Python for Finance: Analyze Big Financial Data

developed more as a general graphical user interface (GUI) “only.” In many cases, it is

mainly used to display and visualize data and aggregate information and to implement ad

hoc analyses. For example, there are interfaces available to get data from leading data

service providers, like Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters, into Excel (and maybe the other

way around).

This chapter works on the assumption that Microsoft Excel is available on almost every

desktop or notebook computer and that it is used as a general GUI. In this sense, Python

can play the following roles:

Manipulation tool

Using Python, you can interact with and manipulate Excel spreadsheets.

Data processor

Python can provide data to a spreadsheet and read data from a spreadsheet.

Analytics engine

Python can provide its whole analytics capabilities to spreadsheets, becoming a full-

fledged substitute for VBA programming.