Stock FAQs

how do i search old stock

by Keyon Klein Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How Can I Look Up Old Stocks Online?

  • Gathering Info on Your Stock. You can begin your old stock certificates research for free. Keep in mind that the most...
  • Research the Company Name. If you are lucky, your company will still be in business under the same name. If your company...
  • Do Old CUSIP Number Lookup. A stock's CUSIP (Committee on Uniform Security Identification...

You can begin with a quick internet search on the company's name. If this doesn't turn up any information, you may consult the corporate registry where the company was registered. You will find this information on the stock certificate, it will usually state “Incorporated under the laws of…”.

Full Answer

How to locate lost shares of stock?

You can also search for money from a specific source:

  • Banking - banks, credit unions and building societies
  • Company - compulsory acquisition of shares resulting from takeovers
  • Life - policies held with life insurance companies and friendly societies

How do I find lost stocks?

However, before issuing a new certificate, corporations usually require the following:

  • The owner must state all the facts surrounding the loss in an affidavit;
  • The owner must buy an indemnity bond to protect the corporation and the transfer agent against the possibility that the lost certificate may be presented later by an innocent purchaser. ...
  • The owner must request a new certificate before an innocent purchaser acquires it.

What to do if you find an old stock certificate?

Key Takeaways

  • If you find an old certificate, it's important to know where to start looking.
  • Look for the company name and location of incorporation, a CUSIP number, and the name of the person with whom the security is registered.
  • If you have been successful in finding all this information, you will need to locate the name of the transfer agent.

More items...

How to find unclaimed stocks and bonds?

Your search could show:

  • Matured savings bonds or Treasury notes that no longer earn interest
  • Missing payments on series H or HH savings bonds, or
  • Missing payments for securities held in Legacy Treasury Direct

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How do you look up old stocks?

Contact a brokerage or a stock search service The brokerage may charge you a fee for this service or require the stock be listed within an account with the brokerage. If you're uncomfortable with that, you can also use a stock search service, who will just charge you a fee for the search.

How can I find out if my old stocks are worth anything?

Contact your stockbroker to search the stock's worth via its CUSIP number if the steps given earlier yield no results. This number is printed on the back of the stock certificate. Use a fee-based service to search your stock's history if the earlier steps come up empty. Fees can range from $40 to $85 or more.

How do I find lost stocks?

How to Locate Lost Shares of StockHome Search. Search your paper files at home. ... Broker Contact. Contact your broker to ensure the stock is not being held in “street name.” You may have turned the certificates over and forgotten about it. ... Investor Inquiries. ... Request a Stop Transfer. ... Order a Replacement.

Are old stock certificates valuable?

The hobby of collecting old stock and bond certificates is called scripophily (pronounced scri-POPH-i-ly). Some stock certificates that are worthless as securities may have value as collectibles: because of the people who signed them or owned them. because of an interest in history.

What do I do with old stock certificates?

If you can track down the issuing company and get its CUSIP number, you can reach out to a transfer agent, complete a transfer form and place a sell order to cash in your old stock certificate. Otherwise, you could simply keep the certificate if the company no longer exists.

How do I cash in old stock certificates?

If you find yourself in possession of old stock certificates, you have a few options for selling them. You can cash them in through the transfer agent of the company with which the stock is owned. Or, you can work with a broker to sell the stock.

What happens unclaimed stock?

Unclaimed funds are typically turned over to the government after a specific period of time has passed. To claim the funds or assets, the designated owner or beneficiary must file a claim; if belonging to an estate, it may require the claimant to prove their rights to the unclaimed property or funds.

How do I research old stock certificates for free?

Call a discount or full-service brokerage house and provide the CUSIP number, which is unique to each individual stock certificate, and stock brokerages can use this number to find out exactly the status of the company. Most larger discount brokerage houses will do this search for free, but be sure to ask first.

What happens if a stock certificate is lost?

If your securities certificate is lost, accidentally destroyed, or stolen, you should immediately contact the transfer agent and request a “stop transfer” to prevent ownership of the securities from being transferred from your name to another's. Your broker may be able to assist you with this process.

How do I know if my old stock certificate is still valid?

Check your paper certificate for a CUSIP number. This is the identifying number that must be on all paper certificates. You can use this number to check with the secretary of state's office in the state of the company's incorporation. They will be able to tell you information about the company.

How do you know what a stock is worth?

The most common way to value a stock is to compute the company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. The P/E ratio equals the company's stock price divided by its most recently reported earnings per share (EPS). A low P/E ratio implies that an investor buying the stock is receiving an attractive amount of value.

What to look for when you find an old stock certificate?

The most important feature to look for when you happen upon an old stock certificate is any signs of canceling. It may be a barely readable hand stamp or imprint, but if it is there, your stock is worth nothing on the stock market (although it may be valuable to collectors).

How to find out who the transfer agent is?

You can usually find out who the transfer agent is by speaking with the company's investor relations department. The transfer agent will help you to assign the stock to your name.

Find Historical Information on NASDAQ

For any stock listed on the NASDAQ, you can find historical information at NASDAQ.com. Look up the historical quotes page, and enter the ticker symbols you’re interested in.

Use Historical Data Wisely

As you do your research, be sure to use the data you find wisely. Past performance can definitely give you a strong indicator of how stable and strong security is, but nothing is guaranteed.

What happens if you lose a stock certificate?

Whether you have misplaced or accidentally destroyed a certificate for stock you know you own, or are dealing with an estate that you believe owned shares of stock that can't be located, a few steps may lead to recovery of the missing shares. The Social Security number or tax ID and name of the registered owner – and in some cases ...

Can you find a deceased relative's stock?

Sometimes you know a deceased relative held a position in a stock he swore never to sell, but you can't find the certificates or evidence of a current position in that stock at his brokerage firm. If your lost shares are long-term stock holdings, check to see if the company you remember was acquired or changed its name.

Step 1: Head Down to the Library

There are reasonably priced databases although many of those are available at your local library.

Step 2: State Business Entity Search

Let's continue with Bowser Delaware Corp. from the previous steps example. The company was (as we assembled) incorporated in Delaware. From the state of Delaware we can receive the date of termination of the company and the company's last transfer agent which will be critical later on.

Step 3: Contact the Company's Transfer Agent

From our local library we were able to track down the various corporate changes that the company went through. From the Secretary of State's site we found a Business Entity Search. From this search we were able to gather the Transfer Agent information.

Step 4: Professional Help

At this point you have pieced together the entire corporate history for the shares that you own! If the transfer agent requires for you to get proof-of-purchase for your shares or any other legal matters arise it is at this point where professional help can be a very valuable resource.

Who is the founder of Old Company Stock Research Service?

The company was founded and is managed by Bob Kerstein, CPA.

How to contact Old Company Research?

If you have any questions, please call us toll free at 1-888-STOCKS6 or 703-787-3552 or send us an email to Old Company Research . If we do not find any information regarding the company we are researching, you are not charged.

What is an asset purchase?

The asset purchase includes all archives, publishing rights and copyrights on obsolete research reference material published by the Marvyn Scudders Manuals , the Robert D. Fisher Manuals, and the Herzog & Co., Inc. obsolete research services, which have been performed continuously since 1880.

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