OpenBB-finance/OpenBB · error · ValueError

Column '{target}', or 'close', not found in the data.

Error message

Column '{target}', or 'close', not found in the data.

What it means

The moving-average charting view (technical_views.py, ma function) raises this ValueError when neither the requested target column nor a fallback 'close' column exists in the data. The MA overlay must be computed on one price series; if data lacks both the specified target (default 'close') and 'close', there is no series to smooth.

Source

Thrown at openbb_platform/extensions/technical/openbb_technical/technical_views.py:460

        data = basemodel_to_df(data, index=index)

    window = (
        kwargs.get("length", [])
        if "length" in kwargs and kwargs.get("length") is not None
        else [50]
    )
    offset = kwargs.get("offset", 0)
    target = (
        kwargs.get("target")
        if "target" in kwargs and kwargs.get("target") is not None
        else "close"
    )

    if target not in data.columns and "close" in data.columns:
        target = "close"

    if target not in data.columns and "close" not in data.columns:
        raise ValueError(f"Column '{target}', or 'close', not found in the data.")

    df = data.copy()
    if target in data.columns:
        df = df[[target]]
        df.columns = ["close"]
    title = (
        kwargs.get("title")
        if "title" in kwargs and kwargs.get("title") is not None
        else f"{ma_type.upper()}"
    )

    fig = OpenBBFigure()
    fig = fig.create_subplots(
        1,
        1,
        shared_xaxes=True,
        vertical_spacing=0.06,
        horizontal_spacing=0.01,

View on GitHub (pinned to 3e071fcc2c)

Solutions

1. Inspect data.columns and pass an existing numeric column as target: charting(target='Close'.lower())
2. Rename your column to 'close' before calling: df = df.rename(columns={'Close': 'close'})
3. Use an OBBject from a price endpoint that guarantees a close field

Example fix

# before
res.charting(target='adj_close')  # no such column

# after
df = res.to_df().rename(columns=str.lower)
res.charting(data=df, target='close')

cols = {c.lower() for c in df.columns}
assert 'close' in cols or (target and target.lower() in cols), 'no plottable price column'

def has_price_column(df: pd.DataFrame, target: str | None = None) -> bool:
    cols = {c.lower() for c in df.columns}
    return 'close' in cols or (target is not None and target.lower() in cols)

try:
    res.charting(target='adj_close')
except ValueError as e:
    if 'not found in the data' in str(e):
        res.charting(data=res.to_df().rename(columns=str.lower), target='close')

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the MA chart with kwargs['target']='adj_close' when the frame has no adj_close and no close column; charting an OBBject from an endpoint whose output has no 'close' field (e.g. some macro or custom data); case-mismatched column names like 'Close'.

Common situations: Passing target names that don't exist in the provider's schema; using custom DataFrames with uppercase or renamed columns; endpoints whose results never include close prices.

Related errors

• Error: No data to plot.
• Expiration field not found in the data.
• Price field not found in the data.
• Column '{target_col}' not found in the data.
• No 'weight' column found in the data.

AI-assisted analysis of OpenBB-finance/OpenBB@3e071fcc2c (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ddb7c7b6f2a2c78f. Report an issue: GitHub.