CUSIP stands for "Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures." All U.S. securities - stocks, bonds, warrants, puts, calls, etc. - are required to have CUSIP numbers, which are assigned by Standard & Poor's. The first few digits identify the issuer; the last digits identify the individual security.
Finding CUSIP numbers: Standard & Poor's publishes a comprehensive but expensive CUSIP Directory. They also provide Internet access through a database called Access, but a Standard & Poor's rep told me a subscription costs over $4,000 a month(!).
If you can wait up to two weeks, you can order a CUSIP look-up from CUSIP Global Services for just a few dollars using the following procedure:
- Send email to cusip_corp@cusip.com
- On the Subject of the email, indicate CUSIP NUMBER LOOK UP - Attn: Rosalinda
- State your request
- Reference the issuer name, issuer description, maturity, dated date, rate and any additional information
- When you receive an email notice that your request is ready, call (212)438-6565 to pay by credit card, and you will get an email with your result.
Alternatively, the Mergent Manuals list a CUSIP numbers for selected bonds; more CUSIPs are available in the Mergent Bond Record: Corporates, Convertibles, Governments, Municipals. I have been able to look up CUSIPs for public companies using QuantumOnline.com (search the company's Ticker Symbol in the "Quick Search," then click on "Find all related securities" if you're lucky enough to have that link appear).
Joan Giglierano at the University of Dayton wrote in to say that CUSIPs are also listed in Vickers Security Reports, Nelson's Public Company Profiles,
Standard & Poor's Corporate Descriptions, WorldScope Company Profiles, Disclosure Online and America's Corporate Finance Directory. All of these reports are available through LexisNexis Academic Business, as well as other sources. {Thank you, Joan!}
Searching by CUISP Number: You can search for a security by CUSIP number using the look-ups posted by SallieMae and QuantumOnline.com. You can also try searching for the CUSIP in a database containing any of the reports discussed in the "Finding CUSIP Numbers" section, above. Informally, you can search the number in any good SEC filings databases (see "SEC Filings).