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What Is the Correct Excel Stock Symbol for the FTSE 100? | WPS Support

John Wilson Oct 8, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know the correct ticker symbol to retrieve FTSE 100 financial data using Excel's built-in Stocks data type.

How to Find the Correct Excel Stock Symbol for the FTSE 100

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Trying to track the FTSE 100 index in an Excel spreadsheet using the automated Stocks data feature.
Observed behavior: Standard symbols like FTSE, FTSE 100, .FTSE, FTSE:UKX, and ^FTSE often fail to resolve because Microsoft does not publish a definitive list of supported index tickers.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active internet connection and that your version of Excel supports the Stocks data type, which is typically available for Microsoft 365 subscribers.

Solution 1Recommended

Search for the FTSE 100 by Name in the Data Selector

Instead of guessing the exact ticker symbol, use Excel's built-in search panel to find the correct identifier provided by their financial data partners.

Excel retrieves financial data from third-party providers. Because these providers occasionally update their supported symbols, searching by the index name is the most reliable method.

Enter the index name

Type 'FTSE 100' into a blank cell in your spreadsheet and select that cell.

Apply the Stocks data type

Navigate to the 'Data' tab on the Excel ribbon and click on 'Stocks' in the Data Types group.

Open the Data Selector

If Excel cannot automatically match the text, a Question Mark (?) icon will appear next to the cell. Click this icon to open the Data Selector pane on the right side of your screen.

Select the correct index

In the Data Selector pane, browse the search results for the correct London Stock Exchange (LSE) index and click 'Select' to apply it to your cell.

Tip: Once the correct symbol is linked, you can click the 'Insert Data' icon next to the cell to quickly add attributes like Price, Change, and 52-week High/Low to adjacent columns.

Solution 2

Test Alternative FTSE 100 Ticker Symbol Formats

If the search feature fails to find the index, you can manually try variations of the ticker symbol used by different financial data providers.

Solution 3

Import Data Using Power Query (Get Data from Web)

If Excel's Stocks data type does not support the FTSE 100 at this time, you can import live data directly from a reliable financial website.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't Excel recognize the FTSE 100 symbol automatically?

Excel's Stocks data type relies on third-party financial data providers. Microsoft does not maintain a complete public list of supported symbols, and some major indexes may temporarily lose support or require specific provider prefixes like 'FTSE:UKX'.

What should I do if the Stocks data type is missing in my Excel?

The Stocks data type is primarily available to Microsoft 365 subscribers. Ensure you are signed into your Microsoft 365 account, your Office editing language is set to English (or another supported language), and you have installed the latest Office updates.

Can I automatically refresh imported web data for the FTSE 100?

Yes. If you use the 'Get Data from Web' feature, you can go to the Data tab, select 'Refresh All', and click 'Connection Properties' to set the table data to refresh automatically at specific time intervals.

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