New Database Helps Investors And Researchers To Better Understand Our Share Market

Online, August 2, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Australian Centre for Financial Studies has partnered with ANZ Trustees to produce a newly digitalised database of Australian equities with a complete history of Australian listed company share prices and key market ratios from 1966 to 1980.

Professor Deborah Ralston, Director of the Australian Centre for Financial Studies stated that "the Australian Equities Database (AED) fills a large data gap which has long frustrated academic and industry researchers. Drawing on original sources, it provides in one place comprehensive financial statistics across the local share market. It covers an important period of our economic history which we will do well to understand as we review long term investment benchmarks and target returns. If people think recent times have been volatile, they should take a look at the 1970's."

The AED has already been used by ACFS to undertake a review of possible investment strategies using varying policy criteria. At the annual ANZ Trustees Secular Review, the Australian Centre for Financial Studies released its Australian equities research to ANZ Executives. The Research was commissioned by ANZ Trustees to assist with identifying long term trends and market opportunities.

Ralston added that "once all historical data has been integrated with more recent series, AED will lend itself to becoming a vital long term portfolio modelling and trend analysis tool."

The ANZ - ACFS research project linked industry and academic professionals, aligning well to ACFS specialities such as conducting leading-edge research, knowledge creation and transfer; all aimed at boosting Australia's financial services industry's global credentials. -END-