A “ticker symbol” is a unique series of letters assigned to a publicly traded company, commodity, option, mutual fund, or other tradable asset for identification on stock exchanges and trading platforms. The ticker symbol serves as a shorthand way to reference the asset in trading, financial reporting, and news articles.
For example:
- Apple Inc. is represented by the ticker symbol “AAPL” on the NASDAQ.
- Microsoft Corporation has the ticker symbol “MSFT.”
- Gold futures might be represented by a ticker like “GC.”