Ticker — What is a Stock Exchange Symbol?
A ticker (stock exchange symbol) is a shortened name identifying a financial instrument on the stock exchange. Learn how to read tickers and where to find them.
Definition
Ticker (stock exchange symbol) is a unique, short alphabetic designation assigned to a financial instrument traded on a stock exchange. It serves to unambiguously identify stocks, ETFs, bonds or other instruments.
Ticker examples
| Ticker | Instrument | Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| PKO | PKO Bank Polski | GPW |
| CDR | CD Projekt | GPW |
| KGH | KGHM | GPW |
| AAPL | Apple | NASDAQ |
| MSFT | Microsoft | NASDAQ |
| VWCE | Vanguard FTSE All-World ETF | Xetra |
How do tickers work?
A ticker is unique within a given exchange. The same company listed on different exchanges may have different tickers. Therefore, an exchange designation is often added to the ticker:
- CDR.WA — CD Projekt on GPW (Warsaw)
- AAPL.US — Apple on US exchange
- VWCE.DE — Vanguard ETF on Xetra (Germany)
Ticker vs ISIN
In addition to the ticker, each instrument has an ISIN number (International Securities Identification Number) — a 12-character code unique globally. ISIN is more precise but less convenient for daily use.
Where to find a ticker?
- On broker platforms (XTB, mBank, Bossa)
- On exchange websites (gpw.pl, nasdaq.com)
- In financial services (Google Finance, Yahoo Finance, Stooq)
How can Freenance help?
In Freenance, you add instruments by ticker — the app automatically fetches current prices and calculates your portfolio value. You don't need to manually update prices.
👉 Add your instruments and track your portfolio — freenance.io
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