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Company Extensions and Security Identifiers


This page provides definitions of company "extensions" and security identifiers. While U.S. companies are usually followed by "Inc.", many foreign companies have different endings. This section tells what these terms mean, and where they are used. If you don't know what country a company is based in, this list of identifers might help narrow your search.
Company Extensions
A
Ext.CountryDescription
A. en P.MexicoAsociación en Participación. Joint venture
ABSwedenAktiebolag. Aktiebolag. Stock company -- can be publicly-traded or privately-held. In Sweden, privately-held AB's must have capital of at least SEK 100,000 upon incorporation. AB's are also required to allocate at least 10% of the profits for reserves per year until reserves are at least 20% of the start-up capital. Publicly-traded AB's in Sweden must have capital of at least SEK 500,000. There must be at least three board members for Swedish AB's. An Annual General Meeting is required. AB's are registered with the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (Patent- och Registreringsverket or PRV). The Swedish automobile and aircraft manufacturer SAAB is actually an acronym -- Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget. Aktiebolaget is sometimes used instead of Aktiebolag, since the definite article is appended to the end of the word in Swedish (Aktiebolaget means THE stock company whereas Aktiebolag means just Stock Company).
ABFinlandAktiebolag. In Finland, many companies use both this Swedish abbreviation and the Finnish language Oy designation, since Finland is a bilingual country. In Finland, an AB is only private (Apb is the public equivalent).
A.C.MexicoAsociación Civil Civil Association of a non-commercial nature.
ACEPortugalAgrupamento Complementar de Empresas. Association of businesses
ADBulgariaAktzionerno Druzhestvo. Limited Liability company, can be publicly-traded.
AEGreeceAnonymos Etairia. Limited company. Must have a board of three to nine members.
AGAustriaAktiengesellschaft. Translates to "stock corporation". Minimum share capital is ATS 1 million. Par value of each share must be ATS 100, ATS 500, or a multiple of ATS 1,000. As in Germany, an Austrian AG must have both a Vorstand and an Aufsichtsrat.
AGGermanyAktiengesellschaft. Translates to "stock corporation." In Germany, all publicly traded companies are AG's, but not all AG's are publicly traded. AG's have two sets of boards -- the Vorstand, which usually consists of the CEO, CFO and other top management, and anAufsichtsrat, which translates to "supervisory board," which has the function of overseeing management and representing the shareholders. German law prohibits individuals from being members of both boards at the same time. AG's in Germany require a minimum of DM 100,000 share capital and at least five shareholders at incorporation. Minimum par value for shares is DM 50.
AGSwitzerlandAktiengesellschaft. Translates to "stock corporation." In Switzerland, AG's must have at least CHF 100,000 share capital, and each share must be at least CHF 0.01 par value. When a Swiss entity registers as an AG, 3% of the capital must be paid to the authorities as a Tax if the share capital is equal to or more than CHF 250,000. There must be three shareholders (although they can be nominees). An annual audit is required, and an annual directors meeting and shareholders meetings must be held in Switzerland.
ALNorwayAndelslag. Co-operative society.
Note: this was formerly written as A.L. and A/L, but financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.
AmbADenmarkAndelsselskab.
ANSNorwayAnsvarlig selskap. Trading partnership.
ApbFinlandPublikt Aktiebolag. Public limited company. This is the Swedish language equivalent to the more commonly used Oyj in Finland. Finland is technically bilingual, so this could be used, but is not likely.
ApSDenmarkAnpartsselskab. Limited liability corporation, required minimum share capital of DKK 200,000.
ApS & Co. K/SDenmarkSimilar to a K/S, but the entity with unlimited liability is a company (ApS) instead of an individual.
ASNorwayAksjeselskap, translates to "stock company," and gives owners limited liability. In Norway, publicly traded companies now use the ASA notation, and no longer use this notation. Private companies still use this AS notation. An AS requires minimum share capital of NOK 100,000, of which at least 50% must be paid up at incorporation.
Note: this was formerly written as A.S. and A/S, but financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.
A/SDenmarkAktieselskap, translates to "stock company", and gives the owners limited liability. Danish companies require minimum share capital of DKK 500,000.
A.S.Czech RepublicAkciova spolecnost. Joint stock company. Owners have limited liability. Share capital must be at least CZK 1 million. The company must put at least 20% of the capital into a reserve fund, which is funded by after-tax profits. The accounts must be audited annually. There must be at least three members on the board of directors, and each member must be a Czech citizen or resident.
A.S.EstoniaAktsiaselts, Joint stock company.
A.S.SlovakiaAkciova Spolocnost, Joint stock company
A.S.TurkeyAnonim Sirket, a limited liability company
ASANorwayAllmennaksjeselskap. Stock company. This acronym was chosen because Aas is a very common surname in Norway, which might have created some confusion. Since 1996, all publicly traded Norwegian companies are now incorporated in this legal structure, but not all ASA's are publicly traded.
Note: this was formerly written as A.S.A. and A/S/A, but financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.
AVVArubaAruba Vrijgestelde Vennootschap. Aruba Exempt Company. This type of company is intended for non-residents of Aruba: and such a company pays no taxes (but must instead pay an annual registration fee of AFl 500, or about US$280). Registered or bearer shares may be issued, and preference shares are also allowed. Minimum share capital is AFl 10,000. There are no financial statements that are required to be filed, but there must be representation by a local Aruban company (usually a Trust Agent).

