Understand the End-of-Share Symbols: Don't Invest Before Knowing Them Thoroughly

When choosing stocks through an investor application, you may notice strange characters appearing after the stock name, such as CA, XM, XD, XN, T1, and others. These symbols do not appear by chance but carry important meanings for investment decisions. This article will explain what each symbol means and why investors should pay attention.

CA: Corporate Actions Affecting Shareholder Rights

CA is short for Corporate Action, indicating that the company is undertaking something that may affect shareholders within the next 7 days. Clicking on the CA symbol will display details of upcoming movements, when they will occur, and which of your rights will be impacted.

Most CA-related symbols at the end of stock names are divided into three main categories, each providing different information.

First Group: X Symbols – Rights You Will Not Receive

Symbols starting with X come from “Excluding,” meaning separation. If you buy stocks when this symbol appears, you will lose certain rights.

XD - No Dividend Entitlement

When a stock goes XD (Excluding Dividend), investors who buy during this period will not be entitled to receive the current dividend. However, if you hold the stock until the next XD, you will be entitled to (the share of profits paid to shareholders) in the next round.

If you want to receive dividends, you must buy the stock before the XD date at least one day in advance. It does not matter when you buy; all shareholders will receive dividends at the same rate.

XM - Shareholders’ Meeting Rights

XM stands for Excluding Meetings. If you buy stock while it has an XM symbol, you will not be able to participate in the company’s annual general meeting, where shareholders decide on important business matters.

XW, XS, XR, XT - Other Rights

• XW (Excluding Warrant): No right to purchase warrants (convertible securities that can be exchanged for the main stock)
• XS (Excluding Short-term Warrant): No right to subscribe for short-term warrants
• XR (Excluding Rights): No right to subscribe for additional shares, often when the company seeks to raise capital for expansion
• XT (Excluding Transferable Subscription Right): No transferable rights to subscribe for new shares

XI, XP, XA, XE, XN, XB - Other Rights Types

• XI: No interest
• XP: No principal repayment
• XA: No rights announced by the company (see more details)
• XE: No conversion rights for securities into shares
• XN: No refund from capital reduction (company capital restructuring process)
• XB: No rights to subscribe for various shares, including preferred shares and securities of affiliated companies

Second Group: T Symbols – Warnings Due to Abnormal Price Spikes

Stocks ending with T are those that have increased rapidly and abnormally. The stock exchange has implemented measures to prevent excessive speculation. These symbols are divided into three levels.

T1 - First Warning Level

T1 (Trading Alert Level 1) means you must buy this stock only from a Cash Balance account (for novice investors). This symbol will appear for 3 weeks from the exchange’s announcement.

T2 - Second Warning Level

If a T1 stock still meets warning criteria after less than a month from the announcement, it will be upgraded to T2 (Trading Alert Level 2). Besides requiring purchase from a Cash Balance account, you are also prohibited from using this stock as collateral. This symbol remains for 3 weeks as well.

T3 - Third Warning Level

If T2 continues to meet the criteria after 1 month, it will be upgraded to T3 (Trading Alert Level 3), which is more restrictive. In addition to T2 restrictions, it also prohibits netting (settlement), meaning that when you sell the stock, the buying power will not be immediately restored but will return the next day. This is to prevent multiple trades within the same day.

Third Group: Risk Warning Symbols

These symbols serve as alerts to investors to exercise caution before investing.

H - Trading Halt

H (Trading Halt) indicates that trading of the stock is suspended for only one trading session (twice daily: morning and afternoon). Usually, this occurs due to disclosed news that has not yet been officially announced to the stock exchange.

SP - Additional Trading Suspension

SP (Trading Suspension) means trading is halted for more than one session. The reason could be similar to H or because the company has not filed financial statements.

NP and NR - Notification Status

NP (Notice Pending) indicates that the company has something to report to the stock exchange. Once submitted, it will change to NR (Notice Received), meaning the market has received and reviewed the report.

NC - Company at Risk of Delisting

NC (Non-Compliance) indicates that the company is at risk of being delisted, possibly due to prolonged accumulated losses or failure to submit financial statements. The company will have 1 year to resolve the issues.

ST - Price Stabilization

ST (Stabilization) appears when the company conducts a “Greenshoe” (issuing more IPO shares than the set amount) to maintain the stock price within the IPO level during the first 30 days.

C - High Risk Warning

C (Caution) indicates that the company faces severe financial problems, such as less than 50% shareholder equity, legal proceedings for rehabilitation or bankruptcy, or regulatory orders to correct financial status. It also includes issues like financial statement problems (auditor disclaimers or SEC correction orders). When a company becomes a Cash Company (selling nearly all assets, with most assets in cash or short-term securities).

Summary: Why Know the CA and End-of-Stock Symbols?

These CA and end-of-stock symbols act as “warning lights” for investors, helping you:

• Understand shareholder rights: Know what rights you will or will not receive before changes occur
• Avoid uninformed decisions: Prevent last-minute purchases just before losing dividends or other rights
• Assess risks: Symbols T1, T2, T3, H, SP, and C indicate high volatility or significant issues with the stock

Understanding these symbols is not complicated—just take a moment to read the details when you see strange characters on the screen. Careful consultation is the key to smart investing.