FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS INC
10-K, 1999-11-23
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, DATA PROCESSING, ETC.
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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                             ______________________

                                    FORM 10-K

|X| Annual Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1999

|_| Transition Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 for the transition period from ____ to ____ _______________

Commission File Number: 1-11869

                          FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           Delaware                                           13-3362547
(State or other jurisdiction of                            (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)                           Identification No.)

One Greenwich Plaza, Greenwich, Connecticut       06830
(Address of principal executive office)         (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (203) 863-1500

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Common Stock
Name of each exchange on which registered: New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required
to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the  preceding 12 months (or for such  shorter  period that the  registrant  was
required  to file  such  reports),  and  (2) has  been  subject  to such  filing
requirements for the past 90 days. Yes |X| No|_|

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent  filers  pursuant to Item 405
of Regulation  S-K is not contained  herein,  and will not be contained,  to the
best of registrant's  knowledge,  in definitive proxy or information  statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K. |X|

The  aggregate  market value of the common stock held by  non-affiliates  of the
registrant as of November 12, 1999 was $651,672,912.

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant's common stock as of November
12, 1999 was 15,817,209.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Annual Report to  Stockholders  for the fiscal year ended August
31, 1999 into Parts I and II.

Portions of the  definitive  Proxy  Statement  dated November 23, 1999 into Part
III.
<PAGE>

                         FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS INC.

                                   FORM 10-K


                   For The Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 1999


                                     PART I

                                                                            Page
ITEM 1. Business...............................................................3

ITEM 2. Properties.............................................................4

ITEM 3. Legal Proceedings......................................................4

ITEM 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders....................4

                                    PART II

ITEM 5. Market for Registrant's Common Stock and Related Stockholder Matters...4

ITEM 6. Selected Financial Data................................................4

ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
        of Operation...........................................................5

ITEM 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.............5

ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data............................5

ITEM 9. Changes  in and  Disagreements  with  Accountants  on  Accounting  and
        Financial Disclosures..................................................5

                                    PART III

ITEM 10.Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant.....................6

ITEM 11.Executive Compensation.................................................7

ITEM 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.........7

ITEM 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.........................7

                                    PART IV

ITEM 14.Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules and Reports on Form 8-K........8

Signatures.....................................................................9

                                       2
<PAGE>
                                     PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

FactSet  Research  Systems Inc.  (the  "Company" or "FactSet")  supplies  global
economic and financial data to analysts,  investment bankers and other financial
professionals.  The  Company  combines  more than 100  databases  from  multiple
suppliers  into a single online source of information  and analytics,  including
fundamental  data on tens of thousands of American and  international  companies
and securities.

The Company obtains financial information from over 40 database vendors and when
possible,  seeks to  maintain  contractual  relationships  with a minimum of two
database providers for each type of financial data.  Database vendor charges are
either billed directly to FactSet or its clients. Data charges billed to FactSet
are on a flat or royalty (per client) fee basis. Contracts with database vendors
are usually renewable  annually and cancelable on one year's notice.  Several of
the database  providers  are in direct  competition  with each other and in some
cases,  with  FactSet.  The  Company  is a  major  distributor  for  many of the
databases offered to its clients.

FactSet's clients are charged an annual flat fee, allowing them unlimited access
to the FactSet system.  FactSet's unique proprietary  communication and software
tools allow clients to access the Company's mainframe centers and its aggregated
data library using a private wide area network.  This network provides a direct,
high-speed  data  transmission  link between the  Company's  mainframes  and the
client's personal computer or computer network, while also ensuring security and
reliability.  The FactSet system allows clients to download,  screen, manipulate
and analyze  data and present it in an  infinite  variety of formats,  including
their own custom-designed reports.

A  fundamental  part  of  FactSet's  service  is its  consulting,  training  and
technical  support.  FactSet's client support  consultants work to build lasting
client  relationships.  FactSet  clients are provided with on-site  training and
twenty-four  hour  technical  support  to  assist  them in  gaining  a  stronger
understanding  of the  FactSet  systems,  as well as help in  developing  custom
applications and spreadsheets.

Financial  professionals  depend on a wide array of  financial  data when making
analytical and  investment  decisions.  The Company  believes that it has become
very important to many financial  professionals  to integrate and analyze a wide
array of financial  and  economic  information  from  multiple  databases.  Many
vendors  provide  financial  information  databases to their clients through the
internet and online  dial-up  connections  as well as CD-ROM and print  formats.
Without  the  ability  to  integrate   financial  data  from  multiple  sources,
individual  users must  access and  retrieve  data from many  sources,  often in
varied formats, and manually integrate the data to complete their task.

The financial  information  services industry is a competitive  market and known
for its unrelenting  technological  advances by both large and  well-capitalized
companies  as well as smaller  competitors.  The Company  competes  directly and
indirectly in the United States and  internationally  with news and  information
providers,  market data  suppliers and with many of the database  providers that
supply FactSet with financial data that is  incorporated  in the FactSet system.
FactSet's most direct competitors in the United States include online and CD-ROM
database  suppliers and integrators  such as FAME,  COMPUSTAT PC Plus,  Baseline
Inc., StockVal Incorporated,  Disclosure Inc., and IDD Information Services, and
Datastream  in the  international  markets.  Many  of  these  competitors  offer
services or products similar to those offered by the Company, in some cases at a
lower price. The Company  believes that none of its competitors  offer a package
of services as comprehensive and powerful as those offered by FactSet.

During fiscal 1999, the Company's new interface  called  Directions was released
to the client base. At the end of the fiscal year, Directions had been installed
at approximately  90% of FactSet  clients.  Directions is a major advance by the
Company  toward an  easier-to-use  system which has helped broaden the Company's
potential user base.  Also in fiscal 1999, the Company  created a new functional
arm called FactSet  Enterprises.  Included in FactSet  Enterprises  are five new
business  units  -  Portfolio  Analytics,   Quantitative  Analytics,   ProActive
Publishing, Fixed Income Analytics and Data Warehousing.

                                      3
<PAGE>
Portfolio Analytics is a business directed exclusively at portfolio managers. It
affords  insight  into  portfolio   performance  through  attribution  analysis.
Quantitative Analytics offers highly sophisticated Alpha Testing and Backtesting
services.  ProActive  Publishing  is a service  that  generates  custom-designed
reports and pitch books by combining Microsoft and FactSet  technologies.  Fixed
Income  Analytics  is a service that  combines  FactSet  data  integration  with
domestic and international fixed income data. Data Warehousing is a service that
allows clients to utilize  FactSet's  database  technology and applications with
their proprietary data.

The number of employees of FactSet and its subsidiaries totaled 359 as of August
31, 1999, up from 265 at August 31, 1998.

Additional  information  with respect to the  Company's  business is included in
FactSet's fiscal year 1999 Annual Report to Stockholders  incorporated herein by
reference:

Financial Highlights......................................................page 1
Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Datapage.........................page 12
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
 and Results of Operations...........................................pages 13-21
Note 1 to Consolidated Financial Statements entitled "Organization and
 Nature of Business".....................................................page 30
Note 11 to Consolidated Financial Statements entitled "Net Capital"......page 37
Note 15 to Consolidated Financial Statements entitled "Segments".....pages 40-42

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

Refer to footnote 12 "Lease Commitments" on pages 37-38 of FactSet's fiscal year
1999 Annual Report to Stockholders for properties information.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Company is not a party to any material pending legal proceedings.

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

No  matters  were  submitted  to a vote of  security  holders  during the fourth
quarter of fiscal 1999.

                                     PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON STOCK AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The following  information  included in FactSet's fiscal year 1999 Annual Report
to Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference:

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
 Operations Forward-Looking Factors entitled "Cash Dividend".............page 16
Note 3 to  Consolidated  Financial Statements  entitled  "Common  Stock  and
 Earnings  per  Share"...................................................page 33
Quarterly Financial Data, Common Stock and Quarterly Stock  Prices.......page 44

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Refer to the Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data included on page 12 of
FactSet's fiscal year 1999 Annual Report to Stockholders,  which is incorporated
herein by reference.

                                        4
<PAGE>
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S  DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS
        OF OPERATIONS

Refer to the  Management's  Discussion  and Analysis of Financial  Condition and
Results of  Operations  included  on pages 13-21 of  FactSet's  fiscal year 1999
Annual Report to Stockholders, which is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7A.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

In the ordinary  course of business,  the Company is exposed to financial  risks
involving equity, interest rates and foreign currency markets.

During the past three fiscal years,  the U.S. and European  equity  markets have
reached record highs.  Historically,  there has been little correlation  between
results  of the  Company's  operations  and the  performance  of  global  equity
markets.  However,  an extended  global stock market  decline  could  negatively
impact a majority of the  Company's  clients  (investment  management  firms and
investment  banks) and increase the  likelihood  of personnel  reductions  among
FactSet's existing and potential clients.

The fair value of the  Company's  investment  portfolio  at August 31,  1999 was
$22.9  million.  Changes in interest  rates impacts this fair market value.  The
portfolio  of fixed  income  investments  is managed to preserve  principal  and
contains  instruments  entered into for purposes  other than trading.  Under the
investment guidelines established by the Company, third-party managers construct
portfolios   to  achieve   high  levels  of  credit   quality,   liquidity   and
diversification. The Company's portfolios are managed such that weighted average
duration of short-term investments do not exceed 18 months. The average duration
of  interest   sensitive   investments  was  0.66  years  at  August  31,  1999.
Accordingly,  a 10% increase or decrease in interest  rates would cause the fair
value of investments to change by approximately  $1.5 million.  Investments such
as puts, calls, strips, straddles, short sales, futures, options, or investments
on the margin are not  permitted by the  Company's  investment  guidelines.  For
these reasons, in addition to the fact that the Company has no outstanding debt,
financial exposure to changes in interest rates is expected to continue at a low
level.

All investments are held in U.S. dollars and  approximately 95% of the Company's
revenues are  received in U.S.  dollars.  Accordingly,  exposure to movements in
foreign currency prices is expected to continue to be insignificant.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Refer to the following information included in FactSet's fiscal year 1999 Annual
Report to Stockholders, which is incorporated herein by reference:

Consolidated Statements of Income........................................page 23
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.......................pages 24-25
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders'Equity............pages 26-27
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows................................pages 28-29
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements...........................pages 30-43
Report of Independent Accountants........................................page 45

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND
        FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES

None.

                                       5
<PAGE>
                                    PART III

ITEM 10.DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
The  Directors  and Executive  Officers of FactSet  Research  Systems Inc. as of
November 23, 1999 were as follows:

Name                              Age                  Position with the Company
______________________________________________________________________________________________
<S>                                <C>                 <C>
Howard E. Wille                    71                  Chairman of the Board of Directors,
                                                       Chief Executive Officer and Director
Charles J. Snyder (1)              57                  Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director
Michael F. DiChristina(2)          37                  President
Ernest S. Wong                     45                  Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
John D. Connolly                   56                  Director
David R. Korus                     38                  Director
Joseph E. Laird, Jr.               53                  Director
John C. Mickle                     73                  Director
Walter F. Siebecker                58                  Director
</TABLE>
(1) As of August 31, 1999, Mr. Snyder retired from his position as President and
Chief Technology  Officer.  On September 1, 1999, he became Vice Chairman of the
Board of Directors and a consultant to the Company's  engineering and technology
groups.

(2) As of September 1, 1999, Mr. DiChristina assumed the role of President.

Howard E. Wille, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and
Director.  Mr.  Wille  was a  founder  of the  Company  in 1978 and has held his
current positions with the Company since that time. From 1966 to 1977, Mr. Wille
was a Partner and Director of Research at Faulkner,  Dawkins & Sullivan, Inc., a
Wall Street investment firm, and held a managerial position with Shearson Hayden
Stone, Inc. after its acquisition of Faulkner, Dawkins & Sullivan, Inc. in 1977.
He was President and Chief Investment  Officer of Piedmont Advisory  Corporation
from  1961 to 1966 and  prior  to that  time  served  as a  securities  analyst,
investment  manager and investment  counselor for several  firms.  Mr. Wille has
been a Director of the Company since its formation in 1978.

Charles J. Snyder,  Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors  and  Director.  Mr.
Snyder  retired as President and Chief  Technology  Officer of FactSet on August
31, 1999.  At the time of his  retirement,  he became Vice Chairman of the Board
and  agreed  to  continue  as a  consultant  to the  Company's  engineering  and
technology  groups.  Mr.  Snyder  was a founder  of FactSet in 1978 and held the
position of  President  and Chief  Technology  Officer from 1978 to August 1999.
From 1964 to 1977,  Mr. Snyder worked for  Faulkner,  Dawkins & Sullivan,  Inc.,
eventually  becoming Director of Computer Research,  a position he retained with
Shearson  Hayden  Stone,  Inc.  after its  acquisition  of  Faulkner,  Dawkins &
Sullivan,  Inc. in 1977. Mr. Snyder has been a Director of the Company since its
formation in 1978.

Michael F. DiChristina, President. Mr. DiChristina joined the Company in 1986 as
a  software  engineer  and  has  held  the  position  of  Director  of  Software
Engineering  for the past nine  years.  Prior to joining the  Company,  he was a
software  engineer at Morgan  Stanley & Co. Mr.  DiChristina  received a B.S. in
Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ernest S. Wong,  Senior Vice President,  Chief Financial  Officer and Secretary.
Mr. Wong joined the Company in his current  position in June 1996.  Between 1991
and  1996,  he  held  several  positions  with  Montedison  SpA  including  Vice
President,  Finance and  Treasurer  of  Montedison  USA,  Inc.  and  Director of
Corporate  Finance of Montedison  Corporation of America.  From 1988 to 1991, he
was Vice  President in the North  American  Banking Group of The First  National
Bank of Chicago, and prior to that time served as Manager of Domestic Finance at
PepsiCo,  Inc.  and Second Vice  President  in the  Corporate  Bank of The Chase
Manhattan Bank. Mr. Wong received a B.A. in Psychology  from Cornell  University
and an M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

                                       6
<PAGE>
John  D.  Connolly,   Director.   Mr.  Connolly  is  an  experienced  investment
professional with a long career in the financial services  industry.  He retired
as a  principal/partner  and portfolio  manager with Miller Anderson & Sherrerd,
serving that firm from 1990 to 1998.  From 1984 to 1990, Mr.  Connolly served as
Senior Vice President,  Chief  Investment  Strategist for Dean Witter  Reynolds.
Prior to joining  Dean Witter,  he held the  position of Senior Vice  President,
Director of Research for  Shearson/American  Express. Mr. Connolly has also held
various  senior  positions with E.F.  Hutton;  White Weld,  Faulkner,  Dawkins &
Sullivan,  Inc.; National Securities & Research; and Citibank. Mr. Connolly is a
member of the Audit Committee and has served on the board since January 1999.

David R. Korus,  Director.  Mr. Korus is a Managing Member and Portfolio Manager
with Owenoke  Capital  Management  LLC.  Prior to founding  Owenoke in 1998, Mr.
Korus managed technology assets for Westcliff Capital Management LLC and Kingdon
Capital  Management,  both of which are large diversified hedge funds. Mr. Korus
began his  career  in 1983 with  Kidder,  Peabody  & Co  ("Kidder")  researching
technology  stocks.  Later he became Chairman of the Research Steering Committee
at Kidder and was responsible for managing the technology  research  department.
Mr. Korus is a member of the Compensation  Committee and has served on the Board
since July 1997.

