Calling Yahoo Finance API for Stock Data (Excel & VBA)

Using the Yahoo Finance API in Excel with VBA can provide real-time stock data, enriching your spreadsheets with dynamic information. By leveraging this tool, you can automate the retrieval of stock data directly into your Excel worksheets. In this guide, we’ll explore how to call the free Yahoo Finance API using Excel and VBA, giving you the tools to enhance your financial models and reports.

How to call the free Yahoo Finance API to get Stock Data

Yahoo Finance API provides a simple way to download stock quotes. The service returns stock data in a CSV. This blog explains how to get stock data from Yahoo Finance using Excel & VBA. If you’re interested in a custom solution for your Excel file, please contact our Excel expert team for a free quote.

In this example, we want to obtain the following Stock info of Google, Facebook and Microsoft.

• Name of company
• Last trade date
• Last trade (price only)
• Dividend Yield
• P/E Ratio

Important Update (2020)

Yahoo Finance API is no longer available. The VBA code, explained in this blog, can no longer connect to Yahoo Finance API and is not working.

Pre-req
Make sure Microsoft WinHTTP Services are enable. To do so , open Visual Basic Editor of your xlsm file. Click Tools >> References. And select Microsoft WinHTTP Services.

Development Process – Step 1

Range A2 to be taken the head cell. Type “GOOG” in range A3, “FB” in A4 and “MSFT” in range A5. Type “n” in range B3, “d1” in range C3, “l1” in D3, “y” in E3 and “r” in F3. A sample shown below.

Step 2

Open Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications on your Excel. Copy the code and paste it on your sheet’s VBA area.

Option Explicit

' Example: Requesting Stock info of GOOG, FB and MSFT.
'
' In this example, we want to obtain the following Stock info
' - Name of company
' - Last trade date
' - Last trade (price only)
' - Dividend Yield
' - P/E Ratio
'
' Range A2 to be taken the head cell. Type "GOOG" in range A3,
' "FB" in A4 and "MSFT" in range A5. Type "n" in range B3, "d1"
' in range C3, "l1" in D3, "y" in E3 and "r" in F3.
'
' We use the following URL for getting Stock Quote from Yahoo
' URL: http://finance.yahoo.com/d/quotes.csv?s=FB+MSFT&f=snd1l1yr
'
' The CSV file data looks like the following
'
' "FB","Facebook, Inc.","9/4/2013",41.7665,N/A,189.46
' "MSFT","Microsoft Corpora","9/4/2013",31.24,2.89,12.36
'
' The columns in CSV file is separated by comma. Split function
' is used to split the data on each line of CSV file at every
' occurrence of comma. However, some commas in the CSV file are
' part of a string, not separating the columns. For example
' consider the following line,
' "FB","Facebook, Inc.","9/4/2013",41.7665,N/A,189.46
' The second comma is not a column separator. But it's part
' of the company's name "Facebook, Inc."
' This program will identify which comma is a column separator
' and which is part of a string

' ************
' Written by http://www.msexcelvancouver.com
' Thanks to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSlBE3CWg5Q

Sub Get_Stock_Quotes_from_Yahoo_Finance_API()

Dim head As Range
Set head = Range("A2")

Dim i As Integer
Dim Symbols As String: Symbols = ""
Dim SpecialTags As String: SpecialTags = ""
Dim Yahoo_Finance_URL As String: Yahoo_Finance_URL = "http://download.finance.yahoo.com/d/quotes.csv?s="
Dim rng As Range
Dim cell As Range

' Get the Stock Symbols
Set rng = Range(head.Offset(1, 0), head.Offset(1, 0).End(xlDown))
For Each cell In rng ' Starting from a cell below the head cell till the last filled cell
Symbols = Symbols & cell.Value & "+"
Next cell
Symbols = Left(Symbols, Len(Symbols) - 1) ' Remove the last '+'

' Get the Special Tags
Set rng = Range(head.Offset(0, 1), head.Offset(0, 1).End(xlToRight))
For Each cell In rng ' Starting from a cell to the right of the head cell till the last filled cell
SpecialTags = SpecialTags & cell.Value
Next

' Put the desciption/name of each tag in the cell above it
Dim SpecialTagsArr() As String: Dim TagNamesArr() As String
Call Get_Special_Tags(SpecialTagsArr, TagNamesArr)
For Each cell In rng
cell.Offset(-1, 0).Value = FindTagName(cell.Value, SpecialTagsArr, TagNamesArr)
Next

Yahoo_Finance_URL = Yahoo_Finance_URL & Symbols & "&f=" & SpecialTags

Call Print_CSV(Yahoo_Finance_URL, head)

End Sub

' Download the CSV file and Print it in the cells
Sub Print_CSV(URL As String, head As Range)

