A Tradable Instrument Display Mnemonic (TIDM) is a unique alphanumeric code used to identify securities traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The TIDM is the UK equivalent of a ticker symbol and is typically 2-4 characters long.
Key Characteristics
- Uniqueness: Each TIDM is unique within its exchange context
- Format: Typically 2-4 uppercase letters (e.g., NXT, BP, BARC)
- Persistence: TIDMs can change during corporate actions like mergers or rebrandings
Usage Context
TIDMs are used across trading platforms, financial news, and market data systems to quickly identify and reference specific securities. When context is ambiguous, TIDMs may be prefixed with their Market Identifier Code (MIC) in the format MIC:TIDM (e.g., XLON:NXT).
Global Equivalents
Different markets use different terminology: