International Company and Securities Identifiers

This page gives definitions for security identifiers such as CUSIP and for company “extensions” such as “GmbH”. While U.S. companies are usually followed by “Inc.”, many foreign companies have different endings. The following section tells what these terms mean, and where they are used. If you don’t know what country a company is based in, this might help narrow it down a little bit.

A



Ext.
Country
Description


A. en P.
Mexico
Asociación en Participación. Joint venture


AB
Sweden
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 registed with the Patents 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).


AB
Finland
Aktiebolag. 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.
Mexico
Asociación Civil Civil Association of a non-commercial nature.


ACE
Portugal
Agrupamento Complementar de Empresas. Association of businesses


AD
Bulgaria
Aktionierno drushestwo. Limited Liability company, can be publicly-traded.


a.d.
Macedonia
???


AE
Greece
Anonymos Etairia. Limited company. Must have a board of three to nine members.


AG
Austria
Aktiengesellschaft. 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.


AG
Germany
Aktiengesellschaft. 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 an Aufsichtsrat, 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. 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.


AG
Switz.
Aktiengesellschaft. 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 100 par value. When a Swiss entity registers as an AG, 3% of the capital must be paid to the authorities as a Tax. There must be three shareholders (although they can be nominees). A Swiss AG must have at least one director who is a Swiss resident and citizen. An annual audit is required, and an annual directors meeting and shareholders meetings must be held in Switzerland.


AL
Norway
Andelslag. Co-operative society.

Note: this was formerly written as A.L. and A/L, but recent financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.


AmbA
Denmark
Andelsselskab.


ANS
Norway
Ansvarlig selskap. Trading partnership.


Apb
Finland
Publikt 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.


ApS
Denmark
Anpartsselskab. Limited liability corporation, required minimum share capital of DKK 200,000.


ApS & Co. K/S
Denmark
Similar to a K/S, but the entity with unlimited liability is a company (ApS) instead of an individual.


AS
Norway
Aksjeselskap, translates to “stock company,” and gives owners limited liability. Sometimes, Norwegian companies use the notation AS or A.S. due to a recent spelling reform. In Norway, publicly traded companies now use the ASA notation, and no longer use this notation. Private companies still use this in Norway. An A/S 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 recent financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.


A/S
Denmark
Aktieselskap, translates to “stock company”, and gives the owners limited liability. Danish companies require minimum share capital of DKK 500,000.


A.S.
Czech Rep.
akciova 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.
Estonia
Aktsiaselts, Joint Stock company.


A.S.
Slovakia
Akciova Spolocnost, Joint stock company


A.S.
Turkey
Anonim Sirket, a limited liability company


ASA
Norway
Allmennaksjeselskap. 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 recent financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.


AVV
Aruba
Aruba 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). More information about this type of company is available from



B



Ext.
Country
Description


Bpk
South Africa
Beperk


Bt
Hungary
Betiti társaság. Limited liability partnership.


B.V.
Belgium
Besloten Vennootschap. Limited liability company.


B.V.
Neth.
Besloten Vennootschap. Limited liability company. Capital of at least 40,000 NLG is required to start at BV.


B.V.
Neth. Ants.
Besloten Vennootschap. Limited liability company. Many companies incorporated in the Netherlands Antilles are merely shells created for tax purposes.


BVBA
Belgium
Besloten Vennootschap met Beperkte Aansprakelijkheid Flemish language equivalent of the SPRL. 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.
Country
Description


CA
Ecuador
compania anonima


C.V.
Neth.
Commanditaire Vennootschap. Limited Partnership. One partner must have unlimited liability, and the others can have limited liability.


CVA
Belgium
Commanditaire Vennootschap op Aandelen. Limited partnership with shares. Flemish language equivalent to the French language SCA


CVoA
Neth.
Commanditaire Vennootschap op Andelen. Limited Partnership, with shares



D



Ext.
Country
Description


DA
Norway
Selskap med delt ansar. Limited Partnership

Note: this was formerly written as D.A. and D/A, but recent financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.


d/b/a
USA
Doing Business As Used often by individuals who wish to have a business name, but don’t want to incorporate. However, companies can use this too if they want to use another name.


d.d.
Croatia
dionicko drustvo. Joint stock company.


d.d.
Slovenia
Delniska 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.
Slovenia
Druzba z neomejeno odgovornostjo. Partnership — all partners have unlimited liability.


d.o.o.
Croatia
drustvo s ogranicenom odgovornoscu. Limited Liability company.


d.o.o.
Slovenia
Druzba 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.
Country
Description


EE
Greece
Eterrorrythmos. Limited liability partnership.