' Get the CSV file from Yahoo Finance
Dim Http As New winhttprequest
Http.Open "GET", URL, False
Http.send

Dim Resp As String: Resp = Http.responsetext
Dim Lines As Variant: Lines = Split(Resp, vbLf)
Dim sLine As Variant
Dim Values As Variant
Dim Value As Variant

Dim i As Integer: i = 1
Dim next_column As Boolean: next_column = True
Dim col As Integer
Dim tmp As String

' Extract CSV file Data to Cells
For Each sLine In Lines
Values = Split(sLine, ",")
col = 1
tmp = ""
For Each Value In Values
' Read the info for this program which explains the lines below
tmp = tmp & Value
If Left(Value, 1) = """" And Right(Value, 1) <> """" Then next_column = False
If Not next_column And Right(Value, 1) = """" Then next_column = True
If next_column Then
head.Offset(i, col).Value = Replace(tmp, Chr(34), "") ' Remove '"'
tmp = ""
col = col + 1
End If
Next Value
i = i + 1
Next sLine
End Sub

' Find the name of the given tag
Function FindTagName(tag As String, SpecialTags() As String, Tag_Name() As String) As String
Dim pos As Integer
Dim tagName As String

On Error GoTo CannotFindTagName

pos = Application.Match(tag, SpecialTags, False) - 1

tagName = Tag_Name(pos)
FindTagName = tagName
Exit Function

CannotFindTagName:
MsgBox tag & " not found! Program terminates."
End
End Function

The following function includes two arrays, one containing the special tags and another containing tag names. You could use these arrays as a reference.

' Yahoo Finance Special Tags & Names
Sub Get_Special_Tags(ByRef SpecialTags() As String, ByRef Tag_Name() As String)