B
Ext.CountryDescription
BpkSouth AfricaBeperk
BtHungaryBeteti társaság. Limited liability partnership.
B.V.BelgiumBesloten Vennootschap. Limited liability company.
B.V.NetherlandsBesloten Vennootschap. Limited liability company. Capital of at least 40,000 NLG is required to start at BV.
B.V.Netherlands AntillesBesloten Vennootschap. Limited liability company. Many companies incorporated in the Netherlands Antilles are merely shells created for tax purposes.
BVBABelgiumBesloten Vennootschap met Beperkte Aansprakelijkheid Flemish language equivalent of the SPRL. It means that the company is a private limited company. Capital must be at least BEF 750,000, with at least BEF 250,000 paid up.

C
Ext.CountryDescription
CAEcuadorCompania anonima.
Corp.USACorporation. Same meaning as Incorporated.
C.V.NetherlandsCommanditaire Vennootschap. Limited Partnership. One partner must have unlimited liability, and the others can have limited liability.
CVABelgiumCommanditaire Vennootschap op Aandelen. Limited partnership with shares. Flemish language equivalent to the French language SCA
CVoANetherlandsCommanditaire Vennootschap op Andelen. Limited Partnership, with shares

D
Ext.CountryDescription
DANorwaySelskap med delt ansar. Limited Partnership
Note: this was formerly written as D.A. and D/A, but financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.
d/b/aUSADoing Business As. Used often by individuals who want to have a business name, but don't want to incorporate. Companies also use this designation when they operate under a name other than the owner's personal name or the name of a filed corporation/LLC.
d.d.Croatiadionicko drustvo. Joint stock company.
d.d.SloveniaDelniska druzba. Stock company -- all publicly traded companies must have this structure. Must have capital of SIT 3 million, and each share must have par value of SIT 1,000. Minimum of five shareholders.
d.n.o.SloveniaDruzba z neomejeno odgovornostjo. Partnership -- all partners have unlimited liability.
d.o.o.Croatiadrustvo s ogranicenom odgovornoscu. Limited Liability company.
d.o.o.SloveniaDruzba z omejeno odgovornostjo. Limited Liability company. Must have a share capital of at least SIT 1.5 million, and each partner must invest at least SIT 10,000.

E
Ext.CountryDescription
EEGreeceEterrorrythmos. Limited liability partnership.
EEGAustriaEingetragene Erwerbsgesellschaft. Professional Partnership.
EIRLPeruEmpresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada. Personal business with limited liability.
ELPBahamasExempted Limited Partnership. Has one or more limited partners, and one general partner, which must be a resident of the Bahamas or a company incorporated in the Bahamas. Cannot conduct business in the Bahamas, but may conduct business elsewhere. Usually set up for tax purposes.
EOODBulgariaEdnolichno Druzhestvo s Ogranichena Otgovornost. Limited liability company. Requires only one shareholder.
EPEGreeceEtairia periorismenis evthinis. Limited liability company.
EURLFranceEnterprise Unipersonnelle à Responsabilité Limitée. Sole proprietorship with limited liability.
e.V.GermanyEingetragener Verein. Non profit society/association.

