Dividend data for Mutual Funds

Author: thodder

Creation Date: 7/22/2020 1:29 AM

Wealth Lab » Data » Dividend data for Mutual Funds

thodder

7/22/2020 1:29 AM

Fidelity is decommissioning WLP so I'm moving to WLD. The Fidelity fundamental data provided dividend information for mutual funds too; however, I'm having trouble finding a good replacement with WLD.

I use the following strategy to look at the dividend history:

CODE:
Please log in to see this code.

You can use the parameter to go try each of the fundamental providers. The results I get (in the Debug window) for Fidelity Biotechnology (FBIOX) is:

Yahoo Finance: (no results shown, but web site appears to have values)

QUOTE:

Fundamental Item: 'Dividend (Yahoo! Finance)'
Date Dividend Date Spread Period Spread Dividend Type

Morningstar: (limited results)

QUOTE:

Fundamental Item: '[ms] dividend'
Date Dividend Date Spread Period Spread Dividend Type
12/20/2019 0.034 0 Cash Dividends
4/8/2020 0.054 0 110 Cash Dividends

Fidelity:

QUOTE:

Fundamental Item: 'dividend'
Date Dividend Date Spread Period Spread Dividend Type
12/15/1995 0.007 0
4/12/1996 0.077 0 119
12/13/1996 0.332 0 245
4/4/1997 0.059 0 112
12/12/1997 0.412 0 252
4/3/1998 0.209 0 112
4/1/1999 0.012 0 363
12/10/1999 0.27 0 253
4/7/2000 0.211 0 119
4/5/2002 0.014 0 728
12/2/2011 0.0121 0 3528
4/13/2012 0.535 0 133
12/7/2012 0.1131 0 238
4/12/2013 0.0055 0 126
12/6/2013 0.0405 0 238
12/5/2014 2.384 0 364
4/10/2015 0.6278 0 126
12/4/2015 0.9557 0 238
4/8/2016 0.5961 0 126
12/1/2017 0.3095 0 602
4/6/2018 0.8805 0 126
12/14/2018 1.103 0 252
4/5/2019 0.772 0 112
12/20/2019 1.158 0 259
12/20/2019 0.034 0 0
4/8/2020 0.998 0 110
4/8/2020 0.054 0 0

The Data Range was set to 'All Data' for all tests above.

I'd like to get similar results that I had with the Fidelity provider. Is there something that can be done to fix Yahoo Finance or Morningstar providers? Or is there another provider that would be better?

Size:

Color:

Fidelity is decommissioning WLP so I'm moving to WLD.  The Fidelity fundamental data provided dividend information for mutual funds too; however, I'm having trouble finding a good replacement with WLD.

I use the following strategy to look at the dividend history:
[code]
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Globalization;
using WealthLab;
using WealthLab.Indicators;
using WealthLab.DataProviders.Yahoo;

namespace WealthLab.Strategies
{
	public class MyStrategy : WealthScript
	{
		static string[] arDivItem = { "Dividend (Yahoo! Finance)", "[ms] dividend", "dividend" };

StrategyParameter spProviderIdx;

public MyStrategy()
		{
			//spProviderIdx = CreateParameter("Provider Index", 0, 0, 1, 1);  // without Fidelity
			spProviderIdx = CreateParameter("Provider Index", 0, 0, 2, 1);	// with Fidelity
		}

protected override void Execute()
		{
			ClearDebug();

string DivItem = arDivItem[spProviderIdx.ValueInt];

PrintDebug(string.Concat("Fundamental Item: '", DivItem, "'"));
			PrintDebug("Date\tDividend\tDate Spread\tPeriod Spread\tDividend Type");

FundamentalItem LastItem = null;

//foreach (FundamentalItem item in FundamentalDataItems("[ms] dividend"))
			//foreach (FundamentalItem item in FundamentalDataItems("dividend"))
			//foreach (FundamentalItem item in FundamentalDataItems("Dividend (Yahoo! Finance)"))
			foreach (FundamentalItem item in FundamentalDataItems(DivItem))
			{
				DateTime dtDeclaration = GetDividendDeclarationDate(item);
				TimeSpan tsDates = item.Date - dtDeclaration;
				try
				{
					StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(1000);
					sb.Append(item.Date.ToShortDateString()).Append('\t');
					sb.Append(item.Value.ToString()).Append('\t');
					sb.Append(tsDates.Days.ToString()).Append('\t');
					if (LastItem != null)
					{
						TimeSpan tsDaysSince = item.Date - LastItem.Date;
						sb.Append(tsDaysSince.Days.ToString()).Append('\t');
					}
					sb.Append(item.GetDetail("DividendType"));
					PrintDebug(sb.ToString());

LastItem = item;
				}
				catch (Exception)
				{
					PrintDebug("exception");
				}
			}
		}

private DateTime GetDividendDeclarationDate(FundamentalItem divItem)
		{
			DateTime dtDeclaration = divItem.Date;

// There are some bad declaration dates -- use default if we can't parse it.
			try
			{
				CultureInfo en = new CultureInfo("en-US");
				string sDeclarationDate = divItem.GetDetail("DeclarationDate");
				if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(sDeclarationDate))
				{
					dtDeclaration = DateTime.ParseExact(sDeclarationDate, "M/d/yyyy", en.DateTimeFormat);
				}
			}
			catch { }

return dtDeclaration;
		}
	}
}
[/code]

