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Market Intelligence › Basic Terminologies
The symbol can change, the ISIN does not — and when that difference matters
Published by The Retail Trader · AUG 08, 2026 · Market Basics
A stock has three names — the company's name, the exchange's ticker symbol, and its ISIN. All three do different jobs, and the third is the most stable.
A company's name can change. The ticker symbol can change too, and the same company can have different symbols on NSE and BSE.
The ISIN is a unique identifier that identifies the security. Demat holdings are tracked by ISIN, not by symbol.
In these situations only the ISIN is reliable:
• Matching old records after a company's name or symbol changes.
• Joining data from two exchanges together.
• Identifying the new security after a corporate action.
• Finding the right series in historical price data.
In old watchlists and old records, a symbol change is the most common silent problem — a name stays the same but now points to something else. Keeping the ISIN in your records ends this whole confusion.
This article is for education only — it is not a buy or sell recommendation, makes no claim of guaranteed returns, and is not advisory. Rules, rates and mechanics change from time to time with the exchange, SEBI and RBI, so verify every number yourself with your broker or an official source.