All OTC equity symbols are issued by FINRA and follow the standard four character symbol convention used by Nasdaq. A fifth character is used to indicate a particular security type or status (e.g. bankruptcy, delinquent in filings).
The guide below is not absolute as exceptions to the rule are possible and do occur; however, it is a good reference tool for analyzing OTC securities.
| Fifth character | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Class A Shares |
| B | Class B Shares |
| D | New Issue – in the OTC this usually occurs in the case of a reverse split. |
| E | Delinquent in Filings |
| F | Foreign Issue |
| G | First Convertible Bond |
| H | Second Convertible Bond |
| I | Third Convertible Bond |
| J | Voting Trust Shares |
| K | Non–Voting Shares |
| M | Fourth Preferred Issue |
| N | Third Preferred Issue |
| O | Second Preferred Issue |
| P | First Preferred Issue |
| Q | Bankruptcy |
| R | Rights Issue |
| S | Shares of Beneficial Issues |
| T | Securities with Warrants or Rights |
| U | Units |
| V | When issued and When Distributed |
| W | Warrants |
| Y | ADR |
| C | Issuer Qualification Exemption — this does not apply to the OTC |
| L, Z | Reserved for special circumstances |
