How to Perform an ISIN Lookup

ISIN or International Securities Identification Number is a code assigned to a foreign security. For the United States securities, this is the equivalent of a CUSIP identifier. All foreign securities traded in an organized Stock Exchange are assigned an ISIN.

These codes are assigned by the CUSIP Service Bureau, which is owned by the American Bankers Association. People need to lookup ISINs to find a security. The security is searched to obtain description, interest rate, maturity etc. These are some tips on how to find a security's ISIN.

Instructions

1. If you need to look up an ISIN, first find out the legal name of the security and whether it's a stock or a bond. Also, determine the security's country of origin.

2. Contact your broker or investment house. If you already have a security or stock account, a customer service representative at the firm can provide an ISIN for a particular foreign security. Provide the security description, type and name to get the ISIN.

3. Visit the CUSIP Service Bureau which issues the International Securities Identification Number. Visit the internet site ISIN.CUISP.com, this is a paid subscription service. Register for an account and search for ISIN on any foreign security. The user can search for an individual security or for a list of codes for a country. The "country code list" search will provide all securities issued in the country.

4. Find ISIN lookup services on the internet. There are many online services offering ISIN databases; some are free and other charge a subscription fee. The services that find CUSIP numbers generally provide ISIN lookup by security and by country also.

5. Communicate with the company's Investor Relations department. If none of the above methods work to find the ISIN neeeded, contact the company. Find the company's telephone, address or fax and request it's ISIN code directly.

Resources

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