The I/B/E/S databases consist of historical earnings estemates for nearly 30,000 US and international companies. The US data begins in 1976 and the international data begins in 1987. All of I/B/E/S hisorical esitmate databases are fully adjusted for splits and other capitalizastion changes to allow users to run longer dara series applications. For those who choose to use the data unadjusted, the supplied factors can be used to convert the data back to unadjutsted basis.  The access to I/B/E/S databases are restricted to those who are currently a member of JGSM and complied the agreement we signed with I/B/E/S.

According to the agreement that we signed with I/B/E/S, you need to send your proposal, completed or updated papers of research project to I/B/E/S for using the ibes data sets. I/B/E/S also suggest the following citation as an acknowledgement of I/B/E/S contribution to your research (be sure to include the slashes in I/B/E/S): " The author(s) gratefully  acknowledge(s) the contributions of I/B/E/S International Inc. for providing earnings per share forecast data, available through the institutional Brokers Estimate System. This data has been provided as part of a broad academic program to encourage earning expectations research."

US and International Detail

There are 10 files located in usdetail (US history detail) and intdetail (International history detail) directory. The file names, variable names and vriable lenghts are the same for the two directories.

#	File name	Description
1	actuals	Actaual file that lists of actual reported earnings.
2	adj	Adjustments file that contains the split factors.
3	broker	Broker Translations file provides brokers information.
4	currency	Currency file reports companies with different currenies at different points in time.
5	detail	Detail file is  the core of the daily detail estimate history.
6	exclude	Excluded estimate file lists estimates removed from the database.
7	exh_rate	Exchange Rate file contains the exchange rate used for adjustment.
8	ident	Identifier file provides ancillary data for informatinal purpose.
9	sig	S/I/G codes file provides sector/industry/group codes.
10	stop	Stopped estimate file reports when an analyst removed his/her earning forecast.

1) actual

#	Variable	Type	length	Description
2	MEASURE	Char	3	Data type indicator (i.e. EPS,CPS,DPS etc.).
3	PERIOD	Char	3	Periodicidty, whether a record is for a quarter of year end.
4	PER-END	Num	8	Period end date.
6	REP_DAY	Num	8	Report date.
1	TICKER	Char	6	I/B/E/S ticker.
5	VALUE	Num	8	Estimate value.

2) adj

#	Variable	Type	length	Description
2	ADJ_FAC	Char	7	Factors used to adjust for splits & capitalization changes.
3	SPLT_DAY	Num	8	The effective split date.
1	TICKER	Num	6	I/B/E/S ticker.

3) broker

#	Variable	Type	length	Description
2	BRAN_COD	Num	8	Broker/Analyst code.
4	BRAN_ID	Char	8	Broker/Analyst ID.
1	BRAN_IND	Char	1	Broker/Analyst indicator.
3	BTAN_NAM	Char	40	RBroker/Analyst name

4) currency

#	Variable	Type	length	Description
3	CURRENCY	Char	3	Curency.
2	STARTDAY	Num	8	Date when variable first appeared in I/B/E/S database.
1	TICKER	Char	6	I/B/E/S ticker.

5) detail

#	Variables	Type	Length	Description
3	ANACODE	Num	8	Analyst Code
2	BKRCODE	Num	8	Broke Code
12	CRRENCY	Char	3	Currency
4	CURRFLG	Num	1	Cuurency flag (estimate level).
8	END_DATE	Num	8	Forecast Period End date.
10	EST_DATE	Num	8	estimate Date
6	FP_IND	Char	1	Forecast Period Indicator
7	MEASURE	Char	3	Measure, data type indicator
5	PDFLAG	Char	1	Measure, data type indicator
11	REV_DATE	Num	8	Review date.
1	TICKER	Char	6	IBES Ticker
9	VALUE	Num	8	Estimate value

6) exclude

#	Variables	Type	Length	Description
3	ANACODE	Num	8	Analyst Code
2	BKRCODE	Num	8	Broke Code
10	CRRENCY	Char	3	Currency
6	END_DATE	Num	8	Forecast Period End date
8	EST_DATE	Num	8	Estimate Date
9	EXL_DATE	Num	8	Exclude Date
11	EXL_FLAG	Char	1	Exclude Flag
4	FP_IND	Char	1	Forecast Period Indicator
5	MEASURE	Char	3	Measure
1	TICKER	Char	6	IBES Ticker
7	VALUE	Num	8	Value

7) exh_rate

#	Variables	Type	Length	Descriptions
3	CRRENCY	Char	3	Currency
2	EXH_RATE	Num	8	Exchange Rate
1	PUB_DATE	Num	8	Publication Date

8) iden

#	Variables	Type	Length	Description
7	CAN_CUR	Char	1	Canadian currency.
4	CONAME	Char	16	Company name.
2	CUSIP	Char	8	CUSIP.
5	DIL_FAC	Char	5	Dilution factor.
6	DIL_IND	Char	1	Primary/Diluted indicator.
8	MSCIPFLG	Char	1	MSCIP flag.
3	O_TICKER	Char	6	Official ticker.
10	SIG_CODE	Num	8	Sector/Industry/Group code.
11	STARDAY	Num	8	Start date.
1	TICKER	Char	6	IBES Ticker
9	UNIACTIN	Char	1	Uniform actuals indicator.

