Fund Inception Date
Returns the date on which an ETF or mutual fund was launched and began trading. This is useful for understanding the fund's track record length.
Return Value
A date string (e.g., "1993-01-22"). Note: this function returns the raw API response without formatting, so the date format depends on the data source.
Notes
- Returns "NA" for stocks or invalid symbols
- Older funds have longer track records, which may provide more reliable performance data
- Returns raw data (not passed through FormatResult), so the value is a plain string
Syntax
=FundInceptionDate(Symbol)Examples
=FundInceptionDate("SPY")=FundInceptionDate("QQQ")=FundInceptionDate("VFIAX")=FundInceptionDate("ARKK")=FundInceptionDate(A1)When to Use
- Checking how long a fund has been operating
- Filtering out newly launched funds with short track records
- Historical analysis requiring a fund's start date
- Compliance checks requiring minimum fund age
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|----------|-------------|
| Need SEC report period dates | FundReportPeriodDate() |
| Need report end date | FundReportPeriodEndDate() |
| Need historical prices | GetHistory() |
Common Issues & FAQ
The date is returned as text, not an Excel date. How do I convert it?
Wrap in DATEVALUE(): =DATEVALUE(FundInceptionDate("SPY")) to get an Excel date you can use in calculations.
Why is the date format different from other MarketXLS date functions?
This function returns raw data from the API. Use DATEVALUE() or TEXT() to reformat.
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