A stock symbol, also known as a ticker symbol, is a unique combination of letters that is used to identify a publicly traded company on a stock exchange. It is used to identify a specific stock and to facilitate the trading of that stock.
The stock symbol is a shorthand way of referring to a specific stock, and it’s used to track the performance of the stock and to make buy and sell decisions. For example, the stock symbol for Apple Inc. is AAPL, and the stock symbol for Facebook Inc. is FB.
Each stock exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq, has its own set of rules and guidelines for assigning stock symbols. In general, stock symbols are assigned by the stock exchange and are unique to each company.
Stock symbols are used in financial news articles, financial websites, and trading platforms. They are also used in financial data feeds, which are used by financial software applications, such as stock tracking and analysis software.
It’s important to note that stock symbols can be different on different stock exchanges, and that it’s important to use the correct stock symbol when referring to a specific stock. Additionally, stock symbols can be affected by mergers and acquisitions, and it’s important to check for any changes in the stock symbol.