Symbol Help Guide
Instrument Types
| Prepended Character | Instrument Type |
| "^" | Index |
| "@" | Option |
| "!" | Interest Rate |
| "/" | Futures |
| "$" | Foreign Exchange Rates |
North American Equities and Indices
| Symbol Suffix | Exchange |
| :US or (none) | US Equities and Indices Exchanges |
| :APH | Alpha Exchange |
| :ALX | Alpha-X and Alpha-DRK |
| :ARC | ARCA |
| :CC | Canadian Consolidated Quotes (CCQ) |
| :CNX | Canadian Securities Exchange (CNSX) |
| :PUR | Canadian Securities Exchange Pure ATS |
| :BZX | CBOE BZX Exchange |
| :EGX | Cboe EDGX Exchange |
| :IEX | IEX Exchange |
| :ICX | Instinet Canada (Dark Pools) |
| :LQN | Liquidnet Canada (Dark Pools) |
| :NSD | Nasdaq |
| :CXB | Nasdaq Canada Basic |
| :CX2 | Nasdaq CX2 ATS |
| :CHI | Nasdaq CXC ATS |
| :CXD | Nasdaq CXD (Dark Pools) |
| :AQN | Cboe Canada ATS (NEO-N) |
| :AQL | Cboe Canada (NEO-L) |
| :AQD | Cboe Canada Dark (NEO-D) |
| :NYE | New York Stock Exchange |
| :AMX | NYSE American |
| :LYX | TradelogiQ: LYNX ATS |
| :OMG | TradelogiQ: Omega ATS |
| :TCM | TriAct Canada Marketplace (Dark Pools) |
| :CA | TSX and TSXV Exchanges |
Note that NYE, NSD, ARC, AMX, BZX and IEX show the regional quotes for that marketplace. If you want the full consolidated quote use the default US symbol without a suffix or with :US.
Options Exchanges
Options symbols are broken down as follows:
Example: 2011 Jan 22 20.00 Call for Microsoft Corp.
Symbol : @MSFT 110122C00020000
@ : All Options begin with the " @ " character.
MSFT (and two spaces) : Six character option root symbol using any prefix/suffix as defined by the OSI definition; left-justified, space-padded. In the case where the option root symbol is three characters, it will be followed by three spaces.
11 : two least significant digits of the Contract Date year
01 : two-digit Contract Date month
22 : two-digit Contract Date day of month
C : "C" for CALL or "P" for PUT
00020 : five-digit whole portion of the strike price; right-justified and padded with zeros on the left; for instance, if the strike price is $26.50, then this field would contain 00026
000 : three-digit fractional portion of the strike price; left-justified and padded with zeros on the right; for instance, if the strike price is $26.50, then this field would contain 500
If you are having problems copying option symbols from internet browser XML requests please see this article here.
Possible Exchange suffixes are:
| Symbol Suffix | Type |
| :US or (blank) | Composite US option quote |
| :AOE | American Options Exchange |
| :BOX | Boston Options Exchange |
| :BTO | Cboe BZX Options Exchange |
| :BXO | NASDAQ OMX BX Options Exchange |
| :C2O | C2(Chicago) Options Exchange |
| :CBO | Chicago Board Options Exchange |
| :EGO | EDGX Options |
| :GMI | ISO Gemini Exchange |
| :IOE | International Options Exchange |
| :MCY | ISE Mercury Options |
| :MIO | Miami International Securities Exchange (MIAX) Options |
| :MPO | MIAX PEARL Exchange |
| :NSO | NASDAQ Options |
| :NYO | New York Options Exchange |
| :PHO | Philadelphia Options Exchange |
| :CA | Montreal Options Exchange |
= options that are "in the money"
Special Classes of Stocks (Class stocks, preferred stocks, warrants, etc.)
NYSE Exchanges - Equity Classes, etc.
| Symbol Suffix | Type |
| (none) | Common |
| .P.W | Preferred When Issued |
| .A or .B or .C | Class |
| .P.A.W | Preferred "A" when issued |
| .P | Preferred |
| .A.W | Class "A" when issued |
| .P.CLASS | Preferred Class |
| .WD | When Distributed |
| .W | When Issued |
| .P.WD | Preferred When Distributed |
| .WS | Warrants |
| .CL | Called |
| .WS.W | Warrants When Issued |
| .A.CL | Class A Called |
| .WS.A | Warrants Class A |
| .CV.CL | Convertible Called |
| .R | Rights |
| .P.CL | Preferred Called |
| .R.W | Rights When Issued |
| .P.A.CL | Preferred Class A Called |
| (none) | Debentures and Notes |
| .U | Unit |
| .EC | Emerging Company Marketplace |
| .PP | Partial Paid |
TSX/TSXV Exchanges - Equity Classes, etc.
