How to Get a Stock Symbol Assigned
A stock symbol, also known as a ticker symbol, is the shorthand designation used by investors to designate companies on the various stock exchanges. For many years, stocks on the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange used symbols of three or fewer letters, while stocks traded on the NASDAQ market used four letters. That changed in July 2007, when restrictions were relaxed and companies were allowed to use their choice of letters no matter where they traded. Generally speaking, companies can select any available combination of letters of their choosing, as long as they qualify to register a symbol.
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Instructions
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Create enough free-trading shares. Before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority can grant your company the right to use a stock symbol, you must show that you have at least 300,000 to 500,000 freely traded stock shares available.
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Show nonaffiliated shareholders. FINRA will typically only list a stock if your company does not concentrate share ownership among a few company officers. Typically, you need at least 30 to 50 nonaffiliated shareholders before FINRA will consider your company for a stock symbol. Shares also must be reasonably distributed and cannot be concentrated in the hands of just a few of the nonaffiliated shareholders.
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File a United States Securities and Exchange Commission registration statement. To be a listed company with a stock symbol, your company must file reports with the SEC relating to the background of the company officers and the company's financial statements.
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Reserve a stock symbol. Each stock exchange has a form you can use to reserve a stock symbol. Assuming you qualify for listing and the stock symbol you request is not currently in use, you can usually get the symbol of your choice.
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