Security analyst estimates performance viewing system and method

• US 7,509,277 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Refinitiv US Organization, LLC (Refinitiv US Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: StarMine Corp. (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gatto, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Subramanian; Narayanswamy
• Application Number:
  US09/722,050
• Time in Patent Office: 3,039 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 40
• US Class Current: 705/36.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A system and method for measuring, analyzing, and tracking the past performance of security analysts'"'"' earnings estimates and recommendations. The present invention provides a database of historical data relating to security analyst earnings estimate predictions wherein a historical model enables users to view the historical data as a time series of earnings estimates for each analyst selected, for a selected period of time, for a predetermined earnings event. Users may define a model to automatically create enhanced composite estimates wherein an improved prediction of the quantity being estimated, such as company earnings, revenue or cash flow is obtained. Users may view performance screens and historical performance data for a particular contributor or various contributors for a given security. Other views may be available.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for viewing performance data, comprising:

a computer configured for determining earnings estimates performance data for one or more contributors based on historical earnings estimates data for the one or more contributors;

a memory coupled to the computer for storing the determined earnings estimates performance data;

a graphical user interface in communication with the computer configured for receiving a selection of one or more of the contributors and a definition of one or more criteria from a user;

a performance aggregation module for aggregating the determined earnings estimates performance data stored in the memory for the user-selected contributors, the determined earnings estimates performance data aggregated according to the user-defined criteria; and

a performance view module for viewing, via the graphical user interface displayed on a display device, the aggregated earnings estimates performance data for the user-selected contributors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein earnings estimates performance for the user-selected contributors is determined in absolute terms.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein earnings estimates performance for the user-selected contributors is determined relative to other contributors'"'"' performance.

4. The system of claim 1, the graphical user interface further configured for receiving a selection of one or more error metrics from the user, wherein the earnings estimates performance data is determined based on the user-selected error metrics.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the earnings estimates performance data is determined based on the user-selected error metrics and sorted based on the user-defined criteria.

6. The system of claim 1, the computer further configured for ranking contributors based on the user-defined criteria.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-defined criteria includes one or more of a company name, an analyst, a CUSIP identifier, and a unique ticker.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-defined criteria includes one or more of a broker, a ticker, or a broker and ticker combination.

9. The system of claim 1, the graphical user interface further configured for receiving a selection of a security and one or more fiscal periods from the user, the computer further configured for displaying each contributor who made an estimate in the user-selected fiscal periods for the user-selected security.

10. The system of claim 9, the computer further configured for displaying summary performance metrics for the displayed contributors.

11. The system of claim 9, the computer further configured for displaying aggregate performance metrics for the displayed contributors.

12. The system of claim 9, the graphical user interface further configured for receiving a selection of one of the displayed contributors from the user, the computer further configured for displaying the user-selected one of the displayed contributors period by period performance for the user-selected security for each period in the user-selected fiscal periods.

13. The system of claim 9, the computer further configured for filtering the displayed contributors to identify contributors who made an estimate in the user-selected fiscal periods to display the identified contributors.

14. The system of claim 13, the computer further configured for receiving user defined filtering parameters for filtering the displayed contributors.

15. The system of claim 1, the computer further configured for displaying securities for which the user-selected contributors have made an estimate.

16. The system of claim 15, the graphical user interface further configured for receiving a selection of one or more fiscal periods from the user, the computer further configured for displaying securities for which the user-selected contributors have made an estimate in the user-selected fiscal periods.

17. The system of claim 16, the computer further configured for displaying aggregate performance metrics for the user-selected contributors and displayed securities.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the aggregate performance metrics are displayed for estimates made during the user-selected fiscal periods and represent an aggregated performance over each period in the user-selected fiscal periods.

19. The system of claim 15, the graphical user interface further configured for receiving a selection of one of the displayed securities and one or more fiscal periods from the user, the computer further configured for displaying the user-selected contributor'"'"'s period by period performance for the user-selected one of the displayed securities for each period in the user-selected fiscal periods.

20. The system of claim 1, the graphical user interface further configured for receiving a selection of a contributor-security pair from the user.

21. The system of claim 20, the graphical user interface further configured for receiving a selection of one or more fiscal periods from the user, the computer further configured for displaying period-by-period performance metrics for each period in the user-selected fiscal periods for the selected contributor-security pair.

22. The system of claim 1, the computer further configured for displaying at least one of the user-selected contributors'"'"' historical earnings estimates data as a function of time for a security covered by the at least one contributor.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the historical function of time for the at least one contributor includes the contributor'"'"'s estimates and consensus estimates over a period of time.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the historical function of time for the at least one contributor includes the contributor'"'"'s estimates, consensus estimates, and actual reported earnings for the security over the period of time.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the historical function of time for the at least one contributor includes the contributor'"'"'s estimates, consensus estimates and actual reported earnings displayed as a vertical bar, the vertical bar having a height indicating the actual reported earnings, the vertical bar displayed on a time axis corresponding to the period of time and at a location on the time axis corresponding to the day the earnings were reported.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the system simultaneously displays one chart for the historical function of time.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the historical function of time displays the contributor'"'"'s estimates and at least one other contributor'"'"'s estimates for comparison purposes.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one other contributor is a best contributor based on predetermined factors.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one other contributor is a comparison contributor selected by the user via the graphical user interface.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one other contributor is associated with at least one of a high estimate, low estimate or mean estimate.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one other contributor is an enhanced composite estimate.

32. The system of claim 22, the computer further configured for displaying a historical price for the security simultaneously with the historical function of time for the at least one contributor.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein each contributors'"'"' estimate is represented by a distinctly visible line.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein a first line is displayed as a line having a first thickness and a second line is displayed as a line having a second thickness.

35. The system of claim 1, the user-defined criteria including at least one of an analyst, a broker, or an analyst/broker pair.

36. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-defined criteria includes a user specified number of periods over which to analyze performance, the computer further configured for determining how many periods to show in the display of period-by-period data.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-defined criteria includes a user specified time period prior to a report date, the computer further configured for determining how far in advance of the report date to include estimates.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-defined criteria includes at least a number and type of periods and a time period over which to aggregate the earnings estimates performance data.