G
Ext.CountryDescription
GbRGermanyGesellschaft burgerlichen Rechts. Partnership without a legal name. Mainly used for non-commercial purposes. Partners have full liability.
GCVBelgiumGewone Commanditaire Vennootschap. Limited Partnership. The Flemish language equivalent to the French language SCS.
GesmbHAustriaSee GmbH. This abbreviation is only used in Austria (not Germany or Switzerland).
GIEFranceGroupement d'intéret économique. Economic Grouping of Interest. Two or more persons or entities form an alliance with the goal of facilitating or developing economic activity of the members.
GmbH & Co. KGGermanyLike a KG, but the entity with unlimited liability is a GmbH instead of a person. (See the KG entry for more information).
GmbHAustriaGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung. Translates to "Company with limited liability." In Austria, this is often GesmbH, although this abbreviation is not used in Germany or Switzerland. In Austria, there must be at least two founding shareholders of a GmbH. Insurance companies and mortgage banking companies are not permitted to exist in this form. Minimum share capital is ATS 500,000, and at least half of this must be raised in cash. Minimum par value is ATS 1,000 per share. No citizenship or residence requirement for shareholders exists, and shareholders can be other companies. A general meeting must be held at least annually. If an Austrian GmbH controls companies with 300 or more employees, or if the company has more than 300 employees itself, there must be a supervisory board, which must have at least three members, one of whom represents the workers. The supervisory board must meet at least three times annually.
GmbHGermanyGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung. Translates to "Company with limited liability." In Germany, a GmbH means that the company is incorporated, but it is not publicly traded (as public companies must be AG's). GmbH's are essentially partnerships without a legal name, and there must be at least two partners. There must be nominal capital of at least DM 50,000. Subsidiaries of AG's can be GmbH's.
GmbHSwitzerlandGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung. Translates to "Company with limited liability." In Switzerland, a GmbH cannot have shares, and the owners of the company are entered into the commercial registry. Nominees can be used for anonymity.

H
Ext.CountryDescription
HBSwedenHandelsbolag. Trading Partnership
hfIcelandHlutafelag. Limited liability company.

I
Ext.CountryDescription
IBCVariousInternational Business Company. Used for offshore companies, in places such as Bahamas, Turks & Caicos Islands, etc.
Inc.USAMeans a company is Incorporated, and the owners have limited liability. In the United States, companies can be registered in any of the 50 states -- many of the bigger corporations are registered in Delaware due to various regulations. Incorporation in the United States is very easy, and can be done for minimal fees.
IncCanadaIncorporated. Limited liability
I/SDenmarkInteressentskab. Used in Denmark. General partnership; all partners have unlimited liability.

J
Ext.CountryDescription
j.t.d.CroatiaJavno trgovacko drustvo. Unlimited liability company.

