FIGI
Financial Instrument Global Identifier
An open standard for uniquely identifying financial instruments across asset classes and markets globally.
FIGI was developed by Bloomberg and contributed to the Object Management Group (OMG) as an open standard in 2014. It provides a standardized approach to identifying financial instruments that works across different asset classes, markets, and data vendors. FIGIs consist of a 12-character alphanumeric code with specific formatting rules. The system is designed to be vendor-neutral and freely accessible, addressing the fragmentation caused by proprietary identification systems. FIGIs can identify not just the instrument but also specific trading venues, making them particularly useful for best execution reporting and regulatory compliance. The standard covers equities, fixed income, derivatives, and other financial instruments.
Example
BBG000BLNNH6 (Apple Inc.) — 12-character alphanumeric identifier