How to Get Stock Prices in Excel

Stop guessing which formulas actually work for financial data. This step-by-step guide shows you how to pull live stock quotes and historical stock prices directly into your spreadsheets and financial models.

How it works

You don't need to know how to code or learn complex programming. We built a custom Excel function called =FDN(). All you do is type the stock ticker, and the data instantly loads right into your sheet.

Step 1: Install the Excel Add-in

First, add the FinancialData.Net add-in to your Excel ribbon. It takes less than a minute to install through the built-in Microsoft store, giving your workbook instant access to live and historical market data.

  1. Open a blank workbook or your current project in Excel (works on Office 365 and Excel for Web).
  2. Look at the top menu bar, click on the Home tab, and click the Add-ins button on the far right.
  3. Use the search bar to find FinancialData.Net for Excel.
  4. Click Add. You will see our sidebar panel open up on the right side of your screen.

Step 2: Get Your API Key

To start pulling stock prices into your spreadsheet, you need to get a unique API key from FinancialData.Net. This connects the add-in and allows your Excel formulas to download stock data. Make sure you have an active subscription — historical prices are available with a free subscription, while real-time data requires a paid subscription.

  1. Log in to your account at FinancialData.Net and open the Dashboard.
  2. Find the API Key, a unique 32-character alphanumeric string, and copy it.
  3. Paste the key into the input box in your Excel sidebar panel and click Save Key.

Step 3: Start Writing Your Formulas

You can now use the formula anywhere in your Excel workbook. Whether you are building an investment portfolio tracker or a stock valuation model, the standard format looks like this:

=FDN(dataset, identifier, argument, maxRows)

Example A: Real-Time Stock Quotes

Get real-time stock quotes, including the last price, change, and percentage change.

=FDN("StockQuotes", "AAPL,MSFT,NVDA", "", 3)
TickerCompany NameLive PriceToday's Change% Change
AAPLApple Inc.$308.89+3.82+1.25%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp.$418.61-0.39-0.09%
NVDANVIDIA Corp.$215.14-4.33-1.97%

Example B: Historical Stock Prices

Get daily historical stock prices, including OHLC and volume data.

=FDN("StockPrices", "MSFT", "", 3)
DateOpenHighLowCloseVolume
May 22, 2026$419.54$424.40$416.33$418.5722,390,340
May 21, 2026$424.75$426.34$415.71$419.0931,393,470
May 20, 2026$414.17$422.10$411.30$421.0627,864,020

Ready to upgrade your Excel models?