ASX codes and descriptors

Most ASX listed company codes have 3 characters which represents the company and all securities issued by that company.

The 3 character code is typically used to issue the primary issue of shares by that company. This is the case for listed companies, A-REITS, listed investment companies and infrastructure funds and conventional exchange traded funds.

A company may issue options that can be exercised for shares that can be traded on market. An option over XYZ Company may have the code XYZO and a rights issue may use the code XYZR.

A fourth character that is added to the underlying 3 character codes indicates a special circumstance or product type.  For example, if ASX undertook a share split, it may trade on a deferred settlement basis for a period. This would be identified by the code: “ASXDA”.

Another example would be a partly paid security, this is a security that an additional payment of money is required to be made by the holder, and this security would be identified by the fourth character “C” for example "ASXCA".

Listed companies may issue various types of interest rate securities. These securities have a 4 or 5 or 6 character code.  The 3 character issuer code will be the prefix followed by a character to identify the type of security for example H: unsecured note, G: convertible note and P: preference share.

A company may issue a series of a particular type of interest rate security. In this case it becomes necessary to be able to identify each particular series. Alpha characters are added sequentially to each series as they are issued. WOWHA represents the first unsecured note on issue by Woolworths Limited. CPAPB represents the second preference share issue by Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

ETPs include Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Managed Funds and Structured Products. Most Exchange Traded Funds and Managed Funds have a 3 or 4 character codes that reflect the name of the fund.  New Exchange Traded Funds and Managed Funds will all have a 4 character codes that reflect the name of the fund.

Structured Products and Single Asset Funds have 6 character codes, with the first three characters reflecting the name of the issuer or fund.

Derivatives are instruments that derive their value primarily from that of an underlying instrument (such as shares, share price indices, fixed interest securities, commodities, currencies etc.).

ASX codes typically employ the code of the underlying as the prefix to the code for these instruments.

Exchange traded options markets offer hundreds of different series over the same underlying share, each with a different right to buy or sell / expiry date / exercise price.

Each option series has a unique ASX code. ASX employs a 6 character code or in some cases a 5 character code with the first 3 representing the underlying stock or index.

For example BHPXJ represents an option over BHP shares or XJOWX for an option over the S&P/ASX 200 ( XJO being the code for that index).

Sometimes exchange traded options over a secondary issue are available for trading. The secondary issue will most likely have a 4 or 5 characters so a new 3 character code must be created to represent the underlying for options over that security.

Warrant codes

All warrants are issued with a six character ASX code. The individual letters of the code describe some of the main features of the warrant:

• The first three characters of the code identify the underlying instrument. For most equity and instalment warrants this will be the same as the three letter ASX code of the underlying company shares.
• The fourth character of the code identifies the type of warrant (see link below).
• The fifth character of the code identifies the warrant issuer (list of Warrant Issuers and their corresponding fifth letter).
• The sixth character of the code identifies the particular warrant series. The range A to O is reserved for call warrants, while the range P to Z is reserved for put warrants. In addition, the range 1 to 6 is reserved for call and put warrants.

ASX 24 futures and options on futures have a two character underlying code, followed by a contract differentiator. This contract differentiator represents the month and year of expiry for the future or options on futures contract. For example, the underlying code for the most active equity based contract is "AP" for the ASX 200 SPI futures contract.

Share price indices are identifiable by a 3 character code. They are useful to know the code for the S&P/ASX 200 is XJO and the prefix XJO is used for all exchange traded options and warrants over the S&P/ASX 200 index.

Index codes are also used when you want to plot the performance of various indices on a chart.