EEG
Austria
Eingetragene Erwerbsgesellschaft Professional Partnership


EIRL
Peru
Empresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada. Personal business with limited liability.


ELP
Bahamas
Exempted 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.


EPE
Greece
Etairia periorismenis evthinis. Limited liability company.


EURL
France
Enterprise Unipersonnelle à Responsabilité Limitée. Sole proprietorship with limited liability.


e.V.
Germany
eingetragener Verein. Non profit society/association.



G



Ext.
Country
Description


GbR
Germany
Gesellschaft burgerlichen Rechts. Partnership without a legal name. Mainly used for non-commercial purposes. Partners have full liability.


GCV
Belgium
Gewone Commanditaire Vennootschap. Limited Partnership. The Flemish language equivalent to the French language SCS.


GesmbH
Austria
See GmbH. This abbreviation is only used in Austria (not Germany or Switzerland).


GIE
France
Groupement d’intéret économique


GmbH & Co. KG
Germany
Like a KG, but the entity with unlimited liability is a GmbH instead of a person. (See the KG entry for more information).


GmbH
Austria
Gesellschaft 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 be at least three members, one of whom represents the workers. The supervisory board must meet at least three times per year.


GmbH
Germany
Gesellschaft 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.


GmbH
Switzerland
Gesellschaft 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.
Country
Description


HB
Sweden
Handelsbolag. Trading Partnership


hf
Iceland
Hlutafelag. Limited liability company.



I



Ext.
Country
Description


IBC
Various
International Business Company. Used for offshore companies, in places such as Bahamas, Turks & Caicos Islands, etc.


Inc
USA
Means 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.


Inc
Canada
Incorporated. Limited liability


I/S
Denmark
Interessentskab. Used in Denmark. General partnership; all partners have unlimited liability.



J



Ext.
Country
Description


j.t.d.
Croatia
javno trgovacko drustvo. Unlimited liability company.



K



Ext.
Country
Description


KA/S
Denmark
Kommanditaktieselskab. Limited partnership with share capital


Kb
Sweden
Kommanditbolag. 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 Patents and Trademark Office. Annual reports must be filed annually, and if there are more than 10 employees, then the annual accounts must be audited, and if there are more than 200 employees, the annual reports must be filed with the Patents and Trademark office.


Kb
Finland
Kommanditbolag. 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.


KD
Bulgaria
Komanditno drushestwo. Partnership


k.d.
Croatia
komanditno drustvo. Limited Partnership.


k.d.
Slovenia
Komanditna druzba. Limited Partnership — there must be at least one limited partner and one unlimited partner.


KDA
Bulgaria
Komanditno drushestwo s akzii. Partnership with shares.


k.d.d.
Slovenia
Komanditna delniska druzba. Limited Partnership with shares.


Kft
Hungary
korlátolt 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.


KG
Austria
Kommanditgesellschaft. 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.


KG
Germany
Kommanditgesellschaft. A partnership under a legal name. There must be two partners, at least one limited and at least one unlimited.


KGaA
Germany
Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien. A Limited Partnership that has shares.


KK
Japan
Kabushiki Kaishi. Joint Stock Company


Kkt
Hungary
közkereseti társaság, General Partnership. All partners have unlimited liability.


Kol. SrK
Turkey
Kollektiv Sirket. Unlimited liability partnership.


Kom. SrK
Turkey
Komandit Sirket. Limited liability partnership.


k.s.
Czech Rep.
komanditni spolecnost. Limited partnership. One partner must have unlimited liability, although other partners can carry limited liability.


K/S
Denmark
Kommanditselskab. Limited partnership: at least one partner has unlimited liability and at least one partner has limited liability.


KS
Norway
Kommandittselskap. 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 recent financial law reform has dictated that periods and slashes should no longer be used.


Kv
Hungary
Közös vállalat. Joint Venture


Ky
Finland
Kommandiittiyhtiö. Limited Partnership.



L



Ext.
Country
Description


Lda
Portugal
Sociedade por Quotas Limitada. Must have at least two shareholders, and paid in capital of at least 400,000 Escudos.


LDC
Bahamas
Limited Duration Company. A company, but it has a life of 30 years or less. Sometimes, these companies can be clasified as partnerships in the United States.


LLC
USA
Limited Liability Company. Not really a corporation, and not really a partnership; it’s something different altogether. Most states require there to be two people to form an LLC, but some states allow 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.


LLP
USA
Limited Liability Partnership.


Ltd
Various
Limited. 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.


Ltda
Brazil
Sociedade por Quotas de Responsabiliadade Limitada. Means the owners have limited liability.



N



Ext.
Country
Description


N.A.
USA
National 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.


