A Central Index Key, or CIK, is the number the US Securities and Exchange Commission assigns to each company, fund or person that files on its EDGAR system. Up to ten digits long, it identifies the filer rather than a security, and it stays with the filer when its name or ticker changes.
What it identifies
The SEC assigns a CIK to the filer: a company, a fund, an insider or a filing agent. A company with two share classes and three tickers still has one CIK, and every filing it makes is stored under that number.
Private companies that file a Form D have a CIK too, and a company outside the United States has one only if it files with the SEC. Some filers hold more than one.
Using it
The SEC's EDGAR interfaces take the CIK as ten digits with leading zeros, for example the submissions file at data.sec.gov/submissions/CIK##########.json. Store a CIK as text, or pad it the same way everywhere, because a join between 1234567 and 0001234567 returns nothing. The SEC also publishes a file that pairs tickers with CIKs, which attaches a CIK to a US listing.
Common mistakes
- Treating the CIK as a security code. It names the filer, so use an ISIN or a FIGI for the security.
- Dropping leading zeros in one table and keeping them in another.
- Expecting every listed company to have one. A company that does not file with the SEC has none.
- Matching on a company name when a CIK is available.
In Fokals data
A listed company carries its CIK where it has one. Company Funding holds private capital raises reported in regulatory filings, and each carries the issuer's CIK and, where the issuer matches a company in the index, the company ID. Join them to your own list on the CIK:
select f.filed_at, f.issuer, f.amount_offered, f.amount_sold
from company_funding f
join my_companies u on u.cik = f.cik;The intent dataset holds Company Funding, and following private funding with Form D works through the filings.
Related terms
- Form 8-K: the current report a listed company files under its CIK.
- Form D: the notice of a private offering.
- LEI: the code of the legal entity, used outside the SEC.
- ISIN: the code of the security.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a company's CIK?
Search for the company's name or ticker in the SEC's EDGAR company search, which shows the CIK beside its filings. For many companies at once, use the SEC's file that pairs tickers with CIKs, or the identifiers that a company dataset carries. Check a match by opening the latest filing and reading the name and the state.
Is a CIK the same as a ticker?
No. A ticker is a trading symbol for a security on a market, and it can change or be reused. A CIK is a number for the filer that does not change, even if the company renames itself. One CIK can stand behind several tickers, such as one for each share class.
Do private companies have a CIK?
Only if they file with the SEC. A private company that files a Form D for an offering exempt from registration has one, which is how such companies appear on EDGAR. A private company that does not file has none, so a CIK cannot be the only key for a list that includes private companies.
The queries and code on this page are examples to adapt. Test them in your own environment before you rely on them.