K
Ext.CountryDescription
KA/SDenmarkKommanditaktieselskab. Limited partnership with share capital
KbSwedenKommanditbolag. Limited partnership. There must be at least one partner with unlimited liability, although some partners can have limited liability. In Sweden, all Kommanditbolags must be registered with the Patent and Registration Office. Annual reports must be filed annually. If there are more than 10 employees, then the annual accounts must be audited. If there are more than 200 employees, the annual reports must be filed with the Patent and Registration Office.
KbFinlandKommanditbolag. Limited partnership. This is a Swedish term, and since Finland is technically bilingual, this abbreviation can be used there, although the Ky designation is more common.
KDBulgariaKomanditno drushestwo. Partnership
k.d.Croatiakomanditno drustvo. Limited Partnership.
k.d.SloveniaKomanditna druzba. Limited Partnership -- there must be at least one limited partner and one unlimited partner.
KDABulgariaKomanditno drushestwo s akzii. Partnership with shares.
k.d.d.SloveniaKomanditna delniska druzba. Limited Partnership with shares.
KftHungarykorlátolt felelösségû társaság. Limited liability company. Similar to the German GmbH, this type of company offers limited liability, although the shares cannot trade publicly. Requires only one shareholder. Minimum share capital is HUF 1 million.
KGAustriaKommanditgesellschaft. A partnership under a legal name. There must be two partners, at least one limited and at least one unlimited partner. The limited partner's liability is listed in the commercial register.
KGGermanyKommanditgesellschaft. A partnership under a legal name. There must be a minimum of two partners, at least one limited and at least one unlimited.
KGaAGermanyKommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien. A Limited Partnership that has shares.
KKJapanKabushiki Kaishi. Joint Stock Company
KktHungaryközkereseti társaság, General Partnership. All partners have unlimited liability.
Kol. SrKTurkeyKollektiv Sirket. Unlimited liability partnership.
Kom. SrKTurkeyKomandit Sirket. Limited liability partnership.
k.s.Czech Republickomanditni spolecnost. Limited partnership. One partner must have unlimited liability, although other partners can carry limited liability.
K/SDenmarkKommanditselskab. Limited partnership: at least one partner has unlimited liability and at least one partner has limited liability.
KSNorwayKommandittselskap. Limited partnership: at least one partner has unlimited liability and at least one partner has limited liability.
Note: this was formerly written as K.S. and K/S, but financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.
KvHungaryKözös vállalat. Joint Venture
KyFinlandKommandiittiyhtiö. Limited Partnership.

L
Ext.CountryDescription
LdaPortugalSociedade por Quotas Limitada. Must have at least two shareholders, and paid in capital of at least 400,000 Escudos (800 Euros)
LDCBahamasLimited Duration Company. A company, but it has a life of 30 years or less. Sometimes, these companies can be classified as partnerships in the United States.
LLCUSALimited Liability Company. Not really a corporation, and not really a partnership; it's something different altogether. Most states require at least two people to form an LLC, but some states require only one. An LLC has limited liability (hence the name), and unlimited life (i.e., the charter does not expire). In the United States, Corporations typically pay taxes, then distribute the profits via dividends, and the recipients must pay taxes on the dividends. An LLC allows for pass through taxation, which means that the income a company makes goes directly to the owners on their tax forms (even if the profits were not distributed). LLC's may have several different classes of stock.
LLPUSALimited Liability Partnership.
Ltd.VariousLimited. Used in the UK and many former British colonies, as well as in other countries such as Japan. Indicates that a company is incorporated and that the owners have limited liability. This can also be used in the United States, and has the same meaning as Inc.
LtdaBrazilSociedade por Quotas de Responsabiliadade Limitada. Means the owners have limited liability.
Ltée.CanadaLimitée. French language equivalant of Ltd. (Limited). Indicates that a company is incorporated and that the owners have limited liability.

N
Ext.CountryDescription
N.A.USANational Association. Used by Banks in the United States as a way of getting the word national into their name, which is a legal requirement under certain banking regulations.
NTCanadaiNTermediary. Indicates that a company is a financial intermediary. However, companies are not required to use this abbreviation in their name if they are a financial intermediary -- it's merely a description.
NVNetherlandsNaamloze Vennootschap. All publicly traded Dutch companies are NV's, but not all NV's are publicly traded. Dutch NV's require 100,000 NLG share capital or more.
NVBelgiumNaamloze Vennootschap. This is Flemish (Dutch): In Belgium, many companies use both NV and SA (the French language equivalent).
NVNetherlands AntillesNaamloze Vennootschap. In the Netherlands Antilles, many foreign companies establish subsidiaries to shelter taxes.
NVSurinameNaamloze Vennootschap. All publicly traded companies are NV's, but not all NV's are publicly traded. NV's require SRD 5000 (USD 1850) share capital or more.

