FactSet will add more than 500 alternative data assets to its research platform through a partnership with Carbon Arc, giving investment professionals more sources to use when assessing business performance and market conditions.
FactSet announced the partnership Nov. 10. The data from more than 60 providers is planned for access through FactSet Workstation and its Model Context Protocol (MCP) connections with major hyperscalers and leading AI labs. Clients will be able to access it as an optional add-on using single sign-on.
The collection includes information on credit card transactions, retail foot traffic, digital advertising, e-commerce trends, web and app activity, and housing permits. FactSet said analysts and portfolio managers could use those measures to track consumer demand, compare companies’ competitive positions and spot changes in business conditions.
FactSet Co-Head of Product John Costigan said adding Carbon Arc’s catalog is intended to broaden the information available to clients through FactSet’s financial data and tools. Carbon Arc founder and CEO Kirk McKeown said, “The model isn’t a bottleneck anymore. The data layer is.”
The announcement follows FactSet’s planned private-market analytics partnership with Hamilton Lane, announced Nov. 2. That arrangement is intended to add Hamilton Lane reference points and tools for analyzing private-market investments to FactSet’s performance-measurement offering.