NT
Canada
iNTermediary. 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.


NV
Neth.
Naamloze Vennootschap. All publicly traded Dutch compnies are NV’s, but not all NV’s are publicly traded. Dutch NV’s require 100,000 NLG share capital or more.


NV
Belgium
Naamloze Vennootschap. This is Flemish (Dutch): In Belgium, many companies use both NV and SA (the French language equivalent).


NV
Neth. Ants.
Naamloze Vennootschap. In the Netherlands Antilles, many foreign companies establish subsidiaries to shelter taxes.



O



Ext.
Country
Description


ocD
Bulgaria
Drushestwo s orgranitschena otgowornost. Limited liability company, privately-held.


OE
Greece
Omorrythmos. Partnership. All partners have unlimited liability.


OHG
Austria
Offene Handelsgesellschaft. Partnership, with at least two partners. Partners have unlimited liability.


OHG
Germany
Offene Handelsgesellschaft. Partnership with a legal name, and must have at least two partners. Partners have unlimited liability.


OÜ
Estonia
Osaühing. Private limited liability company. Minimum capital of EEK 10,000. (This will be raised to EEK 40,000 in 1999). This type of company doesn’t trade on the stock exchange (as those are of the AS variety).


Oy
Finland
Osakeyhtiö. All corporations in Finland used to have this legal structure, although now, publicly traded companies will be OYJ (julkinen osakeyhtiö).


OYJ
Finland
julkinen osakeyhtiö. Used by publicly-traded companies in Finland.



P



Ext.
Country
Description


P/L
Australia
Pty. Ltd. Proprietary Limited Company.


PC Ltd
Australia
Public Company Limited by Shares


PLC
Various
Public Limited Company Means what it says — it is publicly traded, 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. This abbreviation is not used in the United States (except by foreign companies, of course).


PMA
Indonesia
Penenaman Modal Asing. Foreign joint venture company.


PMDN
Indonesia
Penanaman Modal Dalam Negeri. Domestic Capital investment company


PrC
Ireland
Private Company limited by shares.


Prp. Ltd.
Botswana
Private company limited by shares.


PT
Indonesia
Perseroan Terbuka. Limited liability company.


Pty.
Various
Stands for Proprietary. Used in South Africa, Australia and elsewhere.



R



Ext.
Country
Description


RAS
Estonia
Riiklik Aktsiaselts. State (owned) Joint Stock company.


Rt
Hungary
Részvénytársaság. Stock Company. All Hungarian publicly-traded companies are incorporated via this structure. However, an Rt doesn’t necesarily 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.
Country
Description


S. de R.L.
Mexico
Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada. Limited Partnership


S. en C.
Colombia & Peru
Sociedad en Comandita. Limited Partnership


S. en N.C.
Mexico
Sociedad en Nombre Colectivo. General Partnership


S/A
Brazil
Sociedades 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.


SA
Belgium
Société Anonyme, the Dutch language equivalent is NV. Initial capital must be BEF 2.5 million, and must be fully paid up upon incorporation.


SA
France
Société Anonyme.


SA
Greece
Société Anonyme. A Greek SA must have share capital of GRD 10 million.


sa
Italy
Societá in accomandita per azioni. Limited partnership with shares.


SA
Ivory Coast
Société Anonyme. Requires a minimum of seven shareholders. Each share must have a par value of at least 5000 CFA Francs,


SA
Lux.
Société Anonyme. There is a minimum of two shareholders, and a minimum share capital of LUF 1.25 million.


SA
Mexico
sociedad 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 2 shareholders, but no maximum. Ordinary shareholder meetings can be called with 1/2 of the shares volting, 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. For more detailed information, see


SA
Morocco
Société 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.


SA
Poland
Spolka Akcyjna. Stock company


SA
Portugal
Sociedad 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.


SA
Romania
societate 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) each.


S.A.
Brazil
Sociedade por Ações. Privately-held company


SA de CV
Mexico
In Mexico, SA’s can have either fixed or variable capital; this abbreviation is used for those with variable capital.


SAFI
Uruguay
Sociedad Anonima Financiera de Inversion. Offshore company.


S.A.I.C.A.
Venezuela
Sociedad Anónima Inscrita de Capital Abierto. Open Capital Company


SApA
Italy
Societa in Accomandita per Azioni.


Sarl
France & Other
société à responsabilité limitée. Used in France and other French speaking countries. Private company.


Sarl
Lux.
société 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.


SAS
Italy
Societá in Accomandita Semplice. Limited Partnership.


SC
France
Société civile. Partnership with full liability.


SC
Poland
Spólka prawa cywilnego. Partnership with all partners having unlimited liability.