O
Ext.CountryDescription
OEGreeceOmorrythmos. Partnership. All partners have unlimited liability.
OHGAustriaOffene Handelsgesellschaft. Partnership, with at least two partners. Partners have unlimited liability.
OHGGermanyOffene Handelsgesellschaft. Partnership with a legal name, and must have at least two partners. Partners have unlimited liability.
OODBulgariaDruzhestvo s Ogranichena Otgovornost. Limited liability company. Requires at least two shareholders. Minimum share capital is 5000 leva (2550 Euro).
EstoniaOsaühing. Private limited liability company. Minimum capital of EEK 40,000. This type of company doesn't trade on the stock exchange (as those are of the AS variety).
OyFinlandOsakeyhtiö. All corporations in Finland used to have this legal structure, although now, publicly traded companies will be OYJ (julkinen osakeyhtiö).
OYJFinlandJulkinen osakeyhtiö. Used by publicly-traded companies in Finland.

P
Ext.CountryDescription
P/LAustraliaPty. Ltd. Proprietary Limited Company.
PC LtdAustraliaPublic Company Limited by Shares
PLCVariousPublic Limited Company A publicly traded company and the owners have limited liability. Used in the UK, Ireland, and elsewhere. In the UK, a PLC must have at least UKP 50,000 in authorized capital, with UKP 12,500 paid up.
PMAIndonesiaPenenaman Modal Asing. Foreign joint venture company.
PMDNIndonesiaPenanaman Modal Dalam Negeri. Domestic Capital investment company
PrCIrelandPrivate Company limited by shares.
Prp. Ltd.BotswanaPrivate company limited by shares.
PTIndonesiaPerseroan Terbuka. Limited liability company.
Pty.VariousStands for Proprietary. Used in South Africa, Australia and elsewhere.

R
Ext.CountryDescription
RASEstoniaRiiklik Aktsiaselts. State (owned) Joint Stock company.
RtHungaryRészvénytársaság. Stock Company. All Hungarian publicly-traded companies are incorporated via this structure. However, an Rt doesn't necessarily mean that a company is publicly traded, and Rt companies may have as few as one shareholder. However, there are three board members required. Minimum share capital is HUF 10 million.

