• To find Datastream codes for interest rates you may enter HELP IR? in the "Program Number" area in the main program window. The new program window will prompt you to choose the geographic region your interest rate deals with, from a given list. Choosing the United States, you will then find the correct code number for one-month U.S. Treasury Bills in the resulting list of series. The code is USTBL1M. The code for one- month U.K. Treasury Bills may be found similarly by instead choosing the U.K. from within the HELP IR? program. The code is LDNTB1M.

Finding the Program:

Step 1

• Simple comparisons can most easily be made using Datastream graphs. To allow your series to be displayed in graphical format, choose the request type "graph" in the main program window. Next, select interest rates as your type of data. From the resulting list of available programs, choose the one that says: Line chart of up to 3 series.

Step 2

• In the new program window you may enter codes for up to 3 series. Enter the two Treasury Bill rate codes on separate lines, pressing tab to skip to the next line. Next, enter the time period. In our case, the start date will be 1/1/92. To indicate that you want all the data from 1992 to the present, do not mark an end date. These are all the parameters that you must enter in this case. This particular program allows you to choose from several methods of representation. You may choose for the graph to show actual values or various adjusted values. By default, your graph will map the actual Middle Rate (datatypes available for interest rates include: bid rate, offered rate, mortgage rate, etc.) for your two Treasury Bills on a daily basis. Press enter and the desired graph will be displayed. If you entered any parameters incorrectly, the program will stop, describe your error, and allow you to enter each item again.