Answered By: Bobray Bordelon
Last Updated: Jan 09, 2024     Views: 35983

Many financial data packages use CUSIP as the identifier.  The first 6 digits of a CUSIP identify the company, digits 7-8 describe the security and the 9th is a check digit. 

Converting from 8 or 9 digit CUSIPS to 6,8 or 9 digits can be done with:

Converting from 6 digits to 8 or 9 is harder,  as the information in the first 6 digits relates only to the company not the security.  The first equity security issued by a company issues receives the digits 10, additional issues increment by 10. In most cases, for companies that have publicly traded equity adding 10 to the 6 digit company identifier will return the common stock and the underlying company data.  If this does not yield positive results, try adding 20 instead of 10.  If adding increments of 10 does not work, the last resort is looking up the company by name. 

If a company has bonds the first 6 numbers again designate the company and bonds are identified with letters.

For instance - Apple's common stock CUSIP is 03783310 and a CUSIP for one of Apple's outstanding bonds is 037833AK.  The company identifier is 037833 and the security identifiers are 10 for the common stock and AK for that specific bond.  

Related Topics

Contact Us

Chat with a Librarian


Text a Librarian

Text (609) 277-3245 to get live help on your mobile phone (available the same hours as the Chat service)


Email a Librarian

You can email your research questions to refdesk@princeton.edu or you can request an individual appointment with a subject specialist.


Call a Librarian

Call (609) 258-5964 to speak to a reference librarian during most open hours of the Libraries.