Business and Personal Finance Dictionary

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• CUSIP NUMBER
  
  A unique identifier for securities, consisting of nine alphanumeric characters. The first six uniquely identify the issuer. The next two (alphabetic or numeric) identify the issue. Two numeric digits indicate an equity issue. Two alphabetical characters or a mix of alphabetical and numerical indicate a debt issue. The ninth digit is the check digit. Standard & Poor's owns and operates the CUSIP Service Bureau, which maintains the CUSIP system.
  
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