Anyone who frequently uses streaming applications or stock trading platforms will definitely encounter these strange abbreviations attached to stocks: CA, XD, XM, T1, T2. They appear often, but for beginners, it’s not always clear what they mean.

So, what is CA in stocks? CA stands for Corporate Action, referring to corporate events that are about to happen within the next 7 days. When you click on CA, you can see details such as what event is coming and what date it will take place. That event is shown as various abbreviations attached to the stock.

These abbreviations are divided into 3 main groups that investors need to know.

The first group is the X series. It starts with X and means Excluding—“you will not receive certain rights.” For example, XD stands for Excluding Dividend. If you buy a stock when XD appears, it means you will not receive dividends for this round. But if you hold the stock until XD appears again, then you will be entitled to dividends next time.

Similarly, XM stands for Excluding Meetings. If you buy when XM appears, you will not be able to attend the shareholders’ meeting. XW stands for Excluding Warrant—you will not have the right to buy warrants, which are subsidiary shares that can be converted into the parent stock. XR stands for Excluding Right. If you buy now, you will not have the right to subscribe for newly issued shares that the company issues as part of a capital increase.

For XS, XT, XI, XP, XA, XE, XN, XB, the meanings are similar as well. They are all related to the various rights you will lose if you buy the stock during the period when that marker appears.

The second group is the T series. It indicates that this stock’s price has surged significantly and speculation is high. Therefore, the stock exchange issues measures to limit trading. T1 means Trading Alert Level 1. You must buy only with a Cash Balance account for 3 weeks. T2 is Trading Alert Level 2. If the stock still remains within the risk criteria for T1, it will move up to T2. You must buy with Cash Balance and you are not allowed to use it as collateral. T3 is Trading Alert Level 3, the strictest one. In addition to only being able to buy with Cash Balance and not using it as collateral, netting off or offsetting is also prohibited. In other words, when you sell T3 stocks, the money will not come back immediately—it will be credited the next day instead.

The third group is warning symbols to alert investors to be careful. H stands for Trading Halt, meaning trading is temporarily suspended for one session. SP stands for Trading Suspension, meaning trading is halted for longer than one session. NP stands for Notice Pending—the company has something it needs to report. NR stands for Notice Received—the company has already submitted the report. NC stands for Non-Compliance— the company meets conditions that could lead to delisting. ST stands for Stabilization—the company is maintaining price stability. C stands for Caution—the company has financial problems. This is a warning to avoid investing.

Understanding CA in stocks and other suffix symbols correctly is extremely important for investors, because it tells you what event is happening to that stock, what level of risk it involves, and what rights you will receive. Click in to view the details when you see these symbols—it will help you make smarter investment decisions.