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Stock Market Ticker Symbols

Definition: Ticker symbols represent a system of letters that represents a stock or mutual fund.

Information about the securities is enclosed in the number of letters and the letters themselves. Ticker symbols are applied as a tool of obtaining information about a security and its movement. In order to find out information about a particular security through a quoting service, you are required to fill in the letters unique for the searched security, or the so called ticker symbol.

The ticker symbols of mutual funds are made of five letters, where the last one is always the letter "X". On the other hand, the ticker symbols of money market funds always end with XX preceded by three other letters.

Example:
Fidelity Spartan 500 Index Investor – FSMKX
Vanguard Asset Allocation – VAAPX
Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Index Port Inv – WFIVX

Stock Market Ticker Symbols

The number of letters in the ticker depends on where the stock is listed. For instance, if the stock is listed on NYSE or AMEX exchanges, the symbol consists of three letters. Four letters are used whenever the stock is listed on the NASDAQ. This is true only for common stocks. An exception are stocks that do not represent single issues of common stocks. In this case the ticker symbol consists of five letters, where the fifth letter has a unique meaning that is presented in the table bellow.

A - Class A K - Nonvoting U - Units
B - Class B L - Miscellaneous situations V - When issued and when distributed
C - Issuer qualifications exceptions M - 4th class of preferred shares W - Warrants
D - New issue N - 3rd class preferred shares X - Mutual Fund
E - Delinquent in filings with the SEC O - 2nd class preferred shares Y - ADR (American Depository Receipt)
F - Foreign P - 1st class preferred shares Z - Miscellaneous situations
G - First convertible bond Q - Bankruptcy proceedings  
H - 2nd convertible bond R - Rights  
I - 3rd convertible bond S - Shares of beneficial interest  
J - Voting T - With warrants or with rights  
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