As we are doing our FirstRain dance yet again today, it seems that FirstRain has been getting a little more than its fair share of attention in our write-ups recently. Just a couple of weeks ago we talked about how it was now available over CapIQ’s platform and previous to that we had written about how it was growing its institutional base. So in other words, if you read our daily musings with any regularity you already know who FirstRain is. If not, shame on you. Just kidding, of course we know everyone’s busy these days. Most recently FirstRain has been in the news for a couple of different accomplishments. As of October 20th they are available as part of the FactSet Research Systems real time market data platform, FactSet Marquee. They have also just launched a UK operation, and they have recently come out with a product called Eye on the Storm which is a free service and provides alternative research on the current mess formerly known as the financial markets. If you want to sign up for the service, simply click the link above and put in your information.
FirstRain’s distribution over FactSet makes sense given the recent inclusion of FirstRain’s services in the CapIQ platform. Just as FirstRain did for CapIQ, they will now make it easier for FactSet users to incorporate findings from sources readers might otherwise overlook such as blogs, local news or industry publications. The UK product expands FirstRain’s reach, now offering their data stream to institutions based in the UK, and the Eye on the Storm product covers issues important in today’s marketplace such as the bailout, liquidity issues, economic forecasts, and any new regulations which come out. It’s also free, allowing potential clients to view the power of web crawling technologies for themselves without any obligation.
FirstRain is a provider of search-based research applications for investment professionals. FirstRain searches over 30,000 sources, including mainstream business sources; premium subscription sources; sector and industry-specific web sites; blogs and message boards; local, regional, and national news; investigation coverage; and SEC and legal filings.