MSN Stock Quote Addin

[Dennis M]

Does anyone know the correct "format" for the stock symbol to download stock
quotes for preferred shares from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Note that
getting quotes for common shares is fine; no problem.

Here's an example ...
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Preferred D is commonly listed as ...
cm.pr.d or cm-d.
The former gets me the name but no stock info. The latter "sometimes" gets
me the price, but most often will not. It is getting very frustrating to
manually update 20 stocks every day.

FWIW I'm using Excel 2007 and Vista Premium. Note that everything worked OK
until a few months ago, so I don't think it is an Excel or Vista problem. I
think I really just need to know the format for symbols for preferred shares.

 

[Don Guillett]

I think Yahoo may serve you better. Symbols for MSN likely NOT the same
http://finance.yahoo.com/lookup?s=CM
this one maybe?
http://finance.yahoo.com/lookup?s=CM-pd.to
goto
(e-mail address removed)
and look in the files section. There are several free files.
I have a couple of free files under author donalb36
Symbol Name Basis
Shares Last Trade
IBM INTL BUSINESS MAC $ 100.00 100.00 $
105.18
T AT&T INC. $ 100.00 100.00 $ 38.21
MSFT MICROSOFT CP - $ 33.60
FE FIRSTENERGY CP - $ 68.56
cm-pd.to CANADIAN IMP BANK - $
25.18

 

[Fred Smith]

It depends on which price service MSN is using. Preferred shares, especially in
Canada, are notorious for having different symbols. It started with the TSX when
they added .pr to everything. Not everyone else followed suit.

You need to ask your price service (in this case MSN) for the proper symbol. It
has nothing to do with Excel.

My other suggestion is buy Quicken. It will download quotes and value your
portfolio so much more easily than Excel.

 

[Don Guillett]

Quicken
What's that???

 

[Dennis M]

Thanks. I use Yahoo now and know I can download to a NEW spreadsheet. How do
I do live D/L's direct from XL from Yahoo rather than MSN Central? Can I also
request more info than last price; ie $/% day gain, 52 week hi/low etc.

Thanks again.

Dennis

 

[Dennis M]

Thanks, Fred.
I already use Quicken, and it's pretty good (not perfect), but I need the
spreadsheet to track a lot of other info; total income, xdiv date/pay date
for dividends etc.

I've been trying to find a way to ask MSN. They do have a look up symbol
that, for example, returns the format as cm.pr.d but that only gets the
correct name of the share ... but no other info. A newer format cm-d
sometimes gets the info but very sporadic. I've also tried cm-pd (Yahoo's
format) but it doesn't work in excel (likely pointing to wrong server).

Thanks to all for trying; I'm sure I'll get the right format or a different
solution somehow with all the talent and willingness to help out there.

 

[Dennis M]

Thank you Don. I've downloaded a sample xl sheet of yours dated 10/18/07 -
not the one you mentioned though - and it does the job. I "think" I'll be
able to incorporate it to use with my spreadsheet ... even if I have to copy
or fetch the results from another sheet, it works!

Still wouldn't mind hearing from anyone that has the correct format for MSN
Moneycentral!

 

[Fred Smith]

Welcome to the world of stock symbols.

cm.pr.d is the official symbol used by the TSX. But it's not universally shared
by other price providers, as you've found out. Quicken uses cm-d as you know. At
work we have Thomson One, and they use a different (American) symbol, which I
can never remember. I'll look it up tomorrow and let you know. MSN might use the
same one, as they likely use an American price source.

If you have Quicken, have you ever thought of using it to export to Excel? Would
that save you a step?

 

[Dennis M]

Again, thanks Fred. That doesn't really work because I really need it to be
dynamic; ie close to real time. Also, the spreadsheet(s) is 47 col wide by
up to 172 rows long and all I need is the current price to tie in with
everything else.

Since you're familiar with Quicken perhaps I can ask you an off topic
question that has bugged me for years. With the investment income report -
where the rows represent various income types; ie interest, dividends etc and
the columns represent various accounts; ie MY Acct, Wife's Acct, Son's Acct
etc ... QUICKEN ONLY ALLOWS 2 accounts across the ENTIRE page in portrait
mode (3 in landscape)!! If I have 4 accounts it would print out on 3 pages!!
(1 extra page for the "totals" column.

Imagine, 5 colums take up 3 pages! I wish it was because our investment
totals were so long - like 10 to the 500th power or something.

Any suggestions!

 

[Fred Smith]

Hi Dennis,

Try cm.d for your CIBC preferred Ds. That's the symbol Thompson wants, and I
suspect all American source providers are the same. Not coincidentally, it's the
symbol that the TSE used before they, in their wisdom, added .pr to all
preferreds. My bet is that many price providers didn't go along with changing
their symbols.

On your second point, my Quicken produces a pretty decent investment income
report. I can get it to put 6 accounts on one page. I'm using Canadian Quicken
2005. What version are you using?

 

[Dennis M]

Hi Fred,

cm.d doesn't work. The only format that ever works recently for preferreds
is cm-d but it's hit and miss (mostly miss). I just updated and of 10
preferreds I got 3 updated, the others returned #Value or were blank.

I'm still trying how to contact MSN Money Central; there is no contact info
on their site. Might have to buy a copy of Money to get it.

Re Quicken, I have Quicken 07 Cdn but this has been a problem for several
versions for me. Intuit's printing is from the DOS days - you should try
Quickbooks if you want total frustration. Is the 6 in landscape or portrait
mode. Even 6 is not very much. My spreadsheet is 24 columns wide and they
all fit on one page!

Regards, Dennis