Reference Data: Best Reference Datasets & Databases

What is Reference Data?

Also referred to as a reference entity, a reference obligation, or a covered obligation, is a fundamental asset that finds applications in credit derivatives as a way to cushion a debt holder from risky borrowers. Referenced assets are usually in the form of bonds, treasury notes, or any other debt-supporting collaterals that are stated by borrowers. The notion behind references is that when a given private individual or a business entity issues debt or borrows money, more often than not, there is a chance that they could default on the debt. As such, to cushion lenders against this default risk, a lender may enter into a credit derivative arrangement to assign the risk of default to a third party.

How is Reference Data collected?

Reference asset data can be collected either manually through the assessment of the core elements of the asset by looking at the available business entity books. In this case, the data can be documented by the interested party and assessed at the time of collection before any credit transaction is initiated. Furthermore, interested parties can draw a company’s asset data from fiscal financial reports that are usually published by the business entity at the end of every financial trading period. Fiscal reports usually give information about all the assets that a business may own at the end of every financial year.

What are the attributes of Reference Data?

Given how reference asset data works, the bottom line is that debt holders are at risk of the borrower failing to meet the obligations of paying an advanced debt. As such, as a hedging tool to protect these debt holders from default risk, they may enter into a credit derivative in which a third party is assigned the risk of default either by total return or credit default swap (CDS). These credit derivative entities of total return and credit default swap forms the key attributes of reference asset data.

Total return refers to the precise rate of return of a given asset or investment advanced by a borrower within a given period. Some of the returns that can be gained from an asset or investment may include capital gains, dividends, and distribution that are gained during a given time. Credit default swap (CDS) refers to a reference asset data derivative that allows an investor to exchange his or her credit risk with that of another investor.

What are the uses of Reference Data?

Reference data is an important component source of information that can help a debt holder to protect themselves against the potential risk of a defaulted loan. This data gives the lender more insight about the risk of default to a third party, hence informing themselves about possible losses. Reference asset data is an important underlying component of credit derivatives which are confidentially held consensual contracts between parties in a credit/debtor relationship.

Reference asset data also gives lenders an overview of financial product information about a given asset such as the security’s asset type, its symbolic pointers, and time-sensitive data such as the date of maturity of the underlying asset before its use as a credit derivative. This information is crucial in assessing the value of the asset before a third party agrees to carry the weight of a potential defaulter.

How can a user assess the quality of Reference Data?

As one of the fundamental components of credit derivatives, a reference asset is security. The quality of this security can be assessed by highlighting the components of its validity at the time when the transaction of risk transfer is taking place. Timeliness is the most critical element of a reference asset dataset. It’s vital to have up-to-date reference data, because any discrepancy in this time factor may mean that the individual or business entity’s creditworthiness may have changed during the advancement of a loan. Furthermore, in assessing the quality of reference assets data, a user should consider the reference data provider’s track record in terms of operation, market, reputation, strategy, and compliance risk. Reader reviews for reference data providers will help you find the best reference data feeds for your use case.

Where can I buy Reference Data?

Data providers and vendors listed on Datarade sell Reference Data products and samples. Popular Reference Data products and datasets available on our platform are Reference ETF data API, global coverage, 7K ETF by Cbonds, ContactIQ by AnalyticsIQ - B2B Contact Preference Data USA - 108M Professionals by AnalyticsIQ, and EDI Derivatives Reference Data (>30 fields covered) by Exchange Data International.

How can I get Reference Data?

You can get Reference Data via a range of delivery methods - the right one for you depends on your use case. For example, historical Reference Data is usually available to download in bulk and delivered using an S3 bucket. On the other hand, if your use case is time-critical, you can buy real-time Reference Data APIs, feeds and streams to download the most up-to-date intelligence.

What are similar data types to Reference Data?

Reference Data is similar to Alternative Data, ESG Data, Merger & Acquisition Data, Commodity Data, and Currency Data. These data categories are commonly used for Stock Market Predictions and Investment Management.

What are the most common use cases for Reference Data?

The top use cases for Reference Data are Stock Market Predictions and Investment Management.