WRDS - Wharton Research Data Services
WRDS is an access portal to a range of databases with financial, economic and company-related data.
Databases for financial and economic research
What is WRDS?
WRDS (Wharton Research Data Services) is a research platform developed by The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. The platform serves as a shared access point for various financial, economic and company databases used by researchers and students worldwide. WRDS provides access to standardised datasets, advanced search functions and the option to extract data for statistical analysis in Excel, Stata, R or Python.
The platform includes financial information, accounting data, banking data, economic indicators and management-related data. CBS does not have access to all databases and datasets offered via WRDS.
When is WRDS useful?
For CBS students and researchers, WRDS is particularly relevant when working with:
- Empirical analyses within finance, accounting, investment, and corporate governance
- Quantitative research that requires reliable and structured datasets
- Long-term time series and comparisons between companies and markets.
How to get access to WRDS
CBS students and employees have to register to use WRDS data. Within a few weekdays, you will receive confirmation that you have access to WRDS.
On the WRDS website, fill the form:
- ”Subscriber”: Select Copenhagen Business School
- ”User Type”: Students select "Masters Student"
- Fill in name, CBS email, username etc.
- When you submit your registration, you also accept the ”Terms of Use”.
Two-factor authentication
WRDS uses two-factor authentication.
You can find more detailed information via these links:
Key databases in WRDS
Compustat
Compustat contains standardised accounting and market data for more than 80,000 listed companies worldwide. Ideal for analyses of financial performance and comparisons across time and industry. Provided by S&P Global.
CRSP
The Center for Research in Security Prices is one of the most recognised databases for stock and market data, with historical data from US exchanges dating back to 1926. Suitable for studies of returns, portfolios and investment strategies.
MSCI ESG Direct
Provides access to in-depth historical ESG data for global companies, including environmental impact, social conditions and corporate governance. Used in analyses of sustainable finance and responsible investment.
BoardEx
Detailed information about board members, executives and network relations in international companies. Relevant for studies of management structures, corporate governance and social networks in the business community.
Help using WRDS
We have created a guide to the content and use of WRDS. Here you can also find contact information for librarians who can assist with financial databases.
Libguide on WRDS