Ticker symbols, often referred to simply as "tickers," are short, unique combinations of letters or numbers that represent publicly traded companies and their stocks on various stock exchanges.

These symbols are used to identify and trade specific stocks quickly and efficiently.

Ticker symbols serve as a standardized way to reference a particular company's stock, making it easier for investors, traders, and financial professionals to track and trade stocks in the stock market.

There are different types of stock tickers on the same exchange, as well as between exchanges of different countries. 

Single-Letter Tickers

Certain stocks on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), have one-letter stock tickers. These are typically old companies that have been trading their shares for more than a century. 

For example, the United States Steel Corporation, which was founded in 1901, has a ticker symbol ‘X’. 

Other notable stock with single-letter tickers include:

• Citigroup Inc - one of the largest commercial banks in the world (NYSE:C)
• Wayfair - a major online home store (NYSE:W)
• Zillow - an online real estate marketplace (NYSE:Z)
• Ford - one of the oldest and most popular automakers in the world (NYSE:F)
• AT&T - the largest telecommunications company in the United States (NYSE:T)

These are only a handful of single-letter tickers investors may find on the market. 

Multiple-Letter Tickers

Most exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, use a multiple-letter ticker system, which ranges from two-letter, to four-letter tickers. Some exchanges, such as the Borsa Istanbul in Turkey, use five-letter tickers. 

• Two-letter tickers include - The Boeing Company (NYSA:BA), General Motors (NYSE:GM), General Electric (NYSE:GE), The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), etc 
• Three-letter tickers include - Allstate (NYSE:ALL), The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), etc
• Four-letter tickers include - Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD), Expedia Group (NASDAQ:EXPE), First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), etc

Four-letter tickers are characteristic of Nasdaq stocks, as it gives the exchange a variety of possible tickers, as Nasdaq offers more listings than the NYSE. 

Suffixes And Prefixes

Some stock exchanges use suffixes or prefixes to differentiate between various classes of shares or securities.

For example, "GOOGL" represents Alphabet Inc. (Class A shares) on the Nasdaq, while "GOOG" represents Alphabet Inc. (Class C shares).

Numerical Tickers

Certain exchanges in the Asian market, such as in China, Hong-Kong, South Korea, and Japan, stocks are denoted in a combination of numbers, instead of letters. 

For example, stocks with numerical ticker symbols include:

• The Toyota Motor Corporation - traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, under the TYO:7203 ticker 
• Samsung Electronics Co - traded on the Korea Exchange, under the KRX:005930 ticker 
• BYD Company - traded on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, under the SHE:002594
• HSBC Holdings plc - traded on the Hong-Kong Stock Exchange, under the SEHK:0005 ticker 

Hybrid Tickers

Other stock exchanges, such as the Singapore Stock Exchange, have a hybrid ticker system, which means that the ticker symbol consists of both letters and numbers.

For example, DBS Group, one of the largest banking holdings in Singapore, is listed under the D05 ticker symbol. 

• A stock ticker is a unique combination of letters, numbers, or a combination of both, that represents a publicly traded company's stock on a stock exchange
• Stock tickers on North American and European exchanges typically consist of 1-4 letters, while Asian exchanges use numbers 
• Market participants can use stock tickers to find their desired stocks on the market, research, and trade them 
• Stocks listed on the Nasdaq tend to have four-letter tickers, due to a higher number of listings than the New York Stock Exchange