Joseph E. Laird, Jr., Director. Mr. Laird serves as Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Laird  Squared LLC, an investment  banking  company that he formed in
1999.  Previously,  Mr.  Laird was a  Managing  Director  of  Veronis,  Suhler &
Associates,  a small leading specialty investment bank that serves the media and
information  industries  since 1989. From 1982 to 1989, he was an  institutional
equity salesman and a senior securities analyst of database information services
for Hambrecht & Quist. From 1975 to 1982, Mr. Laird was an institutional  equity
salesman and investment strategist for Paine Webber Mitchell Hutchins. Mr. Laird
is the Chairman and a member of the Compensation Committee and has served on the
Board since 1993.

John C. Mickle, Director. Mr. Mickle has been President of Sullivan, Morrissey &
Mickle Capital  Management  Corporation since 1978. Mr. Mickle is an experienced
investment  advisor,  having held prior  positions  with Shearson  Hayden Stone,
Inc., UBS-DB Corporation,  and Faulkner,  Dawkins & Sullivan, Inc. Mr. Mickle is
also a Director of  Mickelberry  Communications  Inc. Mr. Mickle is the chairman
and a member of the Audit  Committee and has served on the Board since  November
1997.

Walter F. Siebecker,  Director.  Mr.  Siebecker  joined the National  Securities
Clearing  Corporation  ("NSCC") in 1996 as a Managing  Director in charge of the
organization's  Annuity Processing  Service.  Mr.  Siebecker's  background is in
retail and institutional investment services in the domestic and global markets.
Prior to joining NSCC,  Mr.  Siebecker was a consultant to the Trading  Services
Division at Lehman  Brothers  and spent 16 years at Salomon  Smith  Barney Inc.,
where he was responsible for the operations division as Executive Vice President
and Chief Operations  Officer.  Mr. Siebecker is a member of the Audit Committee
and has served on the Board since November 1997.

The information set forth under the caption "Section 16(a) Beneficial  Ownership
Reporting  Compliance"  contained on page 3 of the  definitive  Proxy  Statement
dated November 23, 1999 is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The  information  set forth  under the  captions  "Information  Regarding  Named
Executive Officer  Compensation"  and  "Compensation  Pursuant to Stock Options"
contained on pages 4 and 5 of the definitive  Proxy Statement dated November 23,
1999 is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The information set forth under the caption  "Information  Regarding  Beneficial
Ownership of Principal  Stockholders,  Directors,  and Management"  contained on
pages 3 and 4 of the  definitive  Proxy  Statement  dated  November  23, 1999 is
incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

The information set forth under the caption "Information  Regarding the Board of
Directors and Related  Committees" on page 3 of the definitive  Proxy  Statement
dated November 23, 1999 is incorporated herein by reference.

                                       7
<PAGE>
                                     PART IV

ITEM 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K

   (a) The following documents are filed as part of this report:


       The following  information from FactSet Research Systems Inc.'s fiscal
       year 1999 Annual Report to  Stockholders  is incorporated by reference
       under Items 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and are filed as part of this report
       as part of Exhibit 13.1:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

       <S>                                                                                      <C>

       Financial Highlights.....................................................................page 1
       Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data.............................................page 12
       Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial..............pages 13-21
       Consolidated Statements of Income........................................................page 23
       Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition...........................................pages 24-25
       Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity...............................pages 26-27
       Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows....................................................pages 28-29
       Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements...............................................pages 30-43
       Quarterly Financial Data, Common Stock and Quarterly Stock Prices........................page 44
       Report of Independent Accountants........................................................page 45

</TABLE>

       The following information from FactSet Research Systems Inc.'s definitive
       Proxy Statement dated November 23, 1999 is incorporated by reference
       under Items 10, 11, 12 and 13:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
       <S>                                                                                      <C>

       Information Regarding the Board of Directors and Related Committees......................pages 1-3
       Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance..................................page 3
       Information Regarding Beneficial Ownership of Principal Stockholders,
       Directors and Management.................................................................pages 3-4
       Information Regarding Named Executive Officer Compensation...............................pages 4-5
       Compensation Pursuant to Stock Options...................................................page 5

   (b) Reports on Form 8-K

       No reports on Form 8-K were filed during the fourth quarter of fiscal 1999.

   (c) Exhibit Listing
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

     EXHIBIT NUMBER                                                                                     DESCRIPTION
     <S>                                   <C>
     3.1..................................................................Restated Certificate of Incorporation (1)
     3.2................................................................................................By-laws (1)
     4.1...................................................................................Form of Common Stock (1)
     10.1..................................Form of Employment Agreement between the Company and Howard E. Wille (1)
     10.2............................................Letter of Agreement between the Company and Ernest S. Wong (1)
     10.3....................................Form of Consulting Agreement between the Company and Charles J. Snyder
     13.1...................................................The Company's fiscal 1999 Annual Report to Stockholders
     21.................................................................................Subsidiaries of the Company
     27.....................................................................................Financial Data Schedule

     (1) Incorporated by reference to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No.333-4238).
</TABLE>

                                       8
<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the  requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934,  the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Greenwich,
State of Connecticut, on November 23, 1999.

FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS INC.

/s/ ERNEST S. WONG
Ernest S. Wong,
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Secretary


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report
has been signed below by the following  persons on behalf of the  Registrant and
in the capacities indicated on November 23, 1999.


SIGNATURE                        TITLE

/s/ HOWARD E. WILLE              Chairman of the Board of Directors
Howard E. Wille                  and Chief Executive Officer and Director


/s/ CHARLES J. SNYDER            Vice Chairman of the Board of
Charles J. Snyder                Directors and Director


/s/ MICHAEL F. DICHRISTINA       President
Michael F. DiChristina

/s/ ERNEST S. WONG               Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer,
Ernest S. Wong                   and Secretary


/s/ JOHN D. CONNOLLY             Director
John D. Connolly

/s/ DAVID R. KORUS               Director
David R. Korus

/s/ JOSEPH E. LAIRD, JR.         Director
Joseph E. Laird, Jr.

/s/ JOHN C. MICKLE               Director
John C. Mickle

/s/ WALTER F. SIEBECKER          Director
Walter F. Siebecker

                                       9
<PAGE>

EXHIBIT 10.3
Form of Consulting Agreement between the Company and Charles J. Snyder

CONSULTING AGREEMENT


THIS  CONSULTING   AGREEMENT  (the  "Agreement"),   made  as  of  this  1st  day
of September, 1999, is entered into by FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS INC., a Delaware
corporation  with its  principal  offices  at One  Greenwich  Plaza,  Greenwich,
CT 06830 (the "Company"),  and Charles J. Snyder, with an address at 700 Waverly
Road, Ridgewood, NJ 07450(the appointed Vice Chairman and the "Consultant").

INTRODUCTION

WHEREAS,  the  Consultant  is one of the founders of the Company,  and currently
serves as a Director,  the President,  and the Chief  Technology  Officer of the
Company and possesses an intimate knowledge of the business,  affairs, policies,
methods and personnel of the Company;

WHEREAS,  the Company has appointed  the  Consultant as its Vice Chairman of the
Board of the
Directors;

WHEREAS, the Consultant desires to terminate employment with the Company;

WHEREAS, the Company and the Consultant recognize that the continued application
of the  Consultant's  experience,  abilities and services to the business of the
Company and its affiliates would be extremely  beneficial to the Company and its
affiliates and that  application of such  experience,  abilities and services to
the  business of any  competitor  of the Company or its  affiliates  would cause
irreparable damage to the Company;

WHEREAS, subject to the provisions hereof, the Company wishes to be assured that
following  the  termination  of the  Consultant's  current  employment  with the
Company,  the Consultant  will be available to consult with the Company and will
be restricted from competing with or disclosing certain  information  concerning
the Company; and

WHEREAS,  the  Company  and the  Consultant  are  willing  to  enter  into  this
Agreement;

NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration of the foregoing and of the mutual covenants
herein set forth and for other good and valuable consideration, receipt of which
is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.  SERVICES.  The Consultant  agrees to use reasonable  efforts to perform such
consulting, advisory and related services (collectively, the "Services") for the
Company  as may be  reasonably  requested  from  time to  time  by the  Company,
including  primarily  Services  pertaining to technology  matters that may arise
from time to time.  The delivery by the  Consultant  of the  Services  hereunder
shall be at such times and at such  locations as the  Consultant and the Company
may  agree  from time to time;  provided,  however,  that in no
<PAGE>

event shall the  Consultant be required to render more than 60 hours of Services
in any month.

2.  TERM.  This  Agreement  shall be  effective  as of the  first  business  day
immediately  following the termination of the  Consultant's  employment with the
Company and shall continue in effect until September 1, 2000, and for successive
one year terms  unless  either party gives notice to the other of its intent not
to renew at least  three  months  prior to the end of the current  term,  unless
sooner  terminated as provided below (the "Consulting  Period").  This Agreement
shall terminate,  and the parties' obligations hereunder shall cease upon notice
of termination if (i) the Company fails to perform its obligations hereunder, or
(ii) the Consultant  fails to perform the Services  pursuant to Section 1 hereof
for any reason; provided,  however, that the terms of Sections 4 and 7 shall not
terminate  but shall  remain  in full  force  and  effect.  In the event of such
termination,  the Consultant shall be entitled to payment for services performed
and expenses paid or incurred prior to the effective date of termination.

3.  COMPENSATION.  During  the  Consulting  Period,  the  Company  shall pay the
Consultant a monthly  retainer of $10,000 payable in arrears monthly  commencing
September 30,   1999.  The  Company  shall  reimburse  the  Consultant  for  all
reasonable  and necessary  expenses  incurred or paid by the  Consultant,  after
having  obtained  the prior  approval of the Company,  in  connection  with,  or
related to, the performance of Services  hereunder  within 30 days after receipt
of an itemization and documentation of such expenses.

<PAGE>
4. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION; INVENTIONS.

4.1 PROPRIETARY  INFORMATION.  The Consultant acknowledges that his relationship
with the Company is one of high trust and  confidence  and that in the course of
his service to the Company he will have access to and contact  with  Proprietary
Information (as defined in this Section 4.1). The Consultant agrees that he will
not, at any time,  disclose to others,  or use for his benefit or the benefit of
others,  any  Proprietary  Information  or Inventions (as defined in Section 4.2
below). For purposes of this Agreement,  Proprietary  Information shall mean all
information (whether or not patentable and whether or not copyrightable)  owned,
possessed  or  used  by the  Company  or any  third  party,  including,  without
limitation,  any Invention,  formula, trade secret, process,  research,  report,
technical  data,  know-how,  technology and marketing or business plan,  that is
communicated to, learned of,  developed or otherwise  acquired by the Consultant
in the course of his performing  consulting  services to the Company  hereunder.
The  Consultant's  obligations  under  this  Section 4.1  shall not apply to any
information   that  (i) is  or  becomes  known  to  the  general   public  under
circumstances  involving  no  breach  by the  Consultant  of the  terms  of this
Section 4.1, (ii) is generally disclosed to third parties by the Company without
restriction on such third parties,  (iii) is in the  Consultant's  possession at
the time of disclosure  otherwise than as a result of a prior  disclosure by the
Company to the  Consultant  or (iv) is  disclosed to the  Consultant  by a third
party not under an  obligation  of  confidentiality  to the Company with respect
thereto.  The  Consultant  represents  that his retention as a consultant by the
Company and his performance under this Agreement does not, and shall not, breach
any agreement  that  obligates  him to keep in  confidence  any trade secrets or
confidential  or  proprietary  information  of his or of any  other  party or to
refrain from competing,  directly or indirectly,  with the business of any other
party.  The  Consultant  shall not disclose to the Company any trade  secrets or
confidential or proprietary information of any other party.

4.2 INVENTIONS. All inventions,  discoveries,  technology,  designs, innovations
and  improvements  related  to the  business  of the  Company  which  are  made,
conceived  or reduced to  practice  by the  Consultant,  solely or jointly  with
others, during the Consultation Period which arise directly from information and
discussions  presented to the Consultant or which are provided to the Company or
while  providing   consulting  services  to  the  Company   (collectively,   the
"Inventions")  shall be the sole property of the Company.  The Consultant hereby
assigns  to the  Company  all  Inventions  and  any  and  all  related  patents,
copyrights,  trademarks,  trade  names and  other  industrial  and  intellectual
property rights and  applications  therefor,  in the United States and elsewhere
and  appoints  any  officer of the  Company as his duly  authorized  attorney to
execute,  file,  prosecute  and protect the same before any  government  agency,
court or  authority.  Upon  the  request  of the  Company  and at the  Company's
expense,  the Consultant shall execute such further  assignments,  documents and
other  instruments  as may be necessary  or  desirable  to fully and  completely
assign all  Inventions to the Company and to assist the Company in applying for,
obtaining  and  enforcing  patents or  copyrights  or other rights in the United
States and in any foreign country with respect to any Invention.
<PAGE>
5. NONCOMPETITION AND NONSOLICITATION.  During the Consulting Period, Consultant
shall not be engaged as an employee,  director,  partner,  principal,  investor,
shareholder,  consultant,  advisor or  independent  contractor or in any similar
capacity,  in any  other  business  activity  or  conduct,  whether  or not such
business  activity  or conduct is pursued  for gain,  profit or other  pecuniary
advantage,  which is similar to or competes  with the business of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries;  provided that nothing in this Section 5 shall preclude
the  Consultant  from  holding  a less  than a 1%  interest  in the stock of any
publicly traded corporation, trust or partnership. During the Consulting Period,
the Consultant will not solicit or otherwise  induce any employee of the Company
or any of its  subsidiaries  to leave  the  employ  of the  Company  or any such
subsidiary or to become  associated,  whether as an employee,  officer  partner,
director,  consultant or otherwise,  with any other business  organization.  The
Consultant  and the Company  agree that the  provisions  of this covenant not to
compete or  solicit  are  reasonable.  However,  should any court or  arbitrator
determine  that any provision of this  covenant not to compete is  unreasonable,
either in period of time,  geographical  area, or  otherwise,  the parties agree
that this  covenant  not to compete  should be  interpreted  and enforced to the
maximum extent which such court or arbitrator deems reasonable.

6.  INDEPENDENT  CONTRACTOR  STATUS.  The Consultant  shall perform all services
under this Agreement as an  "independent  contractor"  and not as an employee or
agent of the Company.  The  Consultant is not authorized to assume or create any
obligation or responsibility,  express or implied,  on behalf of, or in the name
of, the Company or to bind the Company in any manner and shall not hold  himself
out to any party as an employee of the Company.  The Consultant  shall bear full
responsibility for all taxes owing on the compensation  payable  hereunder,  and
the  Consultant  acknowledges  that the Company  shall not withhold any taxes on
such compensation unless otherwise required by law.
<PAGE>
7.  MISCELLANEOUS.  This Agreement  constitutes the entire agreement between the
parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings,  whether written
or oral,  relating to the subject matter hereof and thereof.  This Agreement may
be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the Company
and the Consultant. This Agreement shall be construed,  interpreted and enforced
in accordance with the laws of the State of Connecticut.  The Consultant  agrees
that a breach of any of the restrictions set forth in this Agreement would cause
the Company  irreparable injury and damage, and that, in the event of any breach
or threatened breach, the Company,  in addition to all other rights and remedies
at law or in equity, shall have the right to enforce the specific performance of
such  restrictions  and to apply for injunctive  relief against their violation.
The invalidity or  unenforceability of any provision hereof (or portion thereof)
shall not affect the validity or  enforceability  of any other provision hereof,
and  if  any  such  provision  (or  portion  thereof)  is  so  broad  as  to  be
unenforceable,  it shall be interpreted  to be only as broad as is  enforceable.
This Agreement  shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, both parties
and their  respective  successors and assigns,  including any  corporation  with
which,  or into  which,  the  Company  may be  merged or which  may  succeed  to
substantially  all of its  assets  or  business;  provided,  however,  that  the
obligations of the Consultant are personal and shall not be assigned by him. Any
notice or other communication  hereunder to either party shall be in writing and
shall be deemed to have been duly given when  delivered  personally or mailed by
registered mail,  return receipt  requested,  postage prepaid,  addressed to the
party as its respective address appears in this Agreement.  This Agreement maybe
executed in  counterparts,  each of which will be deemed to be an original,  but
each of which together will constitute one and the same agreement.

IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties  hereto have executed this Agreement as of the
day and year set forth above.


FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS INC.,                CHARLES J. SNYDER,


By:____________________                       _______________________
Name:  Howard E. Wille                        Name: Charles J. Snyder
Title: Chairman of the Board
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 13.1
The Company's fiscal 1999 Annual Report to Shareholders

Contents
         About FactSet
1        Financial Highlights
2        To Our Shareholders
7        The New Technology Leaders
13       Management's Discussion and Analysis
23       Consolidated Statements of Income
24       Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
26       Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity
28       Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
30       Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
45       Report of Independent Accountants
46       Directors and Management
         Corporate Information

Every year since 1979,  Forbes magazine has named 200 public  enterprises as the
best small  companies in America.  FactSet  Research  Systems is pleased to have
been ranked as the 15th best in the 1999 ranking.

     About FactSet FactSet  Research  Systems Inc.  supplies global economic and
financial   data  to   analysts,   investment   bankers   and  other   financial
professionals.  The  Company  combines  more than 100  databases  from  multiple
suppliers  into a single online source of information  and analytics,  including
fundamental  data on tens of thousands of American and  international  companies
and securities.
     Clients have  simultaneous  access to a wide array of  disparate  data that
they can download  directly into spreadsheets or other  applications,  including
their own  custom-designed  models,  to combine  with other data for  investment
analysis.
     FactSet is  headquartered  in Greenwich,  Connecticut and employs more than
350 people in nine locations in North  America,  Europe and the Pacific Rim. The
Company  was formed in 1978 and since 1996 has been  publicly  traded on the New
York Stock Exchange under the symbol FDS.
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Thousands, except per share data    Years Ended August 31,             1999             1998          % Change
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                <C>               <C>                  <C>
Revenues                                                           $103,831          $78,911              31.6
Income from operations                                               28,630           20,883              37.1
Income before income taxes and extraordinary gain                    30,617           22,439              36.4
Net income before extraordinary gain                                 18,565           12,609              47.2
Net income                                                           18,565           12,851              44.5
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Per Share Data
Diluted earnings per common share**                                $   1.11          $  0.78              42.3
Annual dividend rate                                               $   0.20                -
Weighted average common shares (diluted)**                           16,651           16,470
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Performance Ratios
Operating margin                                                      27.6%            26.5%
Pretax margin                                                         29.5%            28.4%
Net margin                                                            17.9%            16.0%*
Return on average stockholders' equity                                28.9%            28.4%*
</TABLE>

*  Excludes an extraordinary after-tax gain of $242,000.
** Diluted earnings per share and number of shares  outstanding give retroactive
   effect to the 3-for-2 stock split that occurred on February 5, 1999.

Graphic Ommitted [Revenues - Fiscal Years 95,96,97,98,99]
Graphic Ommitted [Operating Margin - Fiscal Years 95,96,97,98,99]
Graphic Ommitted [Earnings per Share - Fiscal Years 95,96,97,98,99]
Graphic Ommitted [Stock Price - Fiscal Year ended August 31, 1999]

                                       1
<PAGE>
TO OUR  SHAREHOLDERS

     On behalf of the entire  FactSet  staff,  I am  pleased  to report  another
record-setting  performance  for the fiscal  year ended  August  31,  1999.  Key
financial measures, including total revenues, operating profits, cash (beta)ows,
earnings  per share and  overall  profitability,  moved to new highs.  The total
number of clients,  the number of user passwords and total client commitments to
FactSet all advanced sharply.  New and enhanced service offerings were important
elements in sustaining  this momentum.  Our engineers have tackled the Y2K issue
to ensure a smooth  transition to the year 2000,  and are  continuing to address
the  opportunities  afforded by the  increasingly  important  World Wide Web. In
summary,  fiscal 1999 was a very good year, marked by gratifying progress on all
fronts.

     Top-line growth showed a gain of 31.6% with total revenues rising to $103.8
million.  Operating earnings,  on further margin  improvement,  were up 37.1% to
$28.6 million. Reflecting a lower effective tax rate, net income jumped 44.5% to
$18.6 million. Earnings per share rose 42.3% to $1.11 versus last year's $0.78.

     Fourth quarter financial  performance  slowed slightly with revenues rising
27.8%,  operating  income 29.2% and  earnings per share 31.8%.  We do not attach
particular  significance to this,  regarding it simply as a normal  variation in
the rate of client  commitment  growth.  While we  typically  report  commitment
levels on a quarterly  basis only,  sequential  growth in the months of February
and March and again in June was  present  although a bit  sluggish,  but then in
August we witnessed the year's highest month-to-month sequential growth.

Transition
     As you may have read in our  August  press  release,  my friend  Charles J.
Snyder,  President  and Chief  Technology  Officer and a cofounder of FactSet 21
years ago, elected to retire from active day-to-day duties with the Company.  He
has been named Vice  Chairman of the board of directors  and will  continue as a
consultant with the Company.

     We will be forever indebted to Chuck for his profound  contributions to the
success and quality of FactSet. His technological firsts are far too numerous to
elaborate. He gave us a gifted mind, insatiable intellectual curiosity,  devoted
attention to  mind-bending  problems  and an uncanny  ability to cut through the
noise to get to the crux of things. If asked, I know

Picture Ommitted [Howard E. Wille - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer]

                                       2
<PAGE>
he would  modestly  defer most of the credit for our  software  and  engineering
achievements  to the  work  of  others,  but  his  mentoring  and  counsel  were
intimately  part  of the  process.  One  of his  lasting  achievements  was  the
nurturing  of  the  next  generation  of  extremely   talented  and  experienced
engineering leaders.

     Replacing  Chuck as  President is Michael F.  DiChristina.  Mike joined the
Company in 1986 as a software engineer.  His early  accomplishments  include the
development of Universal  Screening,  one of our greatest  technological  coups.
This  screening  and report  writing  facility  affords  simultaneous  access to
multiple databases,  in effect transforming disparate data sources into a single
data library.  The computational  engine underlying this creation powers a broad
number of other FactSet applications. For the past nine years, Mike has directed
Applications  Engineering,  our largest software  engineering  group. He holds a
degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

     Filling Chuck's role as Chief Technology  Officer is Townsend  Thomas.  Tom
joined  the  Company  in 1985  and has  for  many  years  directed  our  Systems
Engineering and  Telecommunications  groups. His responsibilities  have included
all computing and data storage  facilities,  ranging from desktops to mainframes
and all telecommunications  facilities,  both internal and at client and Company
sites worldwide.  Tom has been a forceful advocate of leading-edge  technologies
and has ably steered us through the challenging waters of technological  change.
He also holds a degree in electrical engineering from MIT.

FactSet Enterprises
     With changes in key personnel,  the need to re-review  corporate  structure
and strategies became  manifestly  clear. In addition to the management  changes
noted  above,  we  initiated  a  reshuffling  of  the  organization.  One of the
hallmarks of this move was the creation of a new  functional  arm called FactSet
Enterprises.  William F. Faulkner,  who joined us in 1986 and has long served as
the Director of Product Development,  is now leading the creation of a series of
new business  units with much clearer  mandates to focus  FactSet  technology on
specific  market  segments and  industries.  These  enterprises  are designed to
capture   the   entrepreneurial   energies   inherent   in  tightly   organized,
mission-directed   teams  of  professionals.   In  some  respects  this  program
represents a  codification  of what was already  present at FactSet,  but with a
special  twist.  We are  physically  bringing  together  all of the  players-the
product developers,  application and platform engineers and sales specialists-in
each of these  enterprises so they will function as discrete business units with
a fair degree of autonomy.

     Each of these entities is charged with  responsibility for long-term market
development and revenue growth.  Our finance and accounting  staffs will provide
oversight  and  advice  on the cost  side of the  equation;  we want to avoid an
incentive  system based on profit  budgets that can coerce  managers into making
short-term decisions. Put another way, we want to avoid a system where we reward
the attainment of short-term  profit goals and leave  long-term  goals an orphan
with no claimants.

     Portfolio Analytics, a discrete new business, is one early success. Started
less  than 24  months  ago  with  the  introduction  of the  Portfolio  Analysis
application,  the service affords  insights into portfolio  performance  through
attribution analysis.  This was FactSet's first attempt at dealing directly with
a function that is exclusively the province

                                       3
<PAGE>
of portfolio  managers.  Subscribers  to this service today exceed 100 clients,
with more than 700 passwords. We are planning to broaden the scope of this
enterprise.

     Peripherally akin to Portfolio Analytics is Quantitative  Analytics,  which
offers  sophisticated  Alpha Testing and Backtesting  services.  Addressing this
niche in the marketplace is also relatively new for FactSet and is an example of
how our advanced  computer  technology  can be  harnessed  for a wide variety of
purposes.

     Another enterprise is ProActive  Publishing,  which  successfully  combines
Microsoft and FactSet  technologies.  Using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
along  with a number of  databases  from  FactSet,  this  service  can  generate
custom-designed reports with a high degree of automation. For example, ProActive
Publishing   currently   produces  "pitch"  books  for  investment  bankers  and
presentation displays for investment managers. And there is more to come.

     A recent addition to FactSet  Enterprises is Fixed Income  Analytics.  This
group,  which has just  released  its first suite of services  covering the U.S.
market,  combines  FactSet's  traditional  strengths  of  data  integration  and
powerful  analytics with an expanding array of domestic and international  fixed
income  databases.  The goal is to serve  the  needs of fixed  income  portfolio
managers  and  analysts  at our  existing  clients and  introduce  FactSet to an
entirely new market segment.

     Data Warehousing is yet another FactSet Enterprise. The aim of this unit is
to allow clients to utilize our  proprietary  database  technology for their own
needs. To store and maintain their own  proprietary  data, they can leverage the
database  structures and  data-access  tools that FactSet has developed over the
past two decades.  Additionally,  clients can take  advantage of all  analytical
tools available at FactSet.

     FactSet  16-year  veteran  Merle  Yoder  is our  new  Director  of  Product
Development.  Merle, who recently returned from an extended European assignment,
opened our first overseas office and was instrumental in initiating the overhaul
of FactSet  service  offerings  from a U.S.  orientation  to a global  one.  The
globalization  process  will  continue  as we  take  advantage  of  the  evident
opportunities  available  worldwide.  We intend to  quicken  the pace of product
creation and to use product  development  activities  as  incubators  for future
additions to FactSet Enterprises.

Looking Forward
     In terms of immediate prospects, we started the new fiscal year with client
commitments of $118.9 million. This represents a gain of 28.6% over year-earlier
levels.  Commitments  are the equivalent of a freeze frame snapshot of the total
cost to clients of all services  being rendered by FactSet at any point in time.
We use the term "freeze  frame" because  commitments  have grown in every single
month save one in the past 120 months. While there can be no guarantee that this
pattern will persist in future,  the  accompanying  chart depicts the history of
client commitments through August 31, 1999.

     As a matter of policy,  we do not seek to enter into written contracts with
our clients.  Instead, clients are free to add or subtract services at any time;
to stay with us or to leave of their own  volition.  In order to retain  clients
and to encourage  the  addition of  services,  we rely on the quality of what we
deliver.

Graphic Ommitted [Commitments - Quarterly through August 31, 1999]

                                       4
<PAGE>
     FactSet does not  consider  itself to have  customers;  we think of them as
clients.  In our minds,  the first word connotes a  transaction-based  encounter
whereas the latter suggests a long-term professional  relationship.  Clients are
the foundation of our financial health and we strive  passionately to treat them
accordingly.  A measure of the efficacy of our philosophy is a client  retention
rate in excess of 95% in each of the past nine years (when we started  measuring
it).

     To better explain the sources of commitment  growth and its relationship to
subsequent  increasing revenue, the table below sketches out our business growth
model.  Rather than depending solely on price increases,  we have chosen to grow
by the simple addition of clients,  passwords and applications.  The table shows
three-year  change in client  count up nearly 50%,  passwords up more than 200%,
average  commitments-i.e.,  level of  service-up  56% and  consequent  change in
year-end commitments up 134%.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
ANATOMY OF GROWTH                                                                                3-Year

Years ended August 31,            1996             1997             1998             1999      % Change
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>              <C>              <C>             <C>                  <C>
Clients                            439              498              564              658          49.9
Passwords                        6,245           10,771           16,647           20,191         223.3
Average client commitment     $116,000         $138,000         $164,000         $181,000          56.0
Year-end commitments       $50,815,000      $68,551,000      $92,479,000     $118,900,000         134.0
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

[Picture Ommitted]

                                       5
<PAGE>
     In last year's  annual  report,  we  displayed a close  connection  between
client commitments and subsequent actual reported  revenues.  In the table below
we show  commitments  at two time  periods-the  start of our fiscal year and six
months  later-and  reported  revenues for the full fiscal year.  As you can see,
client  commitments have proven to be, at least for the periods shown,  accurate
forecasters of full-year  revenues six months hence.  We have no reliable way of
knowing  whether  this will hold in the future or what  commitments  will be six
months from now,  but we will  obviously  try to influence  the outcome  through
diligent attention to business.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CLIENT  COMMITMENTS  AND  REPORTED  REVENUES

Thousands    Years Ended August 31,     1996      1997      1998      1999      2000
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                  <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>      <C>
Commitments, beginning of year       $40,223   $50,815   $68,551   $92,479  $118,900
Commitments at February 28            44,099    58,357    78,652   103,185         ?
Full-year revenues                    44,348    58,358    78,911   103,831         ?
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
     To gain a better  insight  into  where we are  headed,  please  turn to the
observations made by our new President,  Michael F. DiChristina,  following this
letter.  With Mike and his team of young,  highly skilled managers,  we have the
ideal  combination  of  extensive   technological   experience  and  outstanding
organizational talents to lead the company into the new millennium.

     In  summary,  we have had another  strong  year and start  fiscal 2000 with
client commitments well ahead of a year ago. The reorganization of key personnel
and the  introduction of new departments and products has energized the Company.
Enthusiasm  about  future  prospects is  especially  keen and we stand ready and
eager to take advantage of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.


Howard E. Wille
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

                                       6
<PAGE>
THE NEW TECHNOLOGY LEADERS

     Mike  DiChristina,   FactSet's  recently  appointed  President  and  former
Director of Software  Engineering,  speaks about some of the  opportunities  and
challenges that the Company faces in the years ahead.

     Last year at this time we were just releasing  Directions,  our own version
of a  browser,  which  is  now  installed  at  about  90% of  our  client  base.
Consultants  in the field  report that  clients are  enthusiastic  about the new
interface. But we won't stop there. We are continuing to improve it.

     FactSet's   architecture  involves  a  small  communications  program  (the
Directions  browser)  installed  on the client's PC that  communicates  with our
computer centers where all the application  logic and data reside on mainframes.
This allows us to give clients immediate access not only to all the improvements
we make to our existing applications but also to any new ones we install. As far
as the  client  is  concerned,  it looks  like  Excel  or Word or other  Windows
applications. When we install a new enhancement, the PC just receives additional
instructions identifying which dialog boxes or buttons to display. The technical
term for this architecture is "thin client."