S.C.
Spain
sociedad en commandita. General Partnership.


SCA
Belgium
Societe en commandite par actions. Limited partnership with share capital.


SCA
Romania
societate in còmandita pe actiuni. Limited liability partnership with shares.


SCP
Brazil
Sociedade em Conta de Participacão. This is a partnership where there is one partner assumed responsible for running the business, etc. The other partners, however, carry liability. The other partners do not have to be revealed, however.


SCS
Belgium & France
Societe en Commandite Simple.


S.C.S.
Brazil
Sociedade em Comandita Simples. Limited Partnership


SCS
Romania
societate in comandita simpla. Limited liability partnership.


Sdn Bhd
Malaysia
Sendirian Berhad. Limited Liability Company.


SENC
Lux.
Société en Nom Collectif. General Partnership


SGPS
Portugal
Sociedade gestora de participações socialis. Holding Enterprise.


SK
Poland
Spólka komandytowa. Limited liability partnership.


SNC
France
société en nom collectif. General Partnership


SNC
Italy
Società in Nome Collettivo. General Partnership.


SNC
Romania
societate in nume colectiv. General Partnership.


SNC
Spain
General Partnership


SOPARFI
Lux.
Société de Participation Financiére. Holding company.


sp
France
Societe en participation.


SpA
Italy
Società per Azioni. Limited share company.


spol s.r.o.
Czech Rep.
spolecnost 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.


SPRL
Belgium
Société Privée à Responsabilité Limitée. French language equivalent to BVBA — see that definition for more information.


Sp. z.o.o.
Poland
Spólka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia. Limited liability company, privately-held.
 


Srl
Chile
Sociedad de responsabilidad limitada, Limited Liability company
 


Srl
Italy
Società a Responsabilità Limitata, limited liability company.
 


Srl
Mexico
Sociedad de responsabilidad limitada, and this type of company is really not that common in Mexico. A minimum of N$3,000 is required.
 


Srl
Romania
societate 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.
 


Srl
Spain
Sociedad Regular Colectiva
 



T



Ext.
Country
Description


td
Slovenia
Tiha druzba. Sole proprietorship.


TLS
Turkey
Türk Limited Sirket. Private Limited Liability Company



V



Ext.
Country
Description


VEB
E. Germany
Volkseigner 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).


VOF
Neth.
Vennootschap onder firma. General partnership.


v.o.s.
Czech Rep
verejna 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 (because a company will usually only have one class of stock, but can have many different bond issues). This is a list of what the various securities codes stand for, who issues them, and what their structure is.

ID
Description


Cedel
No longer used; replaced by the Common Code on January 1, 1991.


CIN
CUSIP International Number. Ten characters. The first character is always a letter, which represents the country of issue. The next six characters are numbers which represent the issuer, followed by two digits representing the security. The final digit is the check digit. The country codes are as follows: A=Austria, B=Belgium, C=Canada, D=Germany, E=Spain, F=France, G= Great Britain, H=Switzerland, J=Japan, K=Denmark, L=Luxembourg, M= MiddleEast, N= Netherlands P= SouthAmerica, Q=Australia, R=Norway, S= South Africa, T= Italy, U= UnitedStates, V = Africa(Other), W= Sweden, X=Europe (Other), Y = Asia.


Common Code
Issued in Luxembourg, replaces CEDEL and Euroclear codes. Nine digits. Final digit is a check digit, computed on a multiplicative system.


CUSIP
Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures. Standard & Poor assigns a nine digit code to stocks and bonds. The first six digits identify the issuer. The next two digits represent the security that was issued, and the final digit is a check digit (which uses modulus 10 double add double). The first character is always a number. This identifier is used for Canadian and U.S. securities only: other countries use CIN.


Euroclear
Not used anymore; replaced by the Common Code on January 1, 1991.


ISIN
International 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.


RIC
Reuter Identification Code. Used on the Reuters Terminal to pull up a particular security. It is a rather ugly looking thing with an equal sign in it somewhere. If the 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.


SEDOL
Stock Exchange Daily Official List. British securities identification code. Has a built in check digit system.


SIC
Standard Industrial Code. Tells what line of business a firm is in, does not symbolize a security.


SICC
Security Identification Code Conference. Used in Japan, usually four digits. Sort of like a ticker in Japan.


Sicovam
Société Interprofessional Pour La Compensation des Valeurs Mobiliers. Used in France.


SVM
Used in Belgium.


Valoren
Identifier for Swiss securities. No check digit system.


Wertpapier Kenn-nummer
Issued 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.


WKN
See Wertpapier Kenn-Nummer.


WPK
See Wertpapier Kenn-Nummer.

international corporate identification chart [doc]