The Nasdaq-assigned symbol commonly used to locate the fund on electronic price-quoting systems.
Benefits
The ticker can be the most dependable way to identify a fund because it is less likely to change than a fund name. Because fund names are often abbreviated in the program, using the ticker can offer the most convenient method of locating a fund.
Origin
Ticker information is provided by Nasdaq. Morningstar receives daily Internet transmissions detailing ticker as well as fund-name changes, plus a listing of any funds that have been recently added or deleted from Nasdaq listings. The ticker symbol itself is designated by the fund company. Thus, tickers do not always follow a uniform pattern.
For the Pros
Nasdaq has two types of fund listings, "regular and "supplemental, that are assigned according to certain qualifications. Regular Nasdaq-listed funds must have more than $25 million in assets, or more than 1,000 shareholders. A supplemental Nasdaq-listed fund must have at least $10 million in assets, or have completed a minimum of two business years. Supplemental Nasdaq funds do not appear in newspaper listings, even though they report performance to and are tracked by Nasdaq.