     Ironically,   the  world  is  coming  around  to  virtually  the  identical
architecture  that FactSet has had for years,  namely the Web. Think of programs
like Microsoft  Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator as thin clients that are
out there talking to servers and displaying  information subject to the commands
of those  servers-those Web sites you visit. We see this as a vindication of our
long-held strategy of a thin client architecture.

Picture Ommitted [Michael F. DiChristina - President]

                                       7
<PAGE>
     While  Directions  serves  client needs quite well, we simply cannot ignore
the  opportunities and challenges  afforded by the Internet.  Although we've had
success in the past,  we cannot rest on our  laurels;  we have to be  constantly
vigilant in assessing the new technologies as they emerge.

     As we move toward  greater use of Web  technology,  an  important  thing to
remember is that clients want a great deal of security and reliability.  This is
where our private wide area network (WAN) gives us a real advantage.  Tom Thomas
and his team built the global wide area network from the ground up and this year
they are positioned to incorporate new technology that  substantially  increases
bandwidth.  Given the importance of reliability to our clients,  the FactSet WAN
provides three layers of communications backup.

     Using a standard Web browser to view or republish FactSet information means
we have to incorporate the same level of security for clients  accessing FactSet
through a browser as we have with our own software.  Jon Carlson's  group in San
Mateo is doing  extensive  research  into the  latest  technology  dealing  with
security over the Web. Advances are being made every day and we will stay on top
of those changes in order to provide appropriate security.

     In addition to Web development, Tom's group has been working on an exciting
project.  They are building  FactSet's own real-time  pricing center.  We looked
into buying the capability  from a third party,  but in the end decided to build
it ourselves.

     We've arranged  feeds from major U.S.  exchanges and are doing the millions
of necessary  calculations on our dedicated servers before transmitting the data
into our Alpha machines.  A companion to this project is the sophisticated  text
searching that allows us to apply filters to the SEC documents,  analyst reports
and news  stories  we receive  in real time  every  day.  With this  technology,
clients can personalize  their accounts by setting up specific criteria for what
they want to see.

Picture Ommitted [Townsend Thomas - Chief Technology Officer, Director, Systems
Engineering
                                       8
<PAGE>
     A  companywide  Y2K  project  headed by Ed Martin has  involved  engineers,
database  managers,  quality  assurance  people and others in ensuring  that our
systems,  databases,  applications  and  clients'  proprietary  models  are  Y2K
compliant. In addition, we're staffing key departments throughout the millennium
weekend and will be prepared to handle any questions that may arise.

     It's  going to be an  interesting  few years  coming up as we roll into the
21st century.  The Web is quickly becoming ubiquitous and technology is changing
faster than ever before;  we think we're well poised to thrive in this  exciting
new information economy.

Picture Ommitted [Jon D. Carlson - Director, Platform Engineering]
Picture Ommitted [Edward A. Martin - Director, Information Research]

                                       9

<PAGE>
FINANCIAL REVIEW

Management's Discussion and Analysis
Consolidated Statements of Income
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Accountants
<PAGE>
The  following  section  summarizes  selected  information  with  respect to the
operations  and financial  condition of FactSet  Research  Systems Inc.  Further
detail is available in the Company's Form 10-K,  filed with the U.S.  Securities
and Exchange Commission.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FIVE-YEAR SUMMARY OF SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Thousands, except per share data
Years Ended August 31,                           1999       1998       1997       1996       1995
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                          <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>

Revenues                                     $103,831    $78,911    $58,358    $44,348    $36,188

Income from operations                         28,630     20,883     14,862     10,633      8,100

Income before taxes and extraordinary gain     30,617     22,439     15,733     11,384      8,670

Net income                                     18,565     12,851*     8,930      6,470      4,939
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diluted earnings per share**                     1.11       0.78*      0.55       0.40       0.32

Weighted average common shares (diluted)**     16,651     16,470     16,257     16,151     15,395

Cash dividends declared per share***             0.15          -          -          -          -
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total assets                                  101,544     70,556     50,835     36,510     28,663

Stockholders' equity                           77,614     51,025     37,627     28,197     21,373
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Includes an extraordinary after-tax gain of $242,000.
** Diluted earnings per share and number of shares  outstanding give retroactive
effect to the  3-for-2  stock split that  occurred  on February 5, 1999.
*** On January 8, 1999,  the board of  directors  announced a regular  quarterly
dividend of $0.05 per share.

                                       12
<PAGE>
<CAPTION>
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Results of Operations
                          Years Ended August 31,     1999          1998          1997
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                               <C>            <C>           <C>
Revenues (millions)                               $ 103.8        $ 78.9        $ 58.4
Commitments (millions)                            $ 118.9        $ 92.5        $ 68.6
Client count                                          658           564           498
Passwords                                          20,191        16,647        10,771
Client retention rate                                 >95%          >95%          >95%
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
REVENUES
    Revenues  increased  31.6% to a record  $103.8  million in fiscal 1999.  In
fiscal 1998,  revenues  rose 35.2% to $78.9 million from $58.4 million in fiscal
1997.  The  main  factors  driving  growth  in  both  years  were  international
expansion, new products and services, an increasing number of subscriptions from
existing users and the addition of new clients.

     Revenues  from  international  operations  grew 49.1% to $14.9  million for
fiscal 1999.  Revenues from European  operations  increased 44.7%;  Asia Pacific
revenues  grew  by  61.7%.   International   operations  accounted  for  14%  of
consolidated revenues, up from 13% in fiscal 1998. In fiscal 1998, international
revenues grew 58% to $10.0  million.  Revenues from European  operations  jumped
69.4%, while the Asia Pacific business generated a 32.6% revenue increase.

COMMITMENTS. Client commitments at August 31, 1999 rose 28.6% to $118.9 million.
Commitments improved 34.9% in fiscal 1998 to $92.5 million.  ("Commitments" at a
given  point in time  represent  the  forward-looking  revenues  for the next 12
months from all services  currently being supplied to clients.) New products and
services  aimed at portfolio  managers  and the rollout of a new FactSet  "front
end" were  significant  factors in the  increase in the average  commitment  per
client over the past two fiscal  years.  At the end of fiscal 1999,  the average
commitment  per client was  $181,000,  up from  $164,000  and  $138,000  for the
comparable periods in fiscal 1998 and 1997, respectively. At August 31, 1999, no
individual  client  accounted  for  more  than  4%  of  total  commitments,  and
commitments  from the top ten clients  did not exceed 15% of total  commitments.
The Company  does not seek to enter into  written  contracts  with its  clients;
clients are free to add to, delete from or terminate service at any time.

CLIENT COUNT AND  RETENTION.  The number of FactSet  clients grew by 94 on a net
basis to 658 in fiscal 1999; 42% more than the 66 net client additions in fiscal
1998. Client retention for 1999 continued at a rate in excess of 95%.

PASSWORDS.  Passwords,  which  represent the number of FactSet  users,  grew 21%
during the fiscal  year,  totaling  20,191 by August 31,  1999.  In fiscal 1998,
client  passwords  increased  more than 50% to 16,647,  due to the  expansion of
several large investment banking relationships.

Graphic Ommitted [Total Employees - Fiscal Years 97,98,99]
Graphic Ommitted [Number of Clients - Fiscal Years 97,98,99]
Graphic Ommitted [Revenues - Fiscal Years 97,98,99]

                                       13
<PAGE>
COST OF SERVICES
     Cost of services for fiscal 1999 increased 22% to $37.3 million.  In fiscal
1998, cost of services rose 31.1% to $30.6 million.  These increases were mainly
due to higher employee compensation and benefits and additional depreciation and
maintenance costs on computer equipment.

EMPLOYEE  COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS.  Employee compensation and benefits for the
engineering and consulting groups increased $4.9 million in fiscal 1999 and $3.5
million  in  fiscal  1998.  To  sustain  current  revenue  growth  levels,   the
engineering and consulting groups increased staff by 33% and 42% in fiscal years
1999 and 1998, respectively.

DEPRECIATION  EXPENSE.   Depreciation  expense  on  computer-related   equipment
increased  $2.0  million for the year ended  August 31,  1999.  In fiscal  1998,
depreciation  expense increased $1.5 million.  Such increases were the result of
higher  levels of capital  spending  to upgrade  and  increase  capacity  of the
Company's  data  centers.  During the past two fiscal  years,  six Compaq GS 140
mainframe  systems  were  added,  system-wide  memory  more than  doubled to 192
gigabytes and disk storage capacity increased to 2.5 terabytes.

SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
     Selling,  general and  administrative  expenses ("SG&A") increased 38.1% in
fiscal 1999,  totaling $37.9 million.  In fiscal 1998,  SG&A rose 36.1% to $27.4
million.  Increases  in fiscal  1998 and 1999 were  mainly  the result of higher
employee compensation and benefits and office facility expansion.

EMPLOYEE  COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS.  Employee compensation and benefits for the
sales,  product  development  and various  other support  departments  grew $4.6
million in fiscal 1999.  For fiscal  1998,  employee  compensation  and benefits
increased  $4.1  million  over the prior year.  The number of  employees  in the
sales,  product development and various other support  departments  increased by
38.7% and 30% in fiscal years 1999 and 1998, respectively.

OFFICE  FACILITY  EXPENSES.  Rent,  amortization of leasehold  improvements  and
office  expenses  were up $2.7  million  in fiscal  1999 and up $1.0  million in
fiscal 1998.  These  increases  were the result of office  openings in New York;
Boston;  Stamford,  Connecticut;  Hong Kong; and Sydney and office expansions in
San Mateo, California and Tokyo during the past two fiscal years.

FOREIGN CURRENCY.  Approximately  95% of the Company's  revenues are received in
U.S. dollars and the net monetary  position of the Company's foreign offices are
not  significant.  Therefore,  foreign  currency  gains and losses have not been
material.

                                       14
<PAGE>
OPERATING MARGIN
     The operating  margin for fiscal 1999 was 27.6%, up from 26.5% and 25.5% in
fiscal years 1998 and 1997,  respectively.  The  improvement  in fiscal 1999 was
largely due to declining clearing fees, communication expenses and data costs as
a percentage of revenues,  partially offset by increased  compensation costs and
amortization   expenses.  In  fiscal  1998,  the  higher  operating  margin  was
attributable to decreased  clearing costs, data charges and rent as a percentage
of revenues, partially offset by increased compensation expenses.

CLEARING  FEES.  Cash fees generate  higher  margins than  commission  revenues,
although  net  revenues  to the Company  are  approximately  the same under both
payment  methods.  Clients who pay for services using  commissions on securities
transactions are charged a higher fee than cash-paying clients in order to cover
clearing  broker  charges paid by the Company.  Over the past two fiscal  years,
commissions,  while  growing  in  absolute  terms,  have  been  declining  as  a
percentage of total  revenues,  representing  38.5% of the total for fiscal 1999
compared to 42.6% in fiscal 1998 and 46.3% in fiscal 1997.

DATA COSTS.  Data costs declined as a percentage of revenues in both fiscal 1999
and 1998. This decline is a result of a change in the way a particular  database
supplier bills FactSet clients.  Prior to January 1, 1998, the database supplier
was paid through FactSet; after January 1, 1998, this database supplier moved to
direct  billing of clients.  This change in billing  practices had the effect of
decreasing revenues and expenses by the same amount.

INCOME FROM OPERATIONS
     Income from  operations rose 37.1% to $28.6 million in fiscal 1999 compared
with an increase of 40.5% in fiscal 1998 to $20.9 million.

INCOME TAXES
     The  effective tax rate for fiscal 1999 was 39% compared to 44% a year ago.
Included in the 1999  effective  tax rate was the net effect of  concluding  two
state income tax audits. Without considering the favorable effect of the audits,
the effective tax rate would have been 42%.

NET INCOME AND EARNINGS PER SHARE
     Net income in fiscal 1999,  prior to the  recognition  of an  extraordinary
gain in fiscal  1998,  grew by 47.2% to $18.6  million and diluted  earnings per
share advanced 44.2% to $1.11.  The percentage gains after inclusion of the 1998
extraordinary  gain were 44.5% for net income and 42.3% for diluted earnings per
share.

     In fiscal 1998,  net income  increased  43.9% to $12.9  million and diluted
earnings per share were up 41.8% to $0.78.  Excluding the extraordinary  gain of
$242,000, net income increased 41.2% and diluted earnings per share rose 40%.

NET MARGIN
     Net margin for fiscal 1999 was 17.9%. In fiscal 1998, net margin was 16.0%,
excluding a $242,000 extraordinary gain, up from 15.3% in fiscal 1997.

Graphic Ommitted [Operating Margin - Fiscal Years 97,98,99]
Graphic Ommitted [Income from Operations - Fiscal Years 97,98,99]
Graphic Ommitted [Net Income - Fiscal Years 97,98,99]

                                       15
<PAGE>
LIQUIDITY
     Cash generated by operating  activities advanced 20.3% to $25.6 million for
fiscal 1999  compared to $21.3 million in fiscal 1998.  This increase  reflected
higher levels of  profitability,  increased  deferred fees and  commissions  and
higher depreciation and amortization expenses.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
     Capital  expenditures in fiscal 1999 were $16.5 million,  compared to $12.0
million in fiscal 1998. During fiscal 1999, the Greenwich,  Connecticut, and New
York computer  centers  underwent  major  upgrades.  Two Compaq GS 140 mainframe
systems were  purchased and  installed.  Main memory in each of the 12 mainframe
systems  increased  60% to 16 gigabytes and  system-wide  disk storage space was
boosted to 2.5  terabytes.  Furniture  and  fixture and  leasehold  improvements
contributed $6.2 million to the capital expenditure total. Four new offices were
opened in North America and Asia Pacific during fiscal 1999.

FINANCING OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL NEEDS
     Cash,  cash   equivalents   and  investments   totaled  $54.8  million  and
represented  54% of total assets at August 31, 1999.  All capital and  operating
expenses were financed with cash generated from  operations.  The Company has no
outstanding debt.

REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES
     The Company has two revolving credit  facilities in an aggregate  principal
amount of up to $25 million  available for working capital and general corporate
purposes.  The Company has not drawn on either facility and has no present plans
to utilize any portion of the available credit.

FORWARD-LOOKING FACTORS

CASH DIVIDEND
     In June 1999, the board of directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.05
per share.  The cash dividend was paid in September 1999 to common  stockholders
of record on August 31, 1999.

INCOME TAXES
     The  effective tax rate for fiscal 1999 was 39% compared to 44% a year ago.
Included in the 1999  effective  tax rate was the net effect of  concluding  two
state income tax audits. Without considering the favorable effect of the audits,
the effective tax rate would have been 42% and is expected to approach that rate
in fiscal 2000.

     In the normal course of business,  the Company's tax filings are subject to
audit by federal and state tax authorities. Audits by two taxing authorities are
currently  ongoing.  There is inherent  uncertainty in the audit process but the
Company has no reason to believe that the audits will result in  additional  tax
payments that would have a material  adverse effect on its results of operations
or financial position.

                                       16
<PAGE>
MARKET SENSITIVITIES
     In the  ordinary  course of  business,  the Company is exposed to financial
risks involving equity, interest rates and foreign currency markets.

     During the past three fiscal years,  the U.S. and European  equity  markets
have  reached  record  highs.  Historically,  there has been little  correlation
between results of the Company's operations and the performance of global equity
markets.  However,  an extended  global stock market  decline  could  negatively
impact a majority of the  Company's  clients  (investment  management  firms and
investment  banks) and increase the  likelihood  of personnel  reductions  among
FactSet's existing and potential clients.

