
3. Fama-French Three-Factor Analysis: After an introduction to the Fama-French three-factor model, you will learn how to perform a multiple linear regression using exchange-traded fund (ETF) returns and the Fama-French market, size, and value factors. If this is your first time building a regression model, step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process in Excel. When you examine your results, consider how well the funds' excess returns are explained by the Fama-French factors.
4. Using the CRSP/Compustat Merged (CCM) Database: When conducting financial research, it is often necessary to match security-level data in the CRSP database with company-level data in the Compustat database. The CRSP/Compustat Merged Database is a CRSP product that contains Compustat data items. The database is structured so that Compustat items can be accessed using CRSP's PERMNO/PERMCO identifiers and Compustat's GVKEY identifiers.
5. Treasury Yield Curve: How is the U.S. Treasury yield curve used as a benchmarking and forecasting tool? Using a 3-D model, learn to recognize different yield curve shapes and how these shapes may be viewed as indicators of macroeconomic conditions.
6. Backtester: In a class demonstration, you will have the ability to control different aspects of each backtest, including start and end dates, number of securities per portfolio, investment style, weights and rebalancing.
   frequency. Multiple graphs and tables for deciphering results. Summary recaps the test's parameters, displaying investment performance.
7. Using SAS Studio: In completing this exercise you will learn to access WRDS data through SAS Studio, use the table view to filter data, write and read a basic data step in SAS Studio, and export a table in SAS Studio.
8. Introduction to Financial Statements: Start by choosing a company and downloading its financial data. Using this data, you will validate important components of the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows.
9. Finding the Data You Want: Learn how to locate specific data on the WRDS platform. Specifically, learn how to differentiate between data vendors and categories, and understand specific vendor products and update frequency. You will also learn how to locate documentation and find specific data items.
10. CAPM Equity Valuation: Gain a working knowledge and understanding of the Capital Asset Pricing Model. In this exercise you will use historical returns to perform a regression analysis. You can access either stock or Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) returns.

Classroom Tools includes four foundational syllabi, three of which parallel seminal textbooks from the business curriculum:

• Fundamentals of Accounting Syllabus: This syllabus is constructed according to a sample set of topics similar to Jamie Pratt's Financial Accounting in an Economic Context.
• Fundamentals of Investing Syllabus: This syllabus is constructed according to a sample set of topics similar to Bodie, Kane and Marcus's Investments.
• Fundamentals of Macroeconomics Syllabus: This syllabus is constructed according to a sample set of topics similar to N. Gregory Mankiw's Principals of Macroeconomics.
• Fundamentals of Text Analytics (Suggested Sequence): The following list represents a suggested sequence for the text analytics teaching tools. The sequence is designed to ensure that students build upon their previous learning as they progress through the topics.