DIRECT ANSWER
Definition
A CUSIP is a nine-character alphanumeric identifier used for many financial instruments. In Form 13F information tables, the reported CUSIP helps identify the security position, but it is not the same as a stock ticker and must be interpreted with issuer and security-class fields.
At a glance
- Length
- Nine characters
- Identifies
- Issuer/security issue
- 13F location
- Information table
- Not the same as
- Ticker symbol
CUSIP in 13F holdings data
The CUSIP is one of the most useful keys for normalizing reported holdings across managers and quarters. It should be stored as a string so leading zeros are not lost. The reported issuer name, class/title, and put/call field remain important context.
CUSIP vs. ticker
Tickers can change, be reused, vary by venue, or fail to represent a specific security class. A CUSIP is designed as a security identifier, but corporate actions and identifier changes still require historical mapping.
Source and time-window limits
A CUSIP in a Form 13F row is an as-filed identifier for that filing's report period. Validate it with the official filing, its report period, and the Section 13(f) list associated with that period; a ticker or later mapping cannot automatically rewrite a historical row.
A holdings search is bounded by the filing packages and periods that have been published. Keep the exact CUSIP, issuer and class text, report period, filed date, accession, and source artifact together. No match in one published window does not prove that a security or position never existed.
Bounded example: one reported 13F row
One record returned by the public holdings search for the pinned Berkshire filing reports MOODYS CORP, class COM, and CUSIP 615369105. The row remains tied to its manager, filing period, accession, source artifact, and official filing index; it is an as-filed example rather than a current security master or a portfolio aggregate.
| Field | Reported value |
|---|---|
| Public record ID | 00652518-7acb-4dfc-a8df-4f2fbd057b05:310951 |
| Issuer | MOODYS CORP |
| Class | COM |
| CUSIP | 615369105 |
| Manager / CIK | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. / 0001067983 |
| Form | 13F-HR |
| Report period | 2026-06-30 |
| Filed | 2026-08-14 |
| Accession | 0001193125-26-352200 |
| Reported value | $5,423,231,470 |
| Quantity | 11973928 shares |
| Source artifact | 00652518-7acb-4dfc-a8df-4f2fbd057b05 |
| Source URL | https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1067983/000119312526352200/0001193125-26-352200-index.html |
SRC
Primary sources
Definitions and regulatory claims on this page are grounded in the following official public resources.
- Investor.gov CUSIP definition
- Official List of Section 13(f) Securities
- SEC Form 13F data setsOfficial structured filing extracts with report-period and as-filed security fields.
- SEC filing index for the bounded row exampleOfficial Form 13F-HR record for Berkshire Hathaway Inc., report period 2026-06-30, filed 2026-08-14.