     The fair market value of the Company's  investment  portfolio at August 31,
1999 was $22.9 million. Changes in interest rates impact this fair market value.
The portfolio of fixed income  investments is managed to preserve  principal and
contains  instruments  entered into for purposes  other than trading.  Under the
investment guidelines established by the Company, third-party managers construct
portfolios   to  achieve   high  levels  of  credit   quality,   liquidity   and
diversification. The Company's portfolios are managed such that weighted average
duration  of  short-term  investments  does not  exceed 18 months.  The  average
duration of interest  sensitive  investments  was 0.66 years at August 31, 1999.
Accordingly,  a 10% increase or decrease in interest  rates would cause the fair
value of investments to change by approximately  $1.5 million.  Investments such
as puts, calls, strips, straddles,  short sales, futures, options or investments
on margin are not permitted by the Company's  investment  guidelines.  For these
reasons,  in  addition to the fact that the  Company  has no  outstanding  debt,
financial exposure to changes in interest rates is expected to continue at a low
level.

     All  investments  are held in U.S.  dollars  and  approximately  95% of the
Company's  revenues  are  received  in U.S.  dollars.  Accordingly,  exposure to
movements   in  foreign   currency   prices  is   expected  to  continue  to  be
insignificant.

YEAR 2000
     Many companies are confronted with business risks  associated with the Year
2000 (Y2K) because many computer hardware systems and software programs use only
two digits to  indicate a year.  These  systems  and  programs  may  incorrectly
process dates beyond 1999,  resulting in information  errors or system failures.
FactSet has been working on issues concerning Y2K since the fall of 1997 and has
made substantial efforts to ensure against  significant  problems resulting from
Y2K-related  issues.  The  Y2K  issue  extends  beyond  the  Company's  internal
back-office systems to its mainframe centers,  related application  programs and
the  communication  network  that  support  the entire  client  base.  Given the
importance  of this issue,  the Company has taken  numerous  actions to analyze,
assess and remediate Y2K vulnerability.

THE  COMPANY'S  STATE OF  READINESS.  Three broad areas have been  identified as
potential  concerns for  Y2K-related  problems.  They are 1) the FactSet  online
system, 2) FactSet's internal  infrastructure and 3) client remediation  efforts
relating to Y2K.

THE FACTSET  ONLINE  SYSTEM.  The core  product  FactSet  provides is  extremely
dependent on its computer systems correctly handling and manipulating  dates; it
is a critical  aspect

                                       17
<PAGE>
of FactSet's  ability to do business and the Company has taken a number of steps
to make the FactSet online system Y2K compliant.

     With respect to Y2K compliance,  the FactSet online system can be broken up
into  four  components.  They  are:  1) the  user  interface,  2)  the  internal
applications that deliver data from databases to the end user's desktop,  3) the
databases that contain the  information  received from vendors and 4) the method
of  transmitting  the data from  vendors to FactSet and from FactSet to clients.
The Company has tested the FactSet  online  system and believes  that no further
significant Y2K alterations are necessary to be Y2K compliant.

     Determining the specific  enhancements  necessary to make the online system
compliant  was a major  priority  and,  consequently,  Y2K  enhancements  to the
FactSet online  system's user interface are in place.  Having achieved this, the
Company's clients are able to proceed with their own remediation efforts without
concern for any  unexpected  changes in the FactSet  online  system.  The online
system now universally  accepts  four-digit years wherever a year  specification
can be made.

     Source code  comprising  the  FactSet  online  system has been  reviewed by
application  engineers  to ensure  that dates  beyond the year 2000 are  handled
properly.  To ensure the  completion of the process,  an inventory of all system
applications  was made to confirm  that all systems have been  updated.  Quality
assurance testing has also been done on all online  applications to test for Y2K
compliance problems.

     Underlying all FactSet online applications are the databases.  Many of them
contain  historical  information  and therefore  dates to which those data items
correspond. As part of FactSet's compliance effort, all such databases have been
reviewed  to ensure that dates and  historical  data beyond the year 2000 can be
accommodated.  Many of the databases  were already  compliant,  with most of the
more recently added databases designed to store years as four-digit integers. An
inventory of all FactSet databases has been made to identify which databases are
compliant  and which  are not.  Virtually  all of  FactSet's  databases  are now
internally Y2K compliant.  Remediation  efforts to make all databases  compliant
are expected to be completed in the fourth calendar quarter of 1999.

     The online system contains  information received from more than 40 vendors.
A critical part of FactSet's  compliance  effort involves insuring that the flow
of information from the suppliers to FactSet  continues  uninterrupted  into the
new  millennium.   Fortunately,   FactSet  has  flexibility  in  processing  the
information; instead of receiving tightly packaged "databases" from its vendors,
the Company receives  transmissions  upon which programs are written to load the
information  contained  therein  into  databases  stored  on  mainframes.  These
programs  have all been  written by  in-house  engineers  and can  therefore  be
customized  to  accommodate  changes that a vendor may make to its  transmission
format in order to achieve compliance.

     FactSet  continues to assess the Y2K  readiness of its database  suppliers.
The  Company  maintains  regular  discussions  with  its  vendors  and has  been
encouraging  them to prepare  and  transmit  data that is Y2K  compliant.  Where
applicable,  test  transmissions  were also  requested  to  simulate  the update
process with post-2000 data. FactSet has also reviewed public statements made by
many of its database  vendors with respect to Y2K issues.  The Company  believes
that data transmitted after December 31, 1999 will be compliant.

                                       18
<PAGE>
INTERNAL INFRASTRUCTURE.  FactSet is no different from many organizations in its
dependence on external  systems that are a critical part of its  infrastructure.
These  systems  include,  but are not limited to, the mainframe  systems,  phone
systems,  accounting  and payroll  systems and the  physical  systems  including
heating, air conditioning and utilities.  FactSet has 12 Compaq GS 140 mainframe
systems and has reviewed public  information from Compaq's Web site stating that
no  interruption  or failure of its mainframe  systems is  anticipated  from Y2K
issues.  The Company also faces Y2K issues from  third-party  telecommunications
systems over which clients access its services.  The Company has reviewed public
information  from its significant  telecommunications  providers  concerning Y2K
compliance  and  there  has been no  indication  that Y2K  issues  will  cause a
significant  failure  or  interruption  of  telecommunications   services.   The
suppliers of significant  internal  back-office systems (accounting and payroll)
have also been queried for  confirmation  that their software is Y2K ready.  The
Company has reviewed  public  statements  made by these  suppliers and, to date,
there  has  been no  indication  that  the  systems/software  provided  by these
suppliers will result in any Y2K-related problems.

CLIENT  REMEDIATION  EFFORTS.  FactSet is concerned  not only with  ensuring the
compliance of its online system,  but also with ensuring that its clients do not
encounter  significant Y2K difficulties  when using FactSet.  The flexibility of
the FactSet system  provides its clients the  opportunity  to create  customized
"models" that can take the form of  spreadsheet  reports,  private  databases or
formulas.  Users can program their use of FactSet in much the same way a systems
programmer  does.  However,  the  compliance of a programming  language does not
necessarily  ensure the compliance of all the programs written in that language.
Some of  FactSet's  most  sophisticated  clients have  thousands of  proprietary
models on the FactSet  mainframes.  A certain  amount of  remediation  effort is
needed by the Company's clients,  regardless of what FactSet had done to provide
a smooth Y2K transition.

     FactSet has been and is continuing to facilitate the remediation efforts of
its  clients  and  has  developed  tools  for  this  purpose.  The  Company  has
implemented a test to simulate the operation of its online system in a post-2000
environment.  The "Y2K  Testbed"  provides  clients  with the ability to perform
remediation  testing on their  internal  systems that may depend on  information
from  FactSet's  online  system.  The testbed  connects the live FactSet  online
system and all its  applications to databases cast forward beyond the year 2000.
This  allows  for  testing of the  entire  process  that takes the data from the
mainframes through the applications and ultimately to the user desktop.

     FactSet  released  the Y2K  Auditor in March  1999,  a software  program to
facilitate further remediation testing by clients.  The Y2K Auditor is an online
application  that scans  client  models for  potential  Y2K issues,  identifying
whether a given model  should  continue  to operate  properly,  or whether  some
remediation is required.

     FactSet  has  made  efforts  to  heighten  client   awareness  of  its  Y2K
initiatives, including a direct mail campaign and making available documentation
concerning Y2K on its Web site.  Clients have also had  opportunities  to attend
Y2K forums  sponsored  by FactSet.  Held in over a dozen cities  worldwide,  the
forums presented an overview of FactSet's compliance strategy and introduced the
remediation  tools  available to assist each client's  transition  into the next
millennium.

                                       19
<PAGE>
     During the course of 1999,  three  "rollforward"  tests were  conducted  to
fully test the operation of the online  system with the mainframe  system clocks
actually cast forward into the next millennium. None of these tests revealed any
material problems about FactSet's Y2K readiness;  however, the rollforward tests
did not cover data delivery  methods.  During the final two tests,  clients were
also allowed to conduct their own tests while  connected to the online system in
this "rollforward" environment.  Dozens of users participated in these tests and
none reported significant Y2K-related problems.

CONTINGENCY  PLANS.  The Company's  Y2K project team has  developed  contingency
plans to address worst case scenarios regarding Y2K. These plans supplement many
levels of  redundancy  already  built into the  FactSet  information  technology
structure.

     The New York and Greenwich, Connecticut, data centers are operated as "hot"
sites,  each  designed  to run at roughly  50% of  capacity.  If one data center
should fail or require  shutdown,  the other  should  have more than  sufficient
capacity  to carry the entire  client  base.  Each data  center is  serviced  by
separate  public  utility  companies,  thus reducing the  dependency on a single
source of electrical  power.  In addition,  nearly every client has at least two
methods  of  accessing  the  data  centers,  reducing  dependency  on  a  single
communications carrier.

     The extent of preparation  and readiness for Y2K varies among the Company's
data vendors.  Contingency plans have been made so that FactSet will not rely on
the ability of data vendors to provide Y2K  compliant  data.  Programs have been
tested and are designed to adjust data to be Y2K  compliant  if a data  supplier
does not provide it in a specifically  compliant  format.  Should the electronic
transmission of any data from any of the Company's vendors fail, there are plans
to secure data on tape from major  vendors for separate  upload to FactSet's two
data centers.

COSTS TO ADDRESS YEAR 2000. Costs relating to Y2K projects principally relate to
salaries of in-house  software  engineers and are not  incremental  to recurring
operating  expenses.  Internal  costs  incurred are not  separately  tracked and
recorded;  however,  based on the  estimated  time  needed by  FactSet  staff to
prepare all FactSet systems to be Y2K compliant, past and future costs amount to
approximately  $2.0  million  and $1.0  million,  respectively,  and  have  been
expensed as incurred.  Y2K changes take place at the Company's mainframe centers
and do not require a separate  program  installation  on each client's  personal
computer or supporting network.  Y2K compliance matters have not delayed and are
not expected to delay any upcoming information technology projects.

RISKS OF YEAR 2000.  The failure to correct a material Y2K problem  could result
in an  interruption  in, or a failure of,  certain normal  business  activities.
There can be no assurances  that the databases  distributed  by the Company,  or
related applications, the mainframes, communications and back-office systems, do
not contain undetected errors or defects associated with Y2K date functions. Due
to the general uncertainty  inherent in the Y2K problem,  resulting in part from
the Y2K  readiness or lack of readiness of third  parties  beyond the  Company's
control,  including clients,  it is impossible to determine at this time whether
the Y2K problem will have a material impact on the Company. Although the Company
believes its Y2K efforts will be successful  and does not anticipate the cost

                                       20
<PAGE>
of compliance  to be material,  any failure or delay to address Y2K issues could
result  in  a  major  disruption  of  its  business,  damage  to  the  Company's
reputationand a material adverse change in its results of operations, cash flows
and financial position.

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
     In March 1998,  Statement  of Position  98-1,  Accounting  for the Costs of
Computer  Software  Developed  or Obtained for  Internal  Use, was issued.  This
statement is effective for the Company's fiscal year ending August 31, 2000. The
impact from adopting this  statement on the Company's  results of operations and
financial position will not be material.

     SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,
was  issued in 1998 and  establishes  accounting  and  reporting  standards  for
derivative  instruments.  It requires that derivatives be recorded at fair value
as either  assets or  liabilities  in the  Statements  of  Financial  Condition.
Additionally, the fair value adjustments will impact either stockholders' equity
or net income,  depending whether the derivative instrument qualifies as a hedge
and, if so, the nature of the hedging activity. The Company is required to adopt
this new standard in fiscal year 2001. The impact from adoption on the Company's
results of  operations  and  financial  position is not  expected to be material
because,  at  present,  the  Company  does not use  derivatives  to hedge  risks
associated with equity,  interest rates or foreign currency markets.  The actual
impact,  however,  will depend on the fair values of derivative  instruments the
Company may hold at the time of adoption.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
     This  Management's   Discussion  and  Analysis   contains   forward-looking
statements that are based on management's  current expectations and beliefs. The
phrases  "commitments,"   "believes,"  "could,"  "continues,"  "will  not,"  "is
expected,"  "may,"  "does not  anticipate,"  "will have,"  "will  result,"  "are
expected,"  "are  not  expected,"   "can,"  "will  be,"  "is  anticipated,"  "is
continuing,"  "should  have," "no  indication"  and "will not" are  intended  to
identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of
future  performance  and involve  certain risks,  uncertainties  and assumptions
which are difficult to predict ("future factors"). Therefore, actual results may
differ  materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such  forward-looking
statements.  The  Company  undertakes  no  obligation  to  publicly  update  any
forward-looking  statements  as a result of new  information,  future  events or
otherwise.

     Future factors include the ability to hire qualified personnel; maintenance
of the Company's  leading  technological  position;  the impact of global market
trends on the Company's  revenue  growth rate and future  results of operations;
the success of Y2K  compliance  activities;  the  negotiation  of contract terms
supporting new and existing  databases;  the resolution of ongoing audits by tax
authorities;  the continued employment of key personnel;  the absence of U.S. or
foreign  governmental   regulation  restricting   international   business;  and
sustaining the past growth in rates of profitability and cash flow generation.

                                       21
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Thousands, except per share data                  Years Ended August 31,    1999              1998              1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                       <C>               <C>               <C>
Subscription Revenues
Commissions                                                            $  39,982         $  33,581         $  27,028
Cash fees                                                                 63,849            45,330            31,330
                                                                          ------            ------            ------
Total subscription revenues                                              103,831            78,911            58,358
                                                                         -------            ------            ------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expenses
Cost of services                                                          37,335            30,605            23,353
Selling, general and administrative                                       37,866            27,423            20,143
                                                                          ------            ------            ------
Total operating expenses                                                  75,201            58,028            43,496
                                                                          ------            ------            ------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income from operations                                                    28,630            20,883            14,862
Other income                                                               1,987             1,556               871
                                                                           -----             -----               ---
Income before income taxes and extraordinary gain                         30,617            22,439            15,733
Income taxes                                                              12,052             9,830             6,803
                                                                          ------             -----             -----
Net income before extraordinary gain                                      18,565            12,609             8,930
Extraordinary gain, net of $191 of taxes                                       -               242                 -
                                                                          ------            ------            ------
Net income                                                             $  18,565         $  12,851         $   8,930
                                                                       =========         =========         =========
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weighted average common shares (basic)*                                   15,405            14,445            14,319
Weighted average common shares (diluted)*                                 16,651            16,470            16,257
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basic earnings per common share*                                       $    1.21         $    0.89         $    0.62
Diluted earnings per common share*                                     $    1.11         $    0.78         $    0.55
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Number of shares  outstanding and earnings per share amounts give  retroactive
effect to the 3-for-2 stock split that occurred on February 5, 1999.
</TABLE>

         The  accompanying  notes  are an  integral  part of these  consolidated
financial statements.

