Hi all,

I have panel data with an identifier(permno) and a time variable(mofd, monthly). Based on a characteristic of the IDs (Volatility), I have formed 10 portfolios. That means that each ID is sorted into a portfolio (1 to 10), every month. Now I am trying to find out how many IDs there are on average in the portfolios. Because the portfolios are formed every single month, in month T there might be 20 IDs in portfolio 1, and 22 in portfolio 2 (etc), but in month T+1 we might have 30 IDs in portfolio 1. So I am trying to find out how many there are on average in each portfolio.

I have heard about ssc unique and distinct, but both of these will only show me the number of distinct IDs per portfolio. I however want to repeat this exercise per portfolio per month, and then simply report the average.

Any ideas?

Example of my dataset using dataex:
Code:
* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input double permno float mofd double VolatilityPortfolios float(decile10 decile9 decile8 decile7 decile6 decile5 decile4 decile3 decile2 decile1)
24360 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
11404 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
17232 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
10030 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24248 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
21821 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
23499 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24723 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
20845 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24184 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
10575 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
26585 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
21856 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
21055 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
12837 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25689 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24416 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
23034 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
14509 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
20095 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
22517 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
18825 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
16870 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24467 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
11340 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24352 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
13047 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24627 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25929 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
21776 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
21194 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
20853 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
11703 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
23931 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
11156 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25371 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
14904 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25443 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
12706 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
10516 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24969 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24571 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
18278 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
22170 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
26470 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25056 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
22998 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24870 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
11498 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24272 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
12079 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
14656 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
23835 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
12503 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
20087 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
23229 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
21514 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
10241 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25611 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
14795 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
23712 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
22226 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
18438 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
14664 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
20714 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25590 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
17005 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
17849 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
20183 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
10401 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
19860 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
23026 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
19211 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24061 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25144 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
11850 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
19975 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
10137 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
21450 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
10604 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25566 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
13688 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
17654 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
17590 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
23544 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
15966 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
25072 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
11674 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
21071 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
24424 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
17806 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
13303 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
18403 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
14541 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
16328 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
12132 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
22058 42 1 . . . . . . . .          . -.21785682
17750 42 2 . . . . . . . . -.21706127          .
26737 42 2 . . . . . . . . -.21706127          .
19940 42 2 . . . . . . . . -.21706127          .
end
format %tm mofd

Thanks,

Erik