Introduction to Stock Symbol or Ticker Symbol for Kids and Teens
This video explains the concept of stock symbol in a simple, concise way for kids and beginners. It could be used by kids & teens to learn about ticker symbol, or used as a money & personal finance resource by parents and teachers as part of a Financial Literacy course or K-12 curriculum.
Suitable for students from grade levels:
- Kindergarten
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
The topics covered are:
- What is a stock symbol
- Does every security have a ticker symbol
- Multiple ticker symbols for a company
- How are stock symbols assigned
- Who determines the ticker symbol for a company
What is a stock symbol?
Stock symbols – also known as ticker symbols – are a short series of letters that are assigned to a security – usually a company’s stock.
There may be many companies with similar names, but each company has its own unique ticker symbol to identify the stock when trading which helps avoid any confusion.
The term ticker comes from the sound that was made by the ticker tape machine while printing stock symbols and prices that used to be transmitted over telegraph lines earlier.
Does every single security in the world have its own ticker symbol?
All publicly traded stocks have tickers. Since ticker symbols are used to identify a stock for trading purposes, private companies that are not listed publicly on a stock exchange do not have a stock symbol.
Each company has only one unique ticker symbol, right?
No. Tickers are assigned to stocks. If one company has different classes of stocks, then each class will have a different ticker symbol.
For example, since Berkshire Hathaway has two classes of stocks – A and B – the stock symbol for each is different. Their class A ticker symbol is BRK.A, and their class B ticker symbol is BRK.B.
Extra letters can also be added on to the end of stock symbols to show something other than stock class. For example, stock symbols with .Q at the end show that the company has declared bankruptcy.
Also, if a company’s stock is listed on multiple stock exchanges, it could have different ticker symbols across those exchanges.
Are stock symbols just random letters?
No. Companies try to get ticker symbols that are related to the company name – for example, Amazon’s ticker symbol is AMZN and Walmart’s ticker symbol is WMT.
So, can a company get any ticker symbol it wants?
The company picks its own stock symbol but the stock exchange it is listed on needs to approve it.
Each stock exchange has a specific maximum length allowed for stock symbols.
For example, stocks listed on the NYSE can have a stock symbol made up of three or fewer letters, whereas stocks listed on the NASDAQ can have up to four characters in their ticker symbol.
Download Transcript: Ideal for Use by Teachers in their Lesson Plan to Teach Kids & Teens
Podcast: What is a Stock Symbol or Ticker Symbol
Fun, informative and concise episodes by a 10-year old, breaking down complex financial concepts in a way that kids and beginners can understand. Episodes cover personal finance topics like saving, investing, banking, credit cards, insurance, real estate, mortgage, retirement planning, 401k, stocks, bonds, income tax, and more, and are in the form of a conversation between a cowboy (a finance novice) and his friend, a stock broker. Making finance your friend, only at Easy Peasy Finance.
A little bit about me: I have been fascinated with the world of personal finance since I was 6! I love to read personal finance books, and keep myself updated on the latest by reading various personal finance magazines. My friends often ask me questions about finance because they find it complex and intimidating. That’s what inspired me to start my YouTube channel called Easy Peasy Finance when I was 8, and this podcast 2 years later.
Everything you need to know about a Stock Symbol or Ticker Symbol: What is a stock symbol / ticker symbol, Does every single security in the world have its own ticker symbol, Does each company have only one ticker symbol, Are stock symbols just random letters, Can a company get any ticker symbol it wants, and more.
Show notes and transcript at: https://www.easypeasyfinance.com/stock-symbol-ticker-symbol-for-kids/
