Data Import & Export

Fix Excel Stocks Showing Wrong Price for Changed Ticker Symbols

Natalie Taylor Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to fix incorrect or outdated stock prices in Excel after a corporate action like a merger or ticker symbol change.

How to Fix Excel Stocks Showing the Wrong Price for a Changed Ticker Symbol

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Tracking financial data and stock prices using Excel's built-in Stocks data type.
Observed behavior: Excel displays an outdated or incorrect stock price for a newly changed ticker symbol because the data provider hasn't updated the mapping.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active internet connection so Excel can attempt to fetch the latest financial data from its external providers.

Solution 1Recommended

Refresh Linked Data and Verify Ticker Symbol

Force Excel to clear its cached data, fetch the latest stock prices, and ensure the ticker format is correctly mapped.

Excel often displays cached data to improve performance. Manually refreshing forces the application to request updated information from the financial data provider.

Select the Data Cell

Click on the cell containing the incorrect stock data or ticker symbol (e.g., ALTM).

Refresh All Data

Navigate to the 'Data' tab on the Excel ribbon and click the 'Refresh All' button to pull the newest prices from the provider.

Verify Ticker Format

If the price is still wrong, check the ticker symbol spelling. Ensure it includes the correct exchange prefix if necessary (for example, typing XNAS:ALTM instead of just ALTM).

Refresh Linked Data and Verify Ticker Symbol

Data Update Delays: Financial data providers may take up to several days to map new ticker symbols after corporate mergers or name changes.

Solution 2

Manually Update Prices or Use a Financial Add-in

Use this temporary workaround if the stock data provider has not yet updated their database after a recent corporate action.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Spreadsheet Management

While waiting for Microsoft's data providers to update ticker symbols, consider using WPS Office. It is a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office that easily handles your complex financial trackers and spreadsheets.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite.
2. Open Your Financial Tracker: Launch WPS Spreadsheets and open your existing .xlsx financial tracking files.
3. Update and Manage Data: Use WPS's powerful formula and formatting tools to manage your portfolio manually while external databases update.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsLightweight and fast for handling large financial datasetsFamiliar user interface for seamless migration without a learning curveFree to use with built-in powerful data analysis tools

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel show an outdated stock price after a company merger?

Excel relies on third-party financial data providers. After a corporate action like a merger or ticker change, it can take days for these providers to update their databases and for Excel to reflect the new symbol mapping.

How can I force Excel to update my stock prices?

Go to the Data tab on the ribbon and click 'Refresh All'. This forces Excel to bypass cached data and request the latest financial information from its data sources.

What should I do if the Stocks data type cannot find my new ticker symbol?

If the new ticker isn't recognized, try adding the exchange abbreviation before the symbol (e.g., NASDAQ:ALTM). If it still fails, convert the cell to text and enter the price manually until the data provider updates their system.

Is there a way to change the default financial data provider in Excel?

Excel's built-in Stocks data type uses a fixed provider (typically Refinitiv) and cannot be changed natively. You would need to use third-party Excel add-ins to source data from different financial providers.

Excel & Data Problems