What do ETF symbols mean?

ETF stands for exchange-traded fund, and companies offering ETFs to investors for purchase assign symbols to each fund so consumers can track the funds and their overall performance, explains Investopedia. In the simplest terms, an ETF symbol is a unique identifier assigned to each ETF.

In May 2015, Goldman Sachs, one of the leading securities dealers on Wall Street, announced the ticker symbols for a dozen new exchange-traded funds, according to Barron’s. Each new ETF received its own ticker symbol so customers of Goldman Sachs investing in ETFs could identify the funds. Goldman Sachs listed the full name of each fund and the ticker symbols assigned to the funds.