You can use the parameter to go try each of the fundamental providers.  The results I get (in the Debug window) for Fidelity Biotechnology (FBIOX) is:

Yahoo Finance:  (no results shown, but web site appears to have values)
[quote]
Fundamental Item: 'Dividend (Yahoo! Finance)'
Date	Dividend	Date Spread	Period Spread	Dividend Type
[/quote]

Morningstar: (limited results)
[quote]
Fundamental Item: '[ms] dividend'
Date	Dividend	Date Spread	Period Spread	Dividend Type
12/20/2019	0.034	0	Cash Dividends
4/8/2020	0.054	0	110	Cash Dividends
[/quote]

Fidelity:
[quote]
Fundamental Item: 'dividend'
Date	Dividend	Date Spread	Period Spread	Dividend Type
12/15/1995	0.007	0	
4/12/1996	0.077	0	119	
12/13/1996	0.332	0	245	
4/4/1997	0.059	0	112	
12/12/1997	0.412	0	252	
4/3/1998	0.209	0	112	
4/1/1999	0.012	0	363	
12/10/1999	0.27	0	253	
4/7/2000	0.211	0	119	
4/5/2002	0.014	0	728	
12/2/2011	0.0121	0	3528	
4/13/2012	0.535	0	133	
12/7/2012	0.1131	0	238	
4/12/2013	0.0055	0	126	
12/6/2013	0.0405	0	238	
12/5/2014	2.384	0	364	
4/10/2015	0.6278	0	126	
12/4/2015	0.9557	0	238	
4/8/2016	0.5961	0	126	
12/1/2017	0.3095	0	602	
4/6/2018	0.8805	0	126	
12/14/2018	1.103	0	252	
4/5/2019	0.772	0	112	
12/20/2019	1.158	0	259	
12/20/2019	0.034	0	0	
4/8/2020	0.998	0	110	
4/8/2020	0.054	0	0	
[/quote]

The Data Range was set to 'All Data' for all tests above.

I'd like to get similar results that I had with the Fidelity provider.  Is there something that can be done to fix Yahoo Finance or Morningstar providers?  Or is there another provider that would be better?

thodder

7/22/2020 2:42 AM

Oops. Ignore my issue with the Yahoo provider -- it was a user error. I hadn't downloaded the data yet for the Yahoo Dataset containing FBIOX so there was no price or fundamental data for that symbol. (Plus Update Data on Demand is turned off.) When the data is downloaded, I get the following results:

QUOTE:
Fundamental Item: 'Dividend (Yahoo! Finance)'
Date Dividend Date Spread Period Spread Dividend Type
12/15/1987 0.028 0
12/13/1989 0.024 0 729
6/15/1990 0.02 0 184
12/14/1990 0.047 0 182
6/14/1991 0.134 0 182
12/6/1991 0.12 0 175
6/12/1992 0.242 0 189
12/4/1992 0.147 0 175
12/15/1995 0.007 0 1106
4/12/1996 0.077 0 119
12/13/1996 0.332 0 245
4/4/1997 0.059 0 112
12/12/1997 0.412 0 252
4/3/1998 0.209 0 112
4/1/1999 0.012 0 363
12/10/1999 0.27 0 253
4/7/2000 0.211 0 119
12/2/2011 0.0121 0 4256
4/13/2012 0.535 0 133
12/7/2012 0.1131 0 238
4/12/2013 0.0055 0 126
12/6/2013 0.0405 0 238
12/5/2014 2.384 0 364
4/10/2015 0.6278 0 126
12/4/2015 0.9557 0 238
4/8/2016 0.5961 0 126
12/1/2017 0.3095 0 602
4/6/2018 0.8805 0 126
12/14/2018 1.103 0 252
4/5/2019 0.772 0 112
12/20/2019 1.192 0 259
4/8/2020 1.052 0 110

So it looks like Yahoo might be a good substitute for the Fidelity dividend data.

The Morningstar data does appear to be missing a lot of dates.

Eugene

7/22/2020 5:11 AM

Thanks for sharing your experience. For our new users, updating the DataSet (and not the "Pricing") or "All data..." with the fundamental provider checked on the Update Data tab is the key to getting fundamental data. Yahoo is an exception, this step is not required as its fundamental provider for splits/dividends is always grabbing the fundamental items on each history request.

thodder

7/22/2020 10:07 AM

Yes, but when I tested with WLP my dataset had Fidelity price data while my strategy referenced Yahoo fundamental data. In that case I had done the Update Data, but the Yahoo fundamental data still wasn't there. Update Data on Demand was turned off too.

With WLD (post #2), my dataset was Yahoo price data, so the Yahoo fundamental data was available.

Hopefully I explained this well. Trying to respond before my morning coffee... which can be a foolish thing to attempt.

Eugene

7/22/2020 10:32 AM

I explained myself poorly. Of course one has to update a Yahoo DataSet to get the underlying fundamentals (splits and dividends, that's all) one way or another.

What is not required is to check an entry in the Fundamental Data Providers list (Update Data tab) because it simply doesn't exist for Yahoo. The fundamental update is forced. For all other fundamental providers like Fidelity or Morningstar, it has to be checked to opt in the fundamental data update.