                                       23
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Assets
Thousands                                         At August 31,             1999              1998
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                    <C>               <C>
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents                                              $  31,837         $  37,631
Investments                                                               22,934                 -
Receivables from clients and clearing brokers                             14,399            11,121
Receivables from employees                                                   614               533
Deferred taxes                                                             6,437             4,034
Other current assets                                                         413               921
                                                                             ---               ---
Total current assets                                                      76,634            54,240
                                                                          ------            ------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-Term Assets
Property, equipment and leasehold  improvements, at cost                  55,334            38,839
Less accumulated depreciation                                            (33,951)          (24,159)
                                                                         -------           -------
Property, equipment and leasehold  improvements, net                      21,383            14,680
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Long-Term Assets
Deferred taxes                                                             1,785             1,250
Other assets                                                               1,742               386
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Assets                                                           $ 101,544         $  70,556
                                                                       =========         =========
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                       24
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Thousands, except per share data                  At August 31,             1999              1998
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                    <C>               <C>
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses                                  $   6,657         $   4,847
Accrued compensation                                                       7,558             6,155
Deferred cash fees and commissions                                         6,964             4,546
Dividend payable                                                             788                 -
Current taxes payable                                                      1,522             3,513
                                                                           -----             -----
Total current liabilities                                                 23,489            19,061
                                                                          ------            ------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Current Liabilities
Deferred rent                                                                441               471
                                                                             ---               ---
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total liabilities                                                         23,930            19,532
                                                                          ------            ------
Lease commitments (see Note 12)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stockholders' Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 10,000,000
shares authorized, none issued                                                 -                 -
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 40,000,000 shares
authorized, 15,882,409 and 14,604,399 shares issued;
15,769,316 and 14,509,560 shares outstanding at
August 31, 1999 and 1998, respectively                                       158               148
Capital in excess of par value                                            14,160             2,933
Retained earnings                                                         64,610            48,388
Unrealized gain on investments, net of taxes                                   7                 -
                                                                          ------            ------
                                                                          78,935            51,469
Less treasury stock - 113,093 and 94,839 shares at
August 31, 1999 and 1998, respectively, at cost                            1,321               445
       --- ----     -----                                                  -----               ---
Total stockholders' equity                                                77,614            51,024
                                                                          ------            ------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity                             $ 101,544         $  70,556
                                                                       =========         =========
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The  accompanying  notes are an integral  part of these  consolidated  financial
statements.
</TABLE>

                                       25
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,                1999              1998              1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                    <C>               <C>               <C>
Common Stock
Balance, beginning of year                                             $     148         $     147         $     147
Exercise of stock options                                                     10                 1                 -
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance, end of year                                                         158               148               147
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital in Excess of Par Value
Balance, beginning of year                                                 2,933             1,995             1,431
Additional stock issued for ESOP                                             874               600               500
Exercise of stock options                                                  2,861               338                64
Income tax benefits from
    option exercises                                                       7,492                 -                 -
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance, end of year                                                      14,160             2,933             1,995
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unrealized Gain on Investments,
Net of Taxes
Balance, beginning of year                                                     -               239               176
Change in unrealized gain
    on investments, net of taxes                                               7              (239)               63
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance, end of year                                                           7                 -               239
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retained Earnings
Balance, beginning of year                                                48,388            35,537            26,607
Net income                                                                18,565            12,851             8,930
Dividends                                                                 (2,343)                -                 -
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance, end of year                                                      64,610            48,388            35,537
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                       26
<PAGE>

Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,                1999              1998              1997
Treasury Stock
Balance, beginning of year                                                  (445)             (291)             (164)
Repurchase of common stock                                                  (876)             (154)             (127)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance, end of year                                                      (1,321)             (445)             (291)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Equity
Balance, beginning of year                                                51,024            37,627            28,197
Additional stock issued for ESOP                                             874               600               500
Repurchase of common stock                                                  (876)             (154)             (127)
Exercise of stock options                                                  2,871               339                64
Change in unrealized gain on investments, net of taxes                         7              (239)               63
Income tax benefits from option exercises                                  7,492                 -                 -
Net income                                                                18,565            12,851             8,930
Dividends                                                                 (2,343)                -                 -
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance, end of year                                                   $  77,614         $  51,024         $  37,627
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comprehensive Income
Net income                                                             $  18,565         $  12,851         $   8,930
Unrealized gain on investments, net of taxes                                   7                 -                63
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comprehensive income                                                   $  18,572         $  12,851         $   8,993
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
The  accompanying  notes are an integral  part of these  consolidated  financial
statements.

                                       27
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,                1999              1998              1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                    <C>               <C>               <C>
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net income                                                             $  18,565         $  12,851         $   8,930
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash
  provided by operating activities
    Depreciation and amortization                                          9,792             6,557             4,737
    Deferred tax benefit                                                  (2,938)           (1,208)           (1,238)
    Accrued ESOP contribution                                              1,000               750               600
    Gain on sale of investment                                                 -              (433)                -
                                                                          ------            ------            ------
Net income adjusted for non-cash items                                    26,419            18,517            13,029
Changes in working capital
    Receivables from clients and clearing brokers                         (3,278)           (3,786)           (1,154)
    Receivables from employees                                               (81)               16               397
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses                                  1,810             2,539             1,061
    Accrued compensation                                                   1,153             2,329             1,596
    Deferred cash fees and commissions                                     2,418                47               701
    Current taxes payable                                                 (1,991)            1,086             1,633
    Other working capital accounts, net                                     (883)              508              (231)
                                                                          ------            ------            ------
Net cash provided by operating activities                                 25,567            21,256            17,032
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
(Purchases) Sales of investments                                         (22,923)            1,389               (43)
Purchases of property, equipment and
    leasehold improvements                                               (16,495)          (12,015)           (6,268)
Retirements of property, equipment and
    leasehold improvements                                                     -                 -               458
                                                                         -------           -------            ------
Net cash used in investing activities                                    (39,418)          (10,626)           (5,853)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                       28
<PAGE>

Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,                1999              1998              1997
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Dividend payments                                                         (1,430)                -                 -
Repurchase of common stock from employees                                   (876)             (154)             (127)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options                                    2,871               339                64
Income tax benefits from option exercises                                  7,492                 -                 -
                                                                           -----             -----             -----
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities                        8,057               185               (63)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents                      (5,794)           10,815            11,116
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year                            37,631            26,816            15,700
                                                                          ------            ------            ------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year                               $  31,837         $ 37,631          $  26,816
                                                                       =========         ========          =========
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
Cash paid during the year for income taxes                             $  11,868         $  10,134         $   6,145
                                                                       =========         =========         =========
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplemental Disclosure of Non-Cash Flow Information
Issuance of stock during the year for purchase of
    common shares for the ESOP                                         $     750         $     600         $     500
                                                                       =========         =========         =========
Dividends declared, not paid                                           $     788                 -                 -
                                                                       =========         =========         =========
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The  accompanying  notes are an integral  part of these  consolidated  financial
statements.
</TABLE>

                                       29
<PAGE>


Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
August 31, 1999, 1998 and 1997

1. ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS
     FactSet  Research Systems Inc. (the "Company")  provides online  integrated
database services to the financial community. The Company's revenues are derived
from subscription  charges.  Solely at the option of each client,  these charges
may be paid either in  commissions  on  securities  transactions  (in which case
subscription  revenues are recorded as commissions) or on a cash basis (in which
case subscription revenues are recorded as cash fees).

     To facilitate the receipt of subscription  revenues on a commission  basis,
the Company's wholly owned subsidiary,  FactSet Data Systems, Inc. ("FDS"), is a
member  of  the  National  Association  of  Securities  Dealers,  Inc.  and is a
registered  broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Securities and Exchange Act of
1934. FDS does not otherwise engage in the securities business.

     Subscription  revenues  paid in  commissions  are derived  from  securities
transactions introduced and cleared on a fully disclosed basis primarily through
two  clearing  brokers.  That is,  a client  paying  subscription  charges  on a
commission basis directs the clearing broker,  at the time the client executes a
securities  transaction,  to credit the  commission on the  transaction to FDA's
account.

     FactSet Limited and FactSet Pacific,  Inc. are wholly owned subsidiaries of
the Company and are U.S.  corporations with foreign branch operations in London,
Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney.

2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
     The significant accounting policies of the Company and its subsidiaries are
summarized below.

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT  PRESENTATION.   The  accompanying  consolidated  financial
statements  include  the  accounts  of the  Company  and its  subsidiaries.  All
significant  intercompany  activity and balances have been  eliminated  from the
consolidated  financial  statements.  A reclassification of $3,064 and $2,097 in
fiscal  1998 and 1997,  respectively,  was made this year.  These  amounts  were
previously  listed on the  financial  statements  as other  expenses and are now
included as SG&A to conform with the current year presentation.

     Cost of services is composed of employee  compensation and benefits for the
engineering  and  consulting  groups,   clearing  fees,  data  costs,   computer
maintenance and depreciation expenses and communication costs. Selling,  general
and administrative  expenses include employee  compensation and benefits for the
sales,  product development and various other support  departments,  promotional
expenses,   rent,  amortization  of  leasehold  improvements,   depreciation  of
furniture and fixtures, office expenses, professional fees and other expenses.

USE OF ESTIMATES.  The  preparation of financial  statements in conformity  with
generally accepted  accounting  principles requires management to make estimates
and assumptions  that affect the reported  amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosure of  contingent  assets and  liabilities  at the date of the financial
statements  and the  reported  amounts  of

                                       30
<PAGE>

revenues and expenses during the reporting  period.  Significant  estimates have
been made in areas  including  valuation  allowances  for  deferred  tax assets,
depreciable  lives of fixed  assets,  accrued  liabilities  and  allowances  for
doubtful accounts. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

REVENUE  RECOGNITION.  Subscription  charges  are quoted to clients on an annual
basis,  but are earned monthly as services are provided.  Subscription  revenues
recorded as  commissions  and  subscription  revenues  recorded as cash fees are
earned each month, based on one-twelfth of the annual subscription charge quoted
to each  client.  Amounts  that have been  earned but not yet paid  through  the
receipt of commissions on securities  transactions  or through cash payments are
reflected on the Consolidated  Statements of Financial  Condition as receivables
from  clients and clearing  brokers.  Amounts  that have been  received  through
commissions  on  securities  transactions  or through cash  payments that are in
excess  of  earned  subscription  revenues  are  reflected  on the  Consolidated
Statements of Financial Condition as deferred cash fees and commissions.

CLEARING FEES. When  subscription  charges are paid on a commission  basis,  the
Company  incurs  clearing  fees,  which are the charges  imposed by the clearing
brokers to execute and settle clients'  securities  transactions.  Clearing fees
are recorded when subscription revenues recorded as commissions are earned.

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS. Cash and cash equivalents consists of demand deposits
and money market investments with maturities of 90 days or less.

INVESTMENTS.  Investments have original  maturities greater than 90 days and are
classified as  available-for-sale  securities in  accordance  with  Statement of
Financial   Accounting  Standards  ("SFAS")  No.  115,  Accounting  for  Certain
Investments  in Debt and Equity  Securities,  and are reported at market  value.
Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are recognized as a
separate component of stockholders' equity, net of tax.

PROPERTY,  EQUIPMENT AND LEASEHOLD  IMPROVEMENTS.  Depreciation of computers and
related  equipment  acquired  before  September 1, 1994 is recognized  using the
double  declining  balance  method over  estimated  useful  lives of five years.
Computers and related equipment acquired after September 1, 1994 are depreciated
on  a  straight-line   basis  over  estimated   useful  lives  of  three  years.
Depreciation of furniture and fixtures is recognized  using the double declining
balance method over estimated useful lives of five years. Leasehold improvements
are amortized on a  straight-line  basis over the terms of the related leases or
estimated useful lives of the improvements, whichever period is shorter.

INCOME AND DEFERRED  TAXES.  Deferred taxes are  determined by  calculating  the
future tax consequences associated with differences between financial accounting
and tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is established to
the extent management considers it more likely than not that some portion or all
of the deferred tax assets will not be  realized.  The effect on deferred  taxes
from  income tax law  changes is  recognized  immediately  upon  enactment.  The
deferred tax provision is derived from changes in deferred  taxes on the balance
sheet and reflected on the  Consolidated  Statements of Income as a component of
income  taxes.  The  Company  records  deferred  taxes for such

                                       31
<PAGE>

items as accrued liabilities; deferred cash fees and commissions; deferred rent;
and property,  equipment and leasehold  improvements,  net of  depreciation  and
amortization.

     Income tax  benefits  derived  from the  exercise  of  non-qualified  stock
options or the disqualifying disposition of incentive stock options are recorded
directly to capital in excess of par value.

EARNINGS PER SHARE.  The computation of basic earnings per share in each year is
based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.  The weighted
average  number of shares  outstanding  includes  shares issued to the Company's
employee stock  ownership plan at the date authorized by the board of directors.
Earnings per share and number of shares  outstanding give retroactive effect for
all years  presented  for the 3-for-2  stock split that  occurred on February 5,
1999.  Diluted  earnings  per share is based on the weighted  average  number of
common shares and potentially dilutive common shares.  Shares available pursuant
to grants made under the  Company's  stock  option  plans are included as common
share equivalents using the treasury stock method.

STOCK-BASED  COMPENSATION.  As discussed in Note 14, "Stock  Option  Plans," the
Company follows the  disclosure-only  provisions of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for
Stock-Based Compensation.

NEW  ACCOUNTING  PRONOUNCEMENTS.  The Company  adopted  SFAS No. 130,  Reporting
Comprehensive  Income,  in fiscal year 1999. SFAS 130 establishes  standards for
the  reporting  and display of  comprehensive  income and its  components in the
financial statements. The difference between comprehensive income and net income
is displayed in the Consolidated  Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity.
This  statement did not have any effect on the Company's  financial  position or
results of operations, as it requires only additions to current disclosures.

     SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,
was  issued in 1998 and  establishes  accounting  and  reporting  standards  for
derivative  instruments.  It requires that derivatives be recorded at fair value
as either  assets or  liabilities  in the  Statements  of  Financial  Condition.
Additionally, the fair value adjustments will impact either stockholders' equity
or net income,  depending whether the derivative instrument qualifies as a hedge
and, if so, the nature of the hedging activity. The Company is required to adopt
this new standard in fiscal year 2001. The impact from adoption on the Company's
results of  operations  and  financial  position is not  expected to be material
because,  at  present,  the  Company  does not use  derivatives  to hedge  risks
associated with equity,  interest rates or foreign currency markets.  The actual
impact,  however,  will depend on the fair values of derivative  instruments the
Company may hold at the time of adoption.

     In March 1998,  Statement  of Position  98-1,  Accounting  for the Costs of
Computer  Software  Developed  or Obtained for  Internal  Use, was issued.  This
statement is effective for the Company's  fiscal year ending in August 31, 2000.
The impact from adopting this  statement on the Company's  results of operations
and financial position will not be material.