S
Ext.CountryDescription
S. de R.L.MexicoSociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada. Limited Partnership
S. en C.Colombia & PeruSociedad en Comandita. Limited Partnership
S. en N.C.MexicoSociedad en Nombre Colectivo. General Partnership
S/ABrazilSociedades Anônimas. In Brazil, there must be at least two shareholders of an S/A, and they must have paid in cash at least 10% of the subscribed capital. The Capital must be deposited with the Bank of Brazil or other approved entity of the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission. Annual accounts must be published.
SABelgiumSociété Anonyme, the Dutch language equivalent is NV. Initial capital must be BEF 2.5 million, and must be fully paid up upon incorporation.
SAFranceSociété Anonyme.
SAGreeceSociété Anonyme. A Greek SA must have share capital of GRD 10 million.
saItalySocietá in accomandita per azioni. Limited partnership with shares.
SAIvory CoastSociété Anonyme. Requires a minimum of seven shareholders. Each share must have a par value of at least 5000 CFA Francs,
SALuxembourgSociété Anonyme. There is a minimum of two shareholders, and a minimum share capital of LUF 1.25 million.
SAMexicoSociedad anónima. Mexican SA's require a minimum capital of N$50,000. At least 20% of this must be paid-in at the time of incorporation. There is a minimum of two shareholders, but no maximum. Ordinary shareholder meetings can be called with 1/2 of the shares voting, and extraordinary meetings require a 3/4 vote. Shareholder meetings must take place in the city where the company is located, but board meetings can be abroad. 5% of annual profits must be allocated to a reserve until the reserve totals 20% of the capital.
SAMoroccoSociété Anonyme. SA's must have at least seven shareholders and a share capital of at least 10,000 dirhams, with each share having a minimum par value of 1000 dirhams.
SAPolandSpolka Akcyjna. Stock company
SAPortugalSociedad Anónima. Share capital minimum of PTE 5 million, and a minimum par value of PTE 1000 per share. There is a minimum of 5 shareholders. Companies are registered in the Commercial Registry.
SARomaniaSocietate pe actiuni. Limited liability company, can be publicly-traded. Can be set up by one or more shareholders (but not more than 50) and must have a minimum capital of RL 2 million (about $100.00). At present, capital contributed by a foreign investor is converted to lei at the prevailing market exchange rate in effect at the time the capital is contributed for accounting purposes only. Companies may maintain bank accounts in foreign currency. The registered capital is divided into equal shares whose value cannot be less than RL 100,000 (about $5.00 USD) each.
S.A.BrazilSociedade por Ações. Privately-held company
SA de CVMexicoSociedad Anónima de Capital Variable In Mexico, SA's can have either fixed or variable capital; this abbreviation is used for those with variable capital.
SAFIUruguaySociedad Anonima Financiera de Inversion. Offshore company.
S.A.I.C.A.VenezuelaSociedad Anónima Inscrita de Capital Abierto. Open Capital Company
SApAItalySocieta in Accomandita per Azioni.
SarlFrance & OtherSociété à responsabilité limitée. Used in France and other French speaking countries. Private company.
SarlLuxembourgSociété à responsabilité limitée. Private company -- must have share capital of at least LUF 500,000, and 100% must be paid up on formation. Requires a minimum of one director and two shareholders.
SASItalySocietá in Accomandita Semplice. Limited Partnership.
SCFranceSociété civile. Partnership with full liability.
SCPolandSpólka prawa cywilnego. Partnership with all partners having unlimited liability.
S.C.SpainSociedad en commandita. General Partnership.
SCABelgiumSociete en commandite par actions. Limited partnership with share capital.
SCARomaniaSocietate in còmandita pe actiuni. Limited liability partnership with shares.
SCPBrazilSociedade em Conta de Participacão. This is a partnership where there is one partner assumed responsible for running the business. The other partners carry liability, but they do not have to be revealed.
SCSBelgium & FranceSociete en Commandite Simple.
S.C.S.BrazilSociedade em Comandita Simples. Limited Partnership
SCSRomaniaSocietate in comandita simpla. Limited liability partnership.
Sdn BhdMalaysiaSendirian Berhad. Limited Liability Company.
SENCLuxembourgSociété en Nom Collectif. General Partnership
SGPSPortugalSociedade gestora de participações socialis. Holding Enterprise.
SKPolandSpólka komandytowa. Limited liability partnership.
SNCFranceSociété en nom collectif. General Partnership
SNCItalySocietà in Nome Collettivo. General Partnership.
SNCRomaniaSocietate in nume colectiv. General Partnership.
SNCSpainGeneral Partnership
SOPARFILuxembourgSociété de Participation Financiére. Holding company.
spFranceSociete en participation.
SpAItalySocietà per Azioni. Limited share company.
spol s.r.o.Czech RepublicSpolecnost s rucenim omezenym. Limited liability company. This type of company cannot trade on the stock exchange, but owners have limited liability up to their unpaid deposits. This type of company must have share capital of at least CZK 100,000, and each shareholder must contribute at least CZK 20,000. A reserve fund of at least 10% of the share capital must be created from the profits. There is a maximum of 50 shareholders. Directors must be Czech citizens or residents. An annual audit is usually not required.
SPRLBelgiumSociété Privée à Responsabilité Limitée. French language equivalent to BVBA -- see that definition for more information.
Sp. z.o.o.PolandSpólka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia. Limited liability company, privately-held.
SrlChileSociedad de responsabilidad limitada, Limited Liability company
SrlItalySocietà a Responsabilità Limitata. Limited liability company.
SrlMexicoSociedad de responsabilidad limitada. This type of limited liability company is really not that common in Mexico. A minimum of N$3,000 is required.
SrlRomaniasocietate cu raspondere limitata. Limited-liability company, privately-held. Can be set up by one or more shareholders (but not more than 50) and must have a minimum capital of RL 2 million (about $100.00). At present, capital contributed by a foreign investor is converted to lei at the prevailing market exchange rate in effect at the time the capital is contributed for accounting purposes only. Companies may maintain bank accounts in foreign currency. The registered capital is divided into equal shares whose value cannot be less than RL 100,000 (about $5.00) each.
SrlSpainSociedad Regular Colectiva .