9) sig

#	Variable	Type	length	Descripton
6	GROUP	Char	8	Gruop abbreviation.
7	GRP_NAME	Char	24	Group name.
4	IND	Char	8	Industry abbreviation.
5	IND_NAME	Char	24	Industry name.
2	SECTOR	Char	8	Sector abbreviation.
3	SEC_NAME	Char	24	Sector name.
1	SIG_CODE	Num	8	Sector/Industry/Group code.

10) stop

#	Variables	Type	Position	Descriptions
2	BRKCODE	Num	8	Broker Code.
5	END_DATE	Num	8	Forecast Period End date.
3	FP_IND	Char	1	Forecast Period Indicator.
4	MEASURE	Char	3	Measure data type indicator.
6	STOP_DAY	Num	6	Effective stop date.
1	TICKER	Char	8	I/B/E/S ticker.

US and International Summary (New format)

There are 6 files located in ushist (US history summary) and inthist (International history summary) directory. The file names, variable names and vriable lenghts are the same for the two directories.

#	File name	Description
1	act	The actual data file.
3	ide	The company identifiacation file.
4	pan	The pricing & ancillary file
5	sig	The sector/Industry/Group code file.
6	summary	The summary statistics file.

1) act

#	Variable	Type	length	Description
1	TICKER	Char	6	I/B/E/S ticker.
2	STAT_PER	Num	8	I/B/E/S statistical period (yyyymmdd).
3	MESURE	Char	6	Annual dividend.
4	ACT_FLAG	Char	1	Actual Flag.
5	CURR_CODE	Char	3	Currency code.
6	FY0_ENDDATE	Num	6	FY-0 end date.
7	FY0_EPS	Num	12	FY-0 actual EPS.
8	INT0_DATE	Num	6	INT-0 date.
9	INT0_EPS	Num	12	INT-0 actual EPS.
10	EPS_5YRGRO	Num	6	5 year EPS growth.
11	EPS_5YRSTB	Num	6	5 year EPS stability.

2) adj

#	Variable	Type	length	Description
1	TICKER	Char	8	I/B/E/S ticker.
2	SPLIT_FAC	Num	8	Factors used to adjust for splits & capitalization changes.
3	SPLT_DAY	Num	8	The effective split date.
4	STAT_PER	Num	6	I/B/E/S statistical period.

3) ide

#	Variable	Type	length	Description
1	TICKER	Char	6	I/B/E/S ticker
2	CUSIP	Char	8	Cusip.
3	TIC_HMC	Char	8	Official ticker.
4	CONAME	Char	32	Long company name.
5	DILUT	Num	6	Dilution factor.
6	P_D	Char	1	Primary/Diluted indicator.
7	CC_PCF	Char	1	Canadian Currency of P/D flag.
8	TEHTH	Num	1	1/10 factor.
9	INT_FLG	Char	1	Quarter date.
10	EXC_CODE	Char	1	Exchange code.
11	COUNTRY_ID	Char	2	Country ID.
12	SIGC	Char	6	Sector/Industry/Group code..
13	STRTDAY	Num	8	Start date (yyyymmdd).
14	COFLAG	Char	1	Compnay flag.

4) pan

#	Variable	Type	length	Description
1	TICKER	Char	6	I/B/E/S ticker.
2	STAT_PER	Num	8	I/B/E/S statistical period (yyyymmdd).
3	CURRCODE	Char	3	Curency code.
4	PRICE	Num	12	Price
5	PRIC_DAY	Num	8	Price date (yyyymmdd).
6	SHROUT	Num	10	Shares outstanding (millions).
7	DIV	Num	10	Indicated annual dividend.

5) sig

#	Variable	Type	length	Descripton
1	SIGC	Char	6	Sector/Industry/Group code.
2	SEC_ABBR	Char	8	Sector abbreviation.
3	SEC_NAME	Char	24	Sector name.
4	IND_ABBR	Char	8	Industry abbreviation.
5	IND_NAME	Char	24	Industry name.
6	GRP_ABBR	Char	8	Gruop abbreviation.
7	GRP_NAME	Char	24	Group name.

6) summary

#	Variables	Type	Length	Description
1	TICKER	Char	6	IBES Ticker.
2	STAT_PER	Num	8	I/B/E/S statistical period (yyyymmdd).
3	MEASURE	Char	6	Measure.
4	FYR	Char	3	Ficscal period.
5	FOR_PER	Num	8	Forecast period end date.
6	FOR_IND	Char	1	Forecast period indicator.
7	EST_FLAG	Char	1	Estimate flag.
8	CURR_CODE	Char	3	Currency code.
9	NUM_EST	Num	3	Number of estimates.
10	NUM_UP	Num	3	Number up.
11	NUM_DOWN	Num	3	Number down.
12	MEDIAN	Num	8	Median estimate.
13	MEAN	Num	8	Mean estimate.
14	STD	Num	8	Standard Deviation estimate.
15	HIGH	Num	8	High estimate.
16	LOW	Num	8	Low estimate.