How to Get Futures Symbols in Excel

Get futures symbols directly in Excel using custom formulas. Retrieve financial data, automate your workflows, and keep your spreadsheets updated with our Excel add-in.

No VBA/Macros Required
Microsoft Certified Add-in
2-Minute Setup
EXCEL FORMULA
=FDN("FuturesSymbols", "", "", 5)

This formula pulls data into your spreadsheet once our Excel add-in is installed.

Formula Result

See exactly how data fills into your sheet when the formula runs. This example shows the actual up-to-date information returned.

ABC
1trading_symboldescriptiontype
20AMini European 1% Fuel Oil Barges FOB Rdam (Platts) BALMO FuturesEnergy
30BMini European 1% Fuel Oil Cargoes FOB NWE (Platts) FuturesEnergy
40CMini European 1% Fuel Oil Cargoes FOB NWE (Platts) BALMO FuturesEnergy
50EMini European 3.5% Fuel Oil Barges FOB Rdam (Platts) BALMO FuturesEnergy
610Y10-Year Yield FuturesInterest Rates
ABCDEF
1trading_symbol0A0B0C0E10Y
2descriptionMini European 1% Fuel Oil Barges FOB Rdam (Platts) BALMO FuturesMini European 1% Fuel Oil Cargoes FOB NWE (Platts) FuturesMini European 1% Fuel Oil Cargoes FOB NWE (Platts) BALMO FuturesMini European 3.5% Fuel Oil Barges FOB Rdam (Platts) BALMO Futures10-Year Yield Futures
3typeEnergyEnergyEnergyEnergyInterest Rates
Futures contracts are contracts to purchase or sell a particular underlying asset at a future date. The formula returns a list of futures symbols along with their descriptions.

Steps to Get Started

01
Install the Add-in

Open Excel, navigate to the Home tab, select Add-ins, and search for FinancialData.Net.

02
Grab Your Key

Sign in to your account at FinancialData.Net, open the dashboard, and copy your API key.

03
Run Your Formula

Open the task pane in Excel, save your API key, and start typing the =FDN(...) formula.

Formula Reference

Use the formula to retrieve financial data by specifying a dataset, ticker symbol, and additional parameters.

=FDN(dataset, identifier, argument, maxRows)
datasetString
Specifies the dataset to query. Enter the dataset name enclosed in quotation marks, for example "FuturesSymbols".
identifierString
Accepts one or multiple identifiers such as ticker symbols (e.g., "AAPL" or "AAPL,MSFT") or other supported identifier types.
argumentString
Filters the dataset output using an additional parameter, such as a date like "2025-01-15" or a reporting period like "year" or "quarter".
maxRowsInteger
Limits the number of records returned by the formula. For example, setting the value to 5 returns the five most recent rows.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

If Excel doesn't recognize the =FDN() formula, the add-in may not have loaded correctly. Restart Excel or reinstall the add-in from the Office Add-ins Store.

Excel displays this error when it does not recognize the =FDN() formula. This means the add-in is either not installed or has been disabled.

The =FDN() formula outputs multiple rows and columns of data, which Excel blocks if any existing text or formatting occupies the surrounding cells. Simply clear these obstructing cells to allow the formula to expand completely.

Install the Excel Add-in

Access 80+ financial datasets directly in Excel using simple formulas.

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