abbreviations (mostly one to four letters) used to identify companies on the securities exchanges on which they trade; also called trading symbols.
letters used to identify listed companies on the securities exchanges on which they trade. These symbols, also called trading symbols, identify trades on the consolidated tape and are used in other reports and documents whenever such shorthand is convenient. Symbols for stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange range from one to three letters. AT&T's symbol, for example is T; Alcoa's is AA; 3M Company's is MMM. A fourth letter indicates a special class or category. Over-the-counter stock symbols have four or five letters. A fifth letter indicates that the security has something special about it. The following is a guide: A = Class A; B = Class B; D = New; E = Delinquent in SEC filings; F = Foreign, except ADRs; G, H, I = Additional warrants of preferreds; J =Voting; K = Nonvoting; L = Miscellaneous situations, such as stubs, depositary receipts, additional warrants or preferred; M = Fourth preferred; N = Third preferred; O = Second preferred; P = First preferred; Q = bankruptcy; R = Rights; S = Beneficial interest; T = Delinquent in filing; U = Units; V = When-issued and when-distributed; W = Warrants; Y = ADRs; Z = Miscellaneous situations, similar to L. Stock symbols are not necessarily the same as abbreviations used to identify the same companies in the stock tables of newspapers.
