function initvalf_(fname,period,varargin)
  global M_ oo_ options_
  global y_start_date ex_start_date 

  if ~isempty(strfind(upper(fname),'.XLS'))
    [data,names_v]=xlsread(fname);
  else
    load(fname);
  end
  
  if length(period) == 2
    period = dy_date(period(1),period(2));
  end
  
  if period - max(M_.maximum_lag,M_.maximum_lag) < 0
    error(['INITVALF_: not enough data points in database for number of' ...
	   ' lags. Start later!'])
  end
  
  if nargin > 2
    if strcmp(upper(varargin{1}),'SERIES')
      series = 1 ;
    elseif strcmp(upper(varargin{1}),'MAT')
      series = 0 ;
    else
      error(['INITVALF: unknown option ' varargin{1}])
    end
  else
    series = 0 ;
  end
  
  y1 = floor((period-M_.maximum_lag)/M_.freq);
  p1 = period-M_.maximum_lag-M_.freq*y1;
  y_start_date(2) = M_.start_date(2) + p1-1;
  if y_start_date(2) > M_.freq
    y_start_date(2) = y_start_date(2) - M_.freq;
    y1 = y1 + 1;
  end
  y_start_date(1) = M_.start_date(1)+y1;
  
  y1 = floor((period-M_.maximum_lag)/M_.freq);
  p1 = period-M_.maximum_lag-M_.freq*y1;
  ex_start_date(2) = M_.start_date(2) + p1-1;
  if y_start_date(2) > M_.freq
    ex_start_date(2) = ex_start_date(2) - M_.freq;
    y1 = y1 + 1;
  end
  ex_start_date(1) = M_.start_date(1)+y1;
  
  clear y1, p1;
  
  options_.initval_file = 1;
  oo_.endo_simul = [];
  oo_.exo_simul = [];
  
  for i=1:size(M_.endo_names,1)
    if series == 1
      x = eval([M_.endo_names(i,:) '(period-M_.maximum_lag:period+options_.periods+M_.maximum_lead-1);']);
      oo_.endo_simul = [oo_.endo_simul; x'];
    else
      k = strmatch(upper(M_.endo_names(i,:)),names_v,'exact');
      if isempty(k)
	error(['INITVALF: ' M_.endo_names(i,:) ' not found'])
      end
      x = data(:,k);
      oo_.endo_simul = [oo_.endo_simul; x(period-M_.maximum_lag:period+options_.periods+M_.maximum_lead-1)']; 
    end
  end
  
  for i=1:size(M_.exo_name,1)
    if series == 1
      x = eval([M_.exo_name(i,:) '(period-M_.maximum_lag:period+options_.periods+M_.maximum_lead-1);']);
      oo_.exo_simul = [oo_.exo_simul x];
    else
      k = strmatch(upper(M_.exo_name(i,:)),names_v,'exact');
      if isempty(k)
	error(['INITVALF: ' M_.exo_name(i,:) ' not found'])
      end
      x = data(:,k);
      oo_.exo_simul = [oo_.exo_simul x(period-M_.maximum_lag:period+options_.periods+M_.maximum_lead-1)]; 
    end
  end