| Symbol Suffix | |
| (none) | Common |
| .E | Equity Dividend |
| .A or .B or .C | Class |
| .W | When Issued |
| .PR or .PS or .PF | Preferred |
| .I | When Issued (second issue trading) |
| .PR.CLASS or .PS.CLASS or .PF.CLASS |
Preferred Class |
| .L | Legended Shares |
| .M | Booms |
| .P | Capital Pool (Venture) |
| .H | NEX (Junior Venture Market) |
| .R | Subscription Receipts |
| .N | Subscription Receipts (second issue trading) |
| .O | Subscription Receipts (third issue trading) |
| .S | Special US Trading Terms |
| .T | Special US Trading Terms (second issue trading) |
| .U | US Dollar |
| .V | US Dollar (second issue trading) |
| .Y | Redeemable Common |
| .UN | Units |
| .NT or .NO or .NS | Notes |
| .WT or .WS | Warrants |
| .RT | Rights |
| .IR | Installment Receipts |
| .DB | Debentures |
NASDAQ 5th Character Stocks
When a fifth letter appears at the end of a Nasdaq security, it identifies the issue as one other than a single issue of common stock or capital stock. The first 4 characters are the base symbol for the company. If there is a 5th character it represents one of the following:
| Character | Definition |
| A | Class A |
| B | Class B |
| C | Issuer qualifications exception - Issuer granted a continuance in NASDAQ® under an exception to the qualification standards for a limited period. |
| D | New |
| E | The NASD® has determined the issuer is delinquent in its required SEC filings. |
| F | Foreign |
| G | First convertible bond |
| H | Second convertible bond, same company |
| I | Third convertible bond, same company |
| J | Voting |
| K | Nonvoting |
| L | Fourth preferred, same company |
| M | Fourth preferred, same company |
| N | Third preferred, same company |
| O | Second preferred, same company |
| P | First preferred issue |
| Q | Bankruptcy - involved in bankruptcy proceedings |
| R | Rights |
| S | Shares of beneficial interest |
| T | With warrants or with rights |
| U | Units |
| V | When-issued and when-distributed |
| W | Warrants |
| X | N/A |
| Y | ADR (American Depositary Receipt) |
| Z | Miscellaneous situations, such as depositary receipts, stubs, additional warrants, and units |
Mutual Funds, Money Market Funds
US Mutual funds and Money Market funds have a similar symbol format similar to common stocks. Mutual funds are represented by four characters followed by the letter X. For example, the Fidelity Blue Chip Value fund is represented by FBCVX.
US Money Market funds are represented by three characters followed by two XXs. Fidelity Cash Reserves fund is represented by FDRXX.
Canadian Mutual Funds utilize the common fund family code with a numeric fund code. They also include the suffix :CA (for Canada). For example, the AIM American Growth fund is represented by AIM793:CA.
US Futures
| Symbol Suffix | Exchange |
| :NMX | Nymex Exchange |
| :CMX | Comex Exchange |
| (none) | Other US Futures Exchanges |
Futures always begin with the "/" character and have the form:
/(root)(month code)(year code)
root:
The root symbol is assigned by the exchange. For example, Gold is represented by "GC".
month code:
F = January
G = February
H = March
J = April
K = May
M = June
N = July
Q = August
U = September
V = October
X = November
Z = December
year code:
The year code is a one digit number representing the year. For example, year 2010 is represented by "0" and year 2011 is represented by "1". To illustrate: /GCH0 for Gold March 2010 and /NGZ1 for Natural Gas December 2011
Front Month codes (spot price symbols):
For popular US Futures symbols, a spot price (constant) symbol may exist. Remove the month code and year. For example, /GC for Gold futures and /NG for Natural Gas.
Canadian Futures
| Symbol Suffix | Exchange |
| :NGX | ICE NGX Futures |
| :CA (or None) | Montreal Exchange (TSX) |
Futures always begin with the "/" character and have the form:
/(root)(month code)(year code)
root:
A root symbol assigned by the exchange, eg. "1"for the ICE NGX AECO Natural Gas Future.
month code:
F = JanuaryG = February
H = March
J = April
K = May
M = June
N = July
Q = August
U = September
V = October
X = November
Z = December
year code:
The year code is a one digit number representing the year. For example, year 2018 is represented by "8". For NGX Futures in Canada, use two digit number representing year, eg. "18" for 2018. To illustrate: /1J18:NGX for ICE NGX Phys FP (CA/GJ) AB-NIT Apr 2018.
Spot Metal Markets
Always begin with the "/" character and have the form:
/(metalroot)SP(currency)
metalroot:
/GC = Gold
/SI = Silver
/PL = Platinum
/PA = Palladium
currency:
USD = US Dollar
AUD = Australian Dollar
EUR = Euro
GBP = Great Britain Pounds
HKD = Hong Kong Dollar
CHF = Switzerland Francs
ZAR = South Africa Rand
As an example, the Spot Gold in US Dollars is represented by /GCSPUSD.
Forex/Currencies
Foreign exchange rates always begin with the "$" character. For example, the foreign exchange rate symbol for US Dollar vs. Euro is represented by $USDEUR.
International Exchanges
| Symbol Suffix | Country |
| :AE | Nasdaq Dubai Exchange |
| :AR | Merval, Argentina |
| :AS | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| :AT | Athens, Greece |
| :AU | Sydney, Australia |
| :BE | Berlin |
| :BR | Brussels, Belgium |
| :BV | Bovespa, Brazil |
| :CL | Santiago, Chile |
| :CO | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| :CZ | Shenzhen, China |
| :DB | Xetra, Deutsche Boerse |
| :DU | Dusseldorf, Germany |
| :FF | Frankfurt, Germany |
| :HA | Hanover, Germany |
| :HI | Helsinki, Finland |
| :HK | Hong Kong |
| :HM | Hamburg, Germany |
| :IE | Dublin, Ireland |
| :LN | London Stock Exchange and FTSE UK Indices |
| :LS | Lisbon, Portugal |
| :MA | Madrid, Spain |
| :MB | Bombay, India |
| :MI | Milan, Italy |
| :MU | Munich, Germany |
| :MX | Mexico |
| :NKK | Japan, Nikkei |
| :OS | Oslo, Norway |
| :PA | Paris, France |
| :SG | Stuttgart, Germany |
| :SH | Shanghai, China |
| :SM | Swiss Market |
| :ST | Stockholm, Sweden |
| :STOX | STOXX, Dow Jones |
| :VX | Virt-X (SWX Europe) |