T
Ext.CountryDescription
tdSloveniaTiha druzba. Sole proprietorship.
TLSTurkeyTürk Limited Sirket. Private Limited Liability Company

V
Ext.CountryDescription
VEBEast GermanyVolkseigner Betrieb. Term for East German companies before Reunification. They were all either shut down, or converted into AGs or GmbHs by the Privitization Agency (Treuhandanstalt).
VOFNetherlandsVennootschap onder firma. General partnership.
v.o.s.Czech RepVerejna obchodni spolecnost. General partnership. Partners are fully liable.

Security Identifiers
Bonds and Stocks usually have one or more identifier codes, issued by various clearing houses or other agencies. The purpose of these identifiers is to prevent confusion when discussing a particular security, particularly a bond. While a company will usually only have one class of stock, it can have many different bond issues. The following is a list of various security identifiers along with information about their structure and issuers.

IDDescription
CedelNo longer used; replaced by the Common Code on January 1, 1991.
CINCUSIP International Number. Used for non-U.S. and non-Canadian securities. Nine characters. The first character is always a letter, which represents the country of issue. The country codes are as follows: A=Austria, B=Belgium, C=China, D=Germany, E=Spain, F=France, G=Great Britain, H=Switzerland, J=Japan, K=Denmark, L=Luxembourg, M= MiddleEast, N=Netherlands P= South America, Q=Australia, R=Norway, S=South Africa, T= Italy, U= United States, V =Africa(Other), W= Sweden, X=Europe (Other), Y=Asia. The next five characters are numbers which represent the issuer, followed by two digits representing the security. The final digit is the check digit.
Common CodeIssued in Luxembourg, replaces CEDEL and Euroclear codes. Nine digits. Final digit is a check digit, computed on a multiplicative system.
CUSIPCommittee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures. Standard & Poor's assigns a nine character code to stocks and bonds. The first six characters identify the issuer. The next two characters represent the security that was issued, and the ninth character is a check digit, which is computed using a modulus 10 double add double calculation. For Canadian and U.S. securities, the first character is always a digit. Other countries use an alphabetic first character. See CIN number, above.
EuroclearNot used anymore; replaced by the Common Code on January 1, 1991.
ISINInternational Securities Identification Number. This is a twelve character code developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO) that represents a security. The first two letters always represent the country code, and the ISO standards are used. Basically, these are the same two letters as used in Internet addresses (however GB, not UK, is used for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). The next nine characters usually use some other code, such as CUSIP in the United States, SEDOL in Great Britain, etc. Leading spaces are padded with 0. The final digit is the check digit, also computed with modulus 10 double add double, but it is different from the method used in CUSIP's.
RICReuter Identification Code. Used on the Reuters Terminal to pull up a particular security. When an equal sign is the last character, that symbol is a master RIC. An RIC that has an equal sign followed by some additional letters means that this string contains the price quoted by some entity. That entity is denoted by those letters following the equal sign.
SEDOLStock Exchange Daily Official List. Securities identification code issued by the London Stock Exchange. Has a built in check digit system.
SICStandard Industrial Code. Denotes the company's line of business. Does not symbolize a security.
SICCSecurity Identification Code Conference. Used in Japan instead of ticker symbols, usually four digits.
SicovamSociété Interprofessional Pour La Compensation des Valeurs Mobiliers. Used in France.
SVMUsed in Belgium.
ValorenIdentifier for Swiss securities. No check digit system.
Wertpapier Kenn-nummerIssued in Germany by the Wertpapier Mitteilungen. Six digits, no check digit. Different ranges of numbers represent different classes of securities. Sometimes called WPK. Note that this number has widespread use in Germany: much more so than the CUSIP in the United States, for instance.
WKNSee Wertpapier Kenn-Nummer.
WPKSee Wertpapier Kenn-Nummer.

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