Apply for New ISINs - International Securities Identification Numbers Organization
Providing management services related to ISINs.
The ISIN Organization provides management services related to International Securities Identification Numbers (ISIN). ISINs uniquely identify a security -- its structure is defined in ISO 6166. Securities for which ISINs are issued include bonds, commercial paper, equities and warrants. The ISIN code is a 12-character alpha-numerical code. Think of it as a serial number that does not contain information characterizing financial instruments but rather serves to uniformly identify a security for trading and settlement purposes.
Understanding ISIN Usage
Securities with which ISINs can be used include debt securities, such as notes or bonds as well shares, such as common stock or shares of a fund, options, derivatives and futures. The ISIN identifies a security. An ISIN should not be confused with a ticker symbol which identifies the stock at the exchange level. For instance, IBM common stock trades through almost 25 trading platforms and exchanges worldwide. IBM stock has different ticker symbols depending on where it is traded, but has only a single ISIN for each security.
The ISIN code acts an identifier for the securities and as such is the only common denominator securities identification number that is universally recognized. ISINs are used for numerous reasons such as for clearing and settlement.