                                       32
<PAGE>

3. COMMON STOCK AND EARNINGS PER SHARE
     Shares of common stock and related  amounts give  retroactive  effect for a
3-for-2 stock split for all years  presented.  The stock split was effected as a
stock  dividend  and  occurred  on  February  5,  1999.  Shares of common  stock
outstanding were as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,                1999              1998              1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                       <C>               <C>               <C>
Balance, beginning of year                                                14,510            14,353            14,290
Additional stock issued for ESOP                                              40                33                36
Exercise of stock options                                                  1,237               132                36
Repurchase of common stock                                                   (18)               (8)               (9)
                                                                             ---                --                --
Balance, end of year                                                      15,769            14,510            14,353
                                                                          ======            ======            ======
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     A reconciliation  between the weighted  average shares  outstanding used in
the basic and diluted EPS computations is as follows:



                                                                      Income              Shares           Per Share
Thousands, except per share data                                  (Numerator)       (Denominator)             Amount
- ------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>                 <C>                   <C>
Fiscal 1999
Basic EPS
    Income available to common stockholders                          $ 18,565              15,405               $1.21
Diluted EPS
    Dilutive effect of stock options                                       -                1,246
                                                                       ------               -----
    Income available to common stockholders                          $ 18,565              16,651               $1.11
                                                                       ======              ======
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal 1998
Basic EPS
    Income available to common stockholders                          $  2,851              14,445               $0.89
Diluted EPS
    Dilutive effect of stock options                                       -                2,025
                                                                       ------              ------
    Income available to common stockholders                          $ 12,851              16,470               $0.78
                                                                     ========              ======
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal 1997
Basic EPS
    Income available to common stockholders                          $  8,930              14,319               $0.63
Diluted EPS
    Dilutive effect of stock options                                       -                1,938
                                                                       ------              ------
    Income available to common stockholders                          $  8,930              16,257               $0.55
                                                                     ========              ======
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                       33
<PAGE>

4. SUBSCRIPTION REVENUES
     Each client has the option to pay  subscription  charges either in the form
of commissions on securities  transactions or on a cash basis, regardless of the
nature or amount of the  services  provided  by FactSet to such  client.  When a
client  elects  to pay  subscription  charges  in the form of  commissions,  the
Company incurs  clearing fees,  which are charges imposed by the clearing broker
used to execute and settle  clients'  securities  transactions.  For  commission
transactions,  the dollar  amount  payable to the Company is higher than the fee
that  would be payable  for the same  services  on a cash  basis  because of the
associated  clearing fees incurred by the Company.  However,  commissions net of
related  clearing fees approximate fees that would be paid by a client on a cash
basis.

Subscription revenues consists of the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,            1999              1998              1997
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>               <C>               <C>
Commissions                                                        $  39,982          $ 33,581          $ 27,028
Cash fees                                                             63,849            45,330            31,330
                                                                      ------            ------            ------
                                                                   $ 103,831          $ 78,911          $ 58,358
                                                                   =========            ======            ======
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Clearing  fees  paid  by  the  Company  related  to  commissions  on  securities
transactions  were $6,496,000,  $5,842,000 and $4,687,000 for fiscal years 1999,
1998 and 1997, respectively.

5. RECEIVABLES FROM CLIENTS AND CLEARING BROKERS
Receivables from clients and clearing brokers consists of the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Thousands                             At August 31,                     1999              1998
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>               <C>
Receivables from clients-cash fees                                  $  9,706         $   6,950
Receivables from clients-commissions                                   2,948             2,896
Receivables from clearing brokers                                      1,745             1,275
                                                                       -----             -----
                                                                    $  14,399        $  11,121
                                                                    =========        =========
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
     Receivables from clients-cash fees and receivables from clients-commissions
are reflected net of aggregate  allowances for doubtful accounts of $927,000 and
$672,000 at August 31, 1999 and 1998, respectively.

6. INVESTMENTS
     The  Company  maintains  a  portfolio  of  investments  that is  managed to
preserve principal.  Under the investment guidelines established by the Company,
third-party managers construct  portfolios to achieve liquidity,  credit quality
and  diversification.  The weighted average duration of the Company's portfolios
are managed not to exceed 18 months.  Eligible  investments  include obligations
issued by the United  States  Treasury and other  governmental  agencies,  money
market securities and highly rated commercial  paper.  Investments such as puts,
calls, strips, straddles, short sales, futures, options,  commodities,  precious
metals or investments on margin are not permitted under the Company's investment
guidelines. All investments are held in U.S. dollars.

                                       34
<PAGE>

     The Company  held an  investment  in a limited  partnership  that  invested
primarily in convertible  bonds and preferred  stocks.  During fiscal 1998, this
investment was sold and a $242,000  after-tax  extraordinary  gain was recorded.
There  were no  investments  at August  31,  1998.

Investments,  classified  as  available-for-sale  securities,  consists  of  the
following:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                      Unrealized
Thousands                             At August 31, 1999          Cost Basis        Fair Value              Gain
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>               <C>                   <C>
Investment portfolios                                                $22,923           $22,934               $11
                                                                      ======            ======                ==
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
7. RECEIVABLES FROM EMPLOYEES
     Receivables from employees consists of the following  interest-bearing  and
non-interest-bearing promissory notes and advances to employees of the Company:
<TABLE>
Thousands                             At August 31,                     1999              1998
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                      <C>               <C>
Non-interest-bearing promissory demand notes and
    advances to employees                                               $ 32              $252
6% demand notes from employees                                           582               281
                                                                         ---               ---
                                                                        $614              $533
                                                                         ===               ===
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
8. PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS
Property, equipment and leasehold improvements consists of the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Thousands                             At August 31,                     1999              1998
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>               <C>
Computers and related equipment                                      $39,844           $29,543
Leasehold improvements                                                 8,516             4,531
Furniture, fixtures and other                                          6,974             4,765
                                                                       -----             -----
Subtotal                                                              55,334            38,839
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization                       (33,951)          (24,159)
                                                                     -------           -------
                                                                     $21,383           $14,680
                                                                      ======            ======
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
9. DEFERRED CASH FEES AND COMMISSIONS
     Subscription  revenues  recorded as commissions and  subscription  revenues
recorded  as cash  fees  are  each  recorded  as  earned  each  month,  based on
one-twelfth  of the annual  subscription  charge quoted to each client.  Amounts
that have been  received  through  commissions  on  securities  transactions  or
through cash  payments  that are in excess of earned  subscription  revenues are
reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as deferred cash
fees and commissions.

                                       35
<PAGE>

Deferred cash fees and commissions consists of the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Thousands                             At August 31,                     1999              1998
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                    <C>               <C>
Deferred cash fees                                                    $  837            $  500
Deferred commissions                                                   6,127             4,046
                                                                       -----             -----
                                                                      $6,964            $4,546
                                                                      ======             =====
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
10. INCOME TAXES
The provision for income taxes consists of the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,            1999              1998              1997
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>               <C>                <C>
Current tax expense
    U.S. federal                                                     $12,190           $ 7,691           $ 5,654
    State and local                                                    2,800             3,347             2,387
                                                                       -----             -----             -----
    Total current taxes                                               14,990            11,038             8,041
                                                                      ======            ======             =====
Deferred tax benefit
    U.S. federal                                                      (2,195)             (842)             (870)
    State and local                                                     (743)             (366)             (368)
                                                                        ----              ----              ----
    Total deferred taxes                                              (2,938)           (1,208)           (1,238)
                                                                      ------            ------            ------
Total tax provision                                                  $12,052           $ 9,830           $ 6,803
                                                                      ======             =====             =====
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Deferred tax assets consists of the following:
Thousands                             At August 31,                     1999              1998
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                    <C>               <C>
Deferred tax assets
Current
    Deferred fees and commissions                                     $2,918            $1,955
    Accrued liabilities                                                3,519             2,079
                                                                       -----             -----
    Total current deferred taxes                                       6,437             4,034
                                                                       -----             -----
Non-current
    Property, equipment and
    leasehold improvements, net                                        1,575             1,008
    Deferred rent                                                        210               242
                                                                         ---               ---
    Total non-current deferred taxes                                   1,785             1,250
                                                                       -----             -----
Gross deferred tax assets                                              8,222             5,284
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance                                     -                 -
                                                                       -----             -----
                                                                      $8,222            $5,284
                                                                       =====             =====
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                       36
<PAGE>

     Included in accounts  payable and accrued  expenses are accrued taxes other
than income  taxes of $3.7 million and $1.8 million at August 31, 1999 and 1998,
respectively.

     In the normal course of business,  the Company's tax filings are subject to
audit by federal and state tax authorities. There is inherent uncertainty in the
audit  process but the Company has no reason to believe  that audits will result
in additional  tax payments that would have an adverse  effect on its results of
operations or financial position.

     The  provisions  for  income  taxes  differ  from the  amount of income tax
determined  by applying  the U.S.  statutory  federal  income tax rate to income
before income taxes as a result of the following factors:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,            1999              1998              1997
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>                <C>               <C>
Tax at statutory U.S. tax rate                                       $10,716            $7,854            $5,396
Increase (Decrease) in taxes from
  state and local taxes, net of
    U.S. federal income tax benefit                                    2,013             1,660             1,308
  Tax benefit from
   income tax audits, net                                               (776)                -                 -
  Other, net                                                              99               316                99
                                                                          --               ---                --
Provision for income taxes                                           $12,052            $9,830            $6,803
                                                                     =======             =====             =====
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
11. NET CAPITAL
     As a  registered  broker-dealer,  FDS is subject to Rule  15c3-1  under the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934,  which  requires that FDS maintain  minimum
net capital  equal to the greater of $5,000 or 6.67% of  aggregate  indebtedness
and a ratio of  aggregate  indebtedness  to net capital of not more than 15 to 1
(the "minimum net capital requirement").  FDS may be prohibited from paying cash
dividends  to the  Company if such  dividends  would  result in its net  capital
falling  below the  minimum net capital  requirement  or its ratio of  aggregate
indebtedness to net capital exceeds 15 to 1.

     At all times during the years  presented,  FDS had net capital in excess of
its minimum net capital requirement.  At August 31, 1999, FDS had net capital of
$3,112,168,   which  was  $2,703,680  in  excess  of  its  minimum  net  capital
requirement of $408,488.  The ratio of aggregate indebtedness to net capital was
1.97 to 1.

12. LEASE COMMITMENTS
     The Company leases office space in Greenwich and Stamford, Connecticut; New
York; Boston; San Mateo,  California;  London;  Tokyo; Hong Kong and Sydney. The
leases have a weighted  average  remaining term of 5.2 years,  expire on various
dates through July 2009 and require a minimum annual aggregate rental payment of
$3,459,884.  Total  minimum  rental  payments  associated  with the  leases  are
recorded as rent (a component of selling,  general and administrative  expenses)
on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease term.

                                       37
<PAGE>

     At August 31, 1999, the Company's lease  commitments for office space, with
noncancelable  lease  terms in  excess of one year,  provide  for the  following
minimum annual rentals:

Thousands
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Years Ended August 31,
2000                                                            $ 3,460
2001                                                              3,449
2002                                                              3,321
2003                                                              3,305
2004                                                              1,298
Thereafter                                                        3,184
                                                                  -----
Minimum lease payments                                          $18,017
                                                                 ======
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------

     During fiscal 1999, 1998 and 1997, rental expense amounted to approximately
$3,902,000, $2,850,000 and $2,502,000, respectively.

     At August 31, 1999,  standby  letters of credit  aggregating  approximately
$301,412 have been issued on behalf of the Company serving as security  deposits
for leased premises.

13. EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN
     The  Company  sponsors  an  Employee  Stock  Ownership  Plan (the "Plan" or
"ESOP").  The Company may make optional annual  contributions for the benefit of
participating employees in such amounts as designated by the board of directors.
The board of directors  authorized  contributions  in the amounts of $1,000,000,
$750,000  and  $600,000,  for the years ended  August 31,  1999,  1998 and 1997,
respectively.  Such  contributions are recorded in cost of services and selling,
general and  administrative  as  compensation  expense.  Issuance of the related
common shares occurs shortly after  contributions  are authorized,  generally in
the following fiscal year.

     Employees of the Company and its  subsidiaries  who have performed at least
1,000 hours of service during the year are generally  eligible to participate in
the Plan. The Company contribution  allocated to an individual account begins to
vest upon completion of the employee's  third year of service at the rate of 20%
in each successive year of service.  Forfeited  non-vested interests in the Plan
are allocated to the other participants' accounts.

     The Plan held  1,227,821,  1,243,251 and 1,210,449  shares of the Company's
common stock at August 31, 1999, 1998 and 1997, respectively,  after considering
the  retroactive  effect of the 3-for-2 stock split that occurred on February 5,
1999.

14. STOCK OPTION PLANS
     The Company's  Stock Option Plans (the "Plans") make available for purchase
3,946,500  shares of common stock in  aggregate.  In fiscal 1995,  incentive and
non-qualified  stock  options to purchase  2,221,500  shares of common  stock at
prices which

                                       38
<PAGE>

ranged from $1.67 to $1.80 per share were  granted to  employees of the Company.
In fiscal years 1999, 1998 and 1997,  incentive and non-qualified  stock options
to purchase 390,800,  535,500 and 316,500 shares of common stock,  respectively,
at prices  which  ranged  from $12.50 to $46.75 were  granted to  employees  and
non-employee  directors of the Company.  Option shares and exercise  prices give
retroactive effect to the 3-for-2 stock split that occurred on February 5, 1999.

     Options  granted  under the Plans  expire  not more than ten years from the
date of grant and vest at a rate of 20% per year  beginning  one year  after the
grant  date.  The option  exercise  prices  equal the fair  market  value of the
Company's stock on the date of the option grant. Options are not transferable or
assignable  other than by will or the laws of descent and  distribution.  During
the grantee's lifetime, they may be exercised only by the grantee.

     A summary of the status of the  Company's  stock option plans at August 31,
1999,  1998 and  1997,  and  changes  during  each of the  years  then  ended is
presented below:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                              1999                 1998                 1997
                                                          Wtd. Avg.            Wtd. Avg.            Wtd. Avg.
                                                          Exercise             Exercise             Exercise
Thousands, except price data                      Shares     Price     Shares     Price     Shares     Price
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                               <C>       <C>         <C>       <C>        <C>      <C>
Outstanding, beginning of
    fiscal year                                    2,889    $ 6.35      2,503    $ 3.31      2,236    $  2.03
Granted                                              392     38.68        536     19.87        316       12.5
Exercised                                         (1,237)     2.31       (132)     2.65        (36)      1.80
Forfeited                                            (26)    16.85        (18)    14.26        (13)     11.75
                                                     ---     -----        ---     -----        ---      -----
Outstanding at fiscal year end                     2,018     14.95      2,889      6.35      2,503       3.31
                                                   =====     =====      =====      ====      =====       ====
Exercisable at fiscal year end                       683      5.76      1,473      2.32      1,116       1.85
                                                   =====     =====      =====      ====      =====       ====
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Shares  and  weighted  average  exercise  price give  retroactive  effect to the
3-for-2 stock split that occurred on February 5, 1999.

     Of the 2,018,000  options  outstanding at August 31, 1999,  828,000 have an
exercise price of $1.80 per share and a weighted average  remaining  contractual
life of 5.2 years.  Of these  options,  493,000 were  exercisable  at August 31,
1999, at a weighted  average  exercise price of $1.80.  The remaining  1,190,000
options  outstanding  have exercise  prices between $11.33 and $46.75 per share,
with a  weighted  average  exercise  price of $24.11  per  share and a  weighted
average remaining contractual life of 8.6 years. Of these options,  190,000 were
exercisable at August 31, 1999, at a weighted average exercise price of $16.01.

