Exchange A to Z: a dictionary of characters

Leading stock exchanges of the USA use different from other characters of securities. On the new York and American stock exchanges the shares are assigned a unique codes containing from 1 to 3 letters. Nasdaq uses four-letter stock symbols. However, some characters may receive an additional symbol, indicating that this valuable paper has special characteristics.

For example, BRKa – stock Berkshire Hathaway Inc class A traded on NYSE; BIR_pa (BIRPRA; BIR.PR.A.) - preferred shares series A of the company Berkshire Income Realty AMEX; RYVNX - shares Fund Rydex Venture 100, and DROOY - ADR Durban Roodepoort Deep Ltd - listed on the Nasdaq.

The fifth letter in the symbols securities traded on the Nasdaq

A	Class A	Class A shares
B	Class B	Share of class b
C	Issuer qualifications exceptions	For a limited period of time, the Issuer may fail to meet the requirements of the listing
D	New	A new issue of shares (usually done when conducting a reverse split)
E	Delinquent in required filings with the SEC	NASD believes the Issuer is in violation of the rules of submission of documents to the SEC
F	Foreign	Shares in foreign companies
G	First convertible bond	The first convertible bonds
H	Second convertible bond, same company	The second convertible bond, same company
I	Third convertible bond, same company	The third convertible bond, same company
J	Voting	Voting shares
K	Non-voting	Non-voting shares
L	Miscellaneous situations, such as depositary receipts, stubs, additional warrants, and units	Various situations related to the case of Depositary receipts, speculative stocks of companies with questionable financial performance, additional share warrants and securities investment funds
M	Fourth class preferred stock	Preferred shares the fourth grade
N	Third class preferred stock	Preference shares of the third class
O	Second class preferred stock	Preferred shares of the second class
P	First class preferred stock	Preferred shares of the first class
Q	Bankruptcy Proceedings	Securities of the company held by the bankruptcy
R	Rights	With the right to purchase shares of new issues at favorable terms.
S	Shares of beneficial interest	With the right to receive income or other benefits provided to the owner-beneficiary
T	With warrants or with rights	Warrant or right to purchase shares of new issues on favorable terms
U	Units	Securities investment funds
V	When-issued and when distributed	"When and if issued, and when and if they are hosted"*
W	Warrants	Warrants**
X	Mutual Fund	Mutual funds
Y	ADR (American Depositary Receipt)	American Depository receipts, ADRs
Z	Miscellaneous situations such as depositary receipts, stubs, additional warrants, and units.	Various situations related to the case of Depositary receipts, speculative stocks of companies with questionable financial performance, additional share warrants and securities investment funds.

Additional letters in symbols of securities listed on NYSE and AMEX

A	Class A	Class A shares
ACL	Class A Called	Shares of class A revocable
ACV	Class A Convertible	Shares of class A convertible
AWI	Class A When Issued	Class A shares after the release
B	Class B	Share of class b
BCL	Class B Called	Share of class b revocable
BCV	Class B Convertible	Share of class b convertible
BWI	Class B When Issued	Shares class "when and if issued"
CL	Called	Revocable
CT	Certificate	Certificate
CV	Convertible	Convertible
CVCL	Convertible Called	Convertible revocable
XD	Ex-Dividend	Excluding dividend
XRT	Ex-Rights	Except for the right to purchase shares of new issues on favorable terms
XW	Without Warrants	Without warrants
PTCL	Part Called	Partially revocable
PR	Preferred	Preferred
PRA through PRZ	Preferred A through Preferred Z	Preference shares from series A to series Z, inclusive
PRCL	Preferred Called	Preference revocable
PRWI	Preferred When Issued	Preferred, when and if issued"
CTUP	Rock Island Certificate UP	The Certificate Rock Island
RT	Rights	With the right to purchase shares of new issues on favorable terms
PRWI	Rights When Issued	With the right to purchase shares of new issues on favorable terms when and if issued"
SP	Special	Special
SD	Stamped	With rights and privileges than those possessed by securities of the same issue, class or series.
WS	Warrants	Warrants
WSA	Warrants Class A	Warrants class A
WSB	Warrants Class B	Warrants class
WSWI	Warrants When Issued	The warrants, when and if issued"
WW	With Warrants	Warrant
WD	When Distributed	"When and if will be placed"
WI	When Issued	"When and if issued"

*When issued – transactions with securities, whose issue is permitted, but not yet implemented;

When distributed - a condition of transactions with securities, the issue of which implemented but not yet posted

**Warrants – certificates giving the right to purchase securities at a fixed price within a specified time period or without time limitation