ReDim SpecialTags(0 To 84) As String
ReDim Tag_Name(0 To 84) As String

SpecialTags(0) = "a": Tag_Name(0) = "Ask"
SpecialTags(1) = "a2": Tag_Name(1) = "Average Daily Volume"
SpecialTags(2) = "a5": Tag_Name(2) = "Ask Size"
SpecialTags(3) = "b": Tag_Name(3) = "Bid"
SpecialTags(4) = "b2": Tag_Name(4) = "Ask (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(5) = "b3": Tag_Name(5) = "Bid (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(6) = "b4": Tag_Name(6) = "Book Value"
SpecialTags(7) = "b6": Tag_Name(7) = "Bid Size"
SpecialTags(8) = "c": Tag_Name(8) = "Change & Percent Change"
SpecialTags(9) = "c1": Tag_Name(9) = "Change"
SpecialTags(10) = "c3": Tag_Name(10) = "Commission"
SpecialTags(11) = "c6": Tag_Name(11) = "Change (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(12) = "c8": Tag_Name(12) = "After Hours Change (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(13) = "d": Tag_Name(13) = "Dividend/Share"
SpecialTags(14) = "d1": Tag_Name(14) = "Last Trade Date"
SpecialTags(15) = "d2": Tag_Name(15) = "Trade Date"
SpecialTags(16) = "e": Tag_Name(16) = "Earnings/Share"
SpecialTags(17) = "e1": Tag_Name(17) = "Error Indication (returned for symbol changed / invalid)"
SpecialTags(18) = "e7": Tag_Name(18) = "EPS Estimate Current Year"
SpecialTags(19) = "e8": Tag_Name(19) = "EPS Estimate Next Year"
SpecialTags(20) = "e9": Tag_Name(20) = "EPS Estimate Next Quarter"
SpecialTags(21) = "f6": Tag_Name(21) = "Float Shares"
SpecialTags(22) = "g": Tag_Name(22) = "Day's Low"
SpecialTags(23) = "h": Tag_Name(23) = "Day's High"
SpecialTags(24) = "j": Tag_Name(24) = "52-week Low"
SpecialTags(25) = "k": Tag_Name(25) = "52-week High"
SpecialTags(26) = "g1": Tag_Name(26) = "Holdings Gain Percent"
SpecialTags(27) = "g3": Tag_Name(27) = "Annualized Gain"
SpecialTags(28) = "g4": Tag_Name(28) = "Holdings Gain"
SpecialTags(29) = "g5": Tag_Name(29) = "Holdings Gain Percent (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(30) = "g6": Tag_Name(30) = "Holdings Gain (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(31) = "i": Tag_Name(31) = "More Info"
SpecialTags(32) = "i5": Tag_Name(32) = "Order Book (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(33) = "j1": Tag_Name(33) = "Market Capitalization"
SpecialTags(34) = "j3": Tag_Name(34) = "Market Cap (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(35) = "j4": Tag_Name(35) = "EBITDA"
SpecialTags(36) = "j5": Tag_Name(36) = "Change From 52-week Low"
SpecialTags(37) = "j6": Tag_Name(37) = "Percent Change From 52-week Low"
SpecialTags(38) = "k1": Tag_Name(38) = "Last Trade (Real-time) With Time"
SpecialTags(39) = "k2": Tag_Name(39) = "Change Percent (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(40) = "k3": Tag_Name(40) = "Last Trade Size"
SpecialTags(41) = "k4": Tag_Name(41) = "Change From 52-week High"
SpecialTags(42) = "k5": Tag_Name(42) = "Percebt Change From 52-week High"
SpecialTags(43) = "l": Tag_Name(43) = "Last Trade (With Time)"
SpecialTags(44) = "l1": Tag_Name(44) = "Last Trade (Price Only)"
SpecialTags(45) = "l2": Tag_Name(45) = "High Limit"
SpecialTags(46) = "l3": Tag_Name(46) = "Low Limit"
SpecialTags(47) = "m": Tag_Name(47) = "Day's Range"
SpecialTags(48) = "m2": Tag_Name(48) = "Day's Range (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(49) = "m3": Tag_Name(49) = "50-day Moving Average"
SpecialTags(50) = "m4": Tag_Name(50) = "200-day Moving Average"
SpecialTags(51) = "m5": Tag_Name(51) = "Change From 200-day Moving Average"
SpecialTags(52) = "m6": Tag_Name(52) = "Percent Change From 200-day Moving Average"
SpecialTags(53) = "m7": Tag_Name(53) = "Change From 50-day Moving Average"
SpecialTags(54) = "m8": Tag_Name(54) = "Percent Change From 50-day Moving Average"
SpecialTags(55) = "n": Tag_Name(55) = "Name"
SpecialTags(56) = "n4": Tag_Name(56) = "Notes"
SpecialTags(57) = "o": Tag_Name(57) = "Open"
SpecialTags(58) = "p": Tag_Name(58) = "Previous Close"
SpecialTags(59) = "p1": Tag_Name(59) = "Price Paid"
SpecialTags(60) = "p2": Tag_Name(60) = "Change in Percent"
SpecialTags(61) = "p5": Tag_Name(61) = "Price/Sales"
SpecialTags(62) = "p6": Tag_Name(62) = "Price/Book"
SpecialTags(63) = "q": Tag_Name(63) = "Ex-Dividend Date"
SpecialTags(64) = "r": Tag_Name(64) = "P/E Ratio"
SpecialTags(65) = "r1": Tag_Name(65) = "Dividend Pay Date"
SpecialTags(66) = "r2": Tag_Name(66) = "P/E Ratio (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(67) = "r5": Tag_Name(67) = "PEG Ratio"
SpecialTags(68) = "r6": Tag_Name(68) = "Price/EPS Estimate Current Year"
SpecialTags(69) = "r7": Tag_Name(69) = "Price/EPS Estimate Next Year"
SpecialTags(70) = "s": Tag_Name(70) = "Symbol"
SpecialTags(71) = "s1": Tag_Name(71) = "Shares Owned"
SpecialTags(72) = "s7": Tag_Name(72) = "Short Ratio"
SpecialTags(73) = "t1": Tag_Name(73) = "Last Trade Time"
SpecialTags(74) = "t6": Tag_Name(74) = "Trade Links"
SpecialTags(75) = "t7": Tag_Name(75) = "Ticker Trend"
SpecialTags(76) = "t8": Tag_Name(76) = "1 yr Target Price"
SpecialTags(77) = "v": Tag_Name(77) = "Volume"
SpecialTags(78) = "v1": Tag_Name(78) = "Holdings Value"
SpecialTags(79) = "v7": Tag_Name(79) = "Holdings Value (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(80) = "w": Tag_Name(80) = "52-week Range"
SpecialTags(81) = "w1": Tag_Name(81) = "Day's Value Change"
SpecialTags(82) = "w4": Tag_Name(82) = "Day's Value Change (Real-time)"
SpecialTags(83) = "x": Tag_Name(83) = "Stock Exchange"
SpecialTags(84) = "y": Tag_Name(84) = "Dividend Yield"

End Sub

YouTube Video

We also explained how to use this Excel file, on a YouTube Video.

Need some help?

Please feel free to contact our Excel consultant team if you are looking for some Excel help.

Conclusion

Integrating the Yahoo Finance API into Excel using VBA opens up a world of possibilities for accessing real-time stock data effortlessly. By mastering this technique, you can create dynamic spreadsheets that update automatically, saving time and improving accuracy in your financial analysis. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or a financial analyst, harnessing the power of the Yahoo Finance API in Excel empowers you to make more informed decisions.