     The  Company  follows  the  disclosure-only  provisions  of SFAS  No.  123,
Accounting  for  Stock-Based  Compensation.  As  permitted  by SFAS No. 123, the
Company  accounts  for the Plans  under  APB  Opinion  No.  25,  under  which no
compensation  cost has been recorded.  Had compensation  cost for the Plans been
determined pursuant to the

                                       39
<PAGE>

measurement principles under SFAS No. 123, the Company's net income and earnings
per share would have been reduced to the  following pro forma amounts for fiscal
years 1999, 1998 and 1997:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Thousands, except per share data                                 As Reported         Pro Forma
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>               <C>
Year Ended August 31, 1999
Net income                                                           $18,565           $17,110
Diluted earnings per common share                                    $  1.11           $  1.03
Weighted average fair value of option grants                                           $ 15.36
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Ended August 31, 1998
Net income                                                           $12,851           $12,142
Diluted earnings per common share                                    $  0.78           $  0.74
Weighted average fair value of option grants                                           $  7.02
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Ended August 31, 1997
Net income                                                           $ 8,930           $ 8,760
Diluted earnings per common share                                    $  0.55           $  0.54
Weighted average fair value of option grants                                           $  4.23
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
Shares  and  weighted  average  exercise  price give  retroactive  effect to the
3-for-2 stock split that occurred on February 5, 1999.

     Disclosure of the pro forma impact from the method of accounting prescribed
by SFAS No. 123 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1994.
As such,  options  granted in fiscal 1995 are excluded from the  calculations of
compensation  costs  included in the pro forma net income and earnings per share
amounts above.

     The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using
the  Black-Scholes  option  pricing  model with the following  weighted  average
assumptions used for grants in fiscal years 1999, 1998 and 1997:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                      Years Ended August 31,            1999              1998              1997
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                    <C>               <C>               <C>
Risk-free interest rate                                                5.24%             5.51%             6.10%
Expected lives of options                                          4.1 years         4.2 years           4 years
Expected volatility                                                      43%               38%               31%
Dividend yield                                                          0.4%                 -                 -
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
15. SEGMENTS
     The Company has two reportable segments based on geographic operations: the
United States and International. Each segment markets online integrated database
services to investment  managers,  investment banks and other financial services
professionals. The U.S. segment services financial institutions throughout North
America, while the International segment serves investment professionals located
in Europe and the Pacific Rim.

                                       40
<PAGE>

The  International  segment  consists of two foreign branch  operations that are
staffed  mainly by sales and  consulting  personnel.  Segment  revenues  reflect
direct  sales of  products  and  services to clients  based on their  geographic
location.  There are no intersegment or intercompany sales. Each segment records
compensation, travel, office and other direct expenses related to its employees.
Expenses  for  software  development,  expenditures  related  to  the  Company's
computing  centers,  data  costs,  clearing  fees,  income  taxes and  corporate
headquarters  charges are recorded by the U.S.  segment and are not allocated to
the International  segment. The accounting policies of the segments are the same
as those described in Note 2, "Accounting Policies."
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Segment Information
Thousands                                                               U.S.     International             Total
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>               <C>              <C>
Year Ended August 31, 1999
Revenues from external clients                                       $88,962           $14,869          $103,831
Interest income                                                        1,977                10             1,987
Depreciation and amortization                                          9,118               674             9,792
Segment operating profit*                                             22,579             6,051            28,630
Income tax expense                                                    12,052                 -            12,052
Total assets                                                          95,377             6,167           101,544
Capital expenditures                                                  15,572               923            16,495
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Ended August 31, 1998
Revenues from external clients                                       $68,938            $9,973           $78,911
Interest income                                                        1,543                13             1,556
Depreciation and amortization                                          6,239               318             6,557
Segment operating profit*                                             16,155             4,728            20,883
Income tax expense                                                     9,830                 -             9,830
Extraordinary gain, net of $191 of taxes                                 242                 -               242
Total assets                                                          66,858             3,698            70,556
Capital expenditures                                                  11,573               442            12,015
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Ended August 31, 1997
Revenues from external clients                                       $52,046            $6,312           $58,358
Interest income                                                          867                 4               871
Depreciation and amortization                                          4,488               249             4,737
Segment operating profit*                                             12,572             2,290            14,862
Income tax expense                                                     6,803                 -             6,803
Total assets                                                          48,607             2,228            50,835
Capital expenditures                                                   5,226               584             5,810
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
* Expenses  are not  allocated  or charged  between the  segments.  Expenditures
associated with the Company's  computer  centers,  software  development  costs,
clearing fees, data fees,  income taxes and corporate  headquarters  charges are
recorded by the U.S. segment. 41
<PAGE>

     Two separate  regions  (Europe and the Pacific Rim) were aggregated to form
the  International  segment.  The Europe and Pacific Rim  segments  have similar
market characteristics and each offers identical products and services through a
common distribution method to financial services institutions.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Geographic Information
Thousands                             Years Ended August 31,            1999              1998              1997
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                  <C>                <C>               <C>
Revenues
United States                                                        $88,962           $68,938           $52,046
                                                                    --------           -------           -------
United Kingdom                                                         8,049             6,045             3,569
Other European countries                                               2,641             1,343               793
Asia Pacific                                                           4,179             2,585             1,950
                                                                    --------           -------           -------
Total International                                                   14,869             9,973             6,312
                                                                    --------           -------           -------
Total revenues                                                      $103,831           $78,911           $58,358
                                                                    ========           =======           =======
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-lived Assets
United States                                                        $20,283           $13,829           $ 8,495
                                                                    --------           -------           -------
United Kingdom                                                           745               608               549
Other European countries                                                   -                 -                 -
Asia Pacific                                                             355               243               178
                                                                    --------           -------           -------
Total International                                                    1,100               851               727
                                                                    --------           -------           -------
Total revenues                                                       $21,383           $14,680           $ 9,222
                                                                    ========           =======           =======
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
     Fees quoted by the Company are based on  subscriptions  to its products and
services.  Around-the-clock consulting, unlimited client training and payment of
daily communication costs are significant services provided to all clients. Fees
for these services are included in  subscription  charges and are not separately
stated in client invoices or in the Company's  accounting records.  Accordingly,
disclosure of revenues by products and services is not practicable.

     For the fiscal year ended August 31, 1999, no individual  client  accounted
for more than 4% of total  revenues.  Revenues  from the top ten clients did not
exceed 15% of the total.

16. REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES
     In fiscal 1999, the Company  entered into two revolving  credit  facilities
("the facilities") that are available in aggregate principal amount of up to $25
million for working capital and general corporate purposes.  The Company has not
drawn on either  of the  facilities.  The  facilities  are split  into two equal
tranches  of $12.5  million  and have  terms of 364 days and  three  years.  The
Company  is  obligated  to pay a  commitment  fee on the  unused  portion of the
facilities  at a weighted  average  annual rate of .175%.  The  facilities  also
contain  covenants  that  require  the  Company to  maintain  minimum  levels of
consolidated net worth and certain leverage and fixed charge ratios. The Company
has complied with each covenant during fiscal 1999.

                                       42
<PAGE>

17.  OFF-BALANCE  SHEET  RISK AND  CONCENTRATIONS  OF CREDIT  RISK
     In the normal course of business, securities transactions of clients of FDS
are  introduced and cleared  through  clearing  brokers.  Pursuant to agreements
between FDS and its clearing  brokers,  the  clearing  brokers have the right to
charge FDS for unsecured  losses that result from a client's failure to complete
such   transactions.   The   Company   seeks  to  control  the  credit  risk  of
nonperformance  by  evaluating  the  creditworthiness  of  its  clients  and  by
reviewing their trading activity on a periodic basis.

     Receivable from clearing brokers  represents a concentration of credit risk
and relates to securities transactions cleared through two clearing brokers.


                                       43
<PAGE>

QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)
     Quarterly  results of  operations  and earnings per common share for fiscal
1999 and 1998 are as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Thousands, except per share data                                       First            Second             Third              Fourth
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                   <C>               <C>               <C>                 <C>
1999
Revenues                                                             $23,830           $25,235           $26,451             $28,315
Cost of services                                                       8,511             9,053             9,503              10,268
Selling, general and administrative                                    8,725             9,228             9,641              10,272
Income from operations                                                 6,594             6,954             7,307               7,775
Net income                                                             4,320             4,515             4,846               4,884
Diluted earnings per common share*                                   $  0.26           $  0.27           $  0.28             $  0.29
Wtd. avg. common shares (diluted)*                                    16,613            16,805            17,045              17,133
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998
Revenues                                                             $17,494           $19,057           $20,196             $22,164
Cost of services                                                       6,871             7,630             7,727               8,377
Selling, general and administrative                                    6,025             6,571             7,056               7,771
Income from operations                                                 4,598             4,856             5,413               6,016
Net income                                                             2,775             3,171             3,267               3,638
Diluted earnings per common share*                                   $  0.17           $  0.19           $  0.20             $  0.22
Wtd. avg. common shares (diluted)*                                    16,455            16,424            16,562              16,617
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
*  Earnings  per share and shares  outstanding  give  retroactive  effect to the
3-for-2 stock split that occurred on February 5, 1999.

COMMON STOCK
     The principal stock exchange on which the Company's common stock (par value
$0.01 per share) is listed is the New York Stock  Exchange.  At October 4, 1999,
there were approximately 2,500 stockholders of the Company's common stock.

QUARTERLY STOCK PRICES
     Quarterly stock prices reflect the high and low prices for FactSet's common
stock on the New York  Stock  Exchange  composite  tape for the last two  fiscal
years.

                                        First      Second      Third      Fourth
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1999*
High                                   $28.67      $54.00     $51.25      $59.38
Low                                     17.33       26.92      36.68       42.19
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998*
High                                   $22.42      $21.33     $24.67      $27.17
Low                                     16.67       15.58      19.71       20.46
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Share prices give retroactive effect to the 3-for-2 stock split that occurred on
February 5, 1999.

                                       44
<PAGE>



REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of FactSet Research Systems Inc.

     In our  opinion,  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Statements  of Financial
Condition  and  the  related  Consolidated  Statements  of  Income,  Changes  in
Stockholders'  Equity,  and Cash Flows present fairly, in all material respects,
the financial  position of FactSet Research Systems Inc. and its subsidiaries at
August 31,  1999 and 1998,  and the results of their  operations  and their cash
flows for each of the three years ended  August 31,  1999,  in  conformity  with
generally accepted  accounting  principles.  These financial  statements are the
responsibility of the Company's management;  our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these  financial  statements  based on our audits.  We conducted  our
audits of these  statements  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted  auditing
standards which require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable
assurance   about  whether  the  financial   statements  are  free  of  material
misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements,   assessing  the
accounting  principles  used and significant  estimates made by management,  and
evaluating the overall  financial  statement  presentation.  We believe that our
audits provide a reasonable basis for the opinion expressed above.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
New York, New York
September 10, 1999

                                       45
<PAGE>



DIRECTORS

Howard E. Wille
Chairman of the Board
Chief Executive Officer

Charles J. Snyder
Vice Chairman of the Board
Retired President
FactSet Research Systems Inc.

John D. Connolly
Retired Partner
Miller, Anderson & Sherrerd
West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

David R. Korus
Managing Member
Owenoke Capital Management, LLC
New York, New York

Joseph E. Laird, Jr.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Laird Squared, LLC
New York, New York

John C. Mickle
President
Sullivan, Morrissey & Mickle
Capital Management Corporation
New York, New York

Walter F. Siebecker
Managing Director
National Securities Clearing Corporation
New York, New York


MANAGEMENT

Howard E. Wille
Chairman of the Board
Chief Executive Officer

Michael F. DiChristina
President

Ernest S. Wong
Senior Vice President
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

Timothy J. Aune
Director, Pacific Rim Operations
President of FactSet Pacific, Inc.

Scott L. Beyer
Director of European Operations
Managing Director, FactSet Limited

Jon D. Carlson
Director, Platform Engineering

Michael E. Cham
Director, Database Engineering

William F. Faulkner
Director, FactSet Enterprises

Michael D. Frankenfield
Director, Investment Banking

Philip A. Hadley
Director, Sales and Marketing

Kieran M. Kennedy
Director, Consulting Services

Edward A. Martin
Director, Information Research

Adelaide P. McManus
Chief Administrative Officer

Maurizio Nicolelli
Comptroller

Townsend Thomas
Chief Technology Officer
Director, Systems Engineering

Peter G. Walsh
Director, Planning and Control

Susan L. Warzek
Director, Marketing Communications

Daniel B. Weinstein
Director, Applications Engineering

Merle E. Yoder
Director, Product Development and Strategy

                                       46
<PAGE>


CORPORATE INFORMATION

Headquarters
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
One Greenwich Plaza
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
203.863.1500 /203.863.1501 fax

Internet Address
www.factset.com

Offices
FactSet Research Systems Inc.
One Cummings Point Road
Stamford, Connecticut 06902
203.356.3700

FactSet Research Systems Inc.
90 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10016
212.476.4300

FactSet Research Systems Inc.
One Federal Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
617.757.1100

FactSet Research Systems Inc.
2600 Campus Drive
San Mateo, California 94403
650.286.4900

FactSet Limited
One Angel Court
London EC2R 7HJ
United Kingdom
44.207.606.0001

FactSet Pacific Inc.
Daini Okamotoya Building 8F
1-22-16 Toranomon
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001
Japan
81.3.5512.7700

FactSet Pacific Inc.
Bank of America Tower, Suite 801
12 Harcourt Road
Central, Hong Kong
85.2.2584.6278

FactSet Pacific Inc.
14 Martin Place, Level 7
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
61.2.9224.8930

Additional  information,  including the Form 10-K,  can be obtained from our Web
site at www.factset.com or by contacting Investor Relations at 203.863.1500.

Legal Counsel
Cravath, Swaine & Moore
New York, New York

Stock Transfer Agent/Registrar
The Bank of New York
800.524.4458
[email protected]

Common Stock Information
FactSet trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "FDS."

ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of stockholders will be held at 10:00 a.m. on
Thursday, January 13, 2000, at the FactSet Corporate Office
One Greenwich Plaza
Greenwich, Connecticut
On November 24, 1999,  proxy material will be sent to  stockholders of record as
of November 12, 1999.

Cover  artwork:  Trois  Formes Sur Fond Blanc by J.  Friedlander,  1976,  oil on
canvas.

<TABLE> <S> <C>


<ARTICLE>                     5
<LEGEND>
Exhibit 27

This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
consolidated statement of financial condition, consolidated statement of income,
and consolidated statement of cash flows included in the Company's form 10-K for
the period ending August 31, 1999, and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>

<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000


<S>                                            <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                   12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              AUG-31-1999
<PERIOD-END>                                   AUG-31-1999
<CASH>                                          31,837
<SECURITIES>                                         0
<RECEIVABLES>                                   14,399
<ALLOWANCES>                                       927
<INVENTORY>                                          0
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                76,634
<PP&E>                                          21,383
<DEPRECIATION>                                   9,792
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 101,544
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                           23,489
<BONDS>                                              0
                                0
                                          0
<COMMON>                                           158
<OTHER-SE>                                      77,456
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                   101,544
<SALES>                                        103,831
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                               103,831
<CGS>                                                0
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                   75,201
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                     0
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                     0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                 30,617
<INCOME-TAX>                                    12,052
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                             18,565
<DISCONTINUED>                                       0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                      0
<CHANGES>                                            0
<NET-INCOME>                                    18,565
<EPS-BASIC>                                     1.21<F1>
<EPS-DILUTED>                                     1.11


<FN>
<F1> FOR PURPOSES OF THIS STATEMENT, PRIMARY MEANS BASIC.
</FN>


</TABLE>


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