How to Look Up Defunct Corporation Stock Certificates
- Basic Characteristics. If you own stock or bond certificates for a company long since vanished, you may have a valuable find – or you may have nothing.
- Basic Research. Begin by examining the certificates. A stock certificate that was issued must have the owner’s name printed on it.
- Library Research. Begin your research with an Internet search for the company. Even if the company is defunct, there may be a historical trail for you to follow.
- When All Else Fails. The library has databases that offer added research capabilities. Dun and Bradstreet's Million Dollar Directory, for example, has thousands of listings of companies with their subsidiaries.
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.
How to research a stock certificate?
Research the company that issued the security. If you know the date the certificate was issued, you can research whether or not the company has gone through reorganization ("reorg") or a stock split since the issuance of the stock. Most online financial websites, such as Yahoo! Finance, offer historical pricing with notations for reorgs or splits.
How do I lookup a stock certificate number?
How do I look up old stock certificates? 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.
How to search for stock certificates?
How to find the value of your stock certificate
- Determine if the company still exists. The first thing you should do is find out whether the company that issued the stock certificate still exists.
- Identify the CUSIP number. ...
- Contact a brokerage or a stock search service. ...
- Get in touch with the transfer agent. ...
- Talk to a brokerage. ...
How do I look up old stock certificates?
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 do I find out what a stock certificate is worth?
Determine the collectible value of your certificate if it no longer has stock value. A stock can have worth based on who signed it, historical interest, or the engraving. This value can be found by contacting dealers, researching libraries, or searching listings on eBay.
How do I find out what stocks I own?
The easiest way to find your stocks and track their performance is to look in the business section of the morning newspaper. Most publications have sections of the Dow, NASDAQ or the S&P 500. Find your stock's abbreviation in the alphabetic listings.
Are stock certificates public?
Only private companies can request a physical stock certificate. Publicly issued stocks are recorded in an electronic database maintained by the exchange that sold the stock. An issued stock certificate proves that the holder of the certificate has an ownership stake in a corporation.
How do I redeem old share certificates?
2. Raise a Request for Dematerialization of SharesStep 1: Contact your DP for a Dematerialization Request Form (DRF).Step 2: Fill up the DRF with all the required details and put your signature. ... Step 3: Your DP will process your request after receiving the DRF along with the surrendered physical share certificates.More items...
How much is an old stock certificate worth?
Old certificates can be worth anywhere from $10 to $10,000, although most samples will fall in the lower end of the range. Collectors value certificates for the history of the issuing companies and also as art.
How do I find lost stocks and bonds for free?
www.treasurydirect.gov Go to Treasury Hunt at www.treasurydirect.gov, where you can enter your Social Security number or any family member who may have once owned a missing bond. You can begin your “Treasury Hunt” to see if you are owed anything to hopefully get free money.
Are stock purchases public record?
The SEC's Edgar database allows free public access to all filings related to insider buying and selling of stock shares.
What if I lost stock certificates?
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.
Who keeps stock certificates?
Evidence of ownership is reported on a computer printout sent to the client. There is no question about who owns the stock. The purchaser is the sole owner, and the broker simply maintains the stock in his possession, often using it as collateral for a loan.
Do stock certificates expire?
Stock shares do not have an expiration date. There are companies listed on the stock exchanges whose shares have traded for over 100 years. However, there are several circumstances in which the shares of a particular company stop having any value.
How to find value of stock certificates?
To find the value of our certificates, simply follow the corporation name found on your stock certificate through these directories.
What is capital stock?
Any reference to "Capital Stock" essentially means shares held in the company. So for this case, the origina 100 shares/Capital Stock were exchanged for $25 of Debentures (Bond type instrument) and 0.5 shares in the newly formed corporation. Now let's follow the newly formed entity:
Does Delaware have an online business search?
Delaware Business Entity Search ( https://delecorp.delaware.gov/tin/GINameSearch.jsp ) We enter the name of the business we are researching and our sent to a page that contains the following:
How to find out if a stock certificate is still in business?
Begin your old stock certificate lookup by doing an online ticker search. Type the name of your company into a search engine and see if it still exists and what its trading symbol is. You may also be able to find information about your company's fate by doing a simple web search for the name of your company and "corporate history."
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).
What is a stock's CUSIP number?
A stock's CUSIP (Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures) number is somewhat like the ISBN number of a book. Each security has its own CUSIP and is assigned a new one whenever there is a reorganization, merger or acquisition. You can open an account at the CUSIP Global Services website to conduct an online search, but it is likely more cost effective to have a broker do it for you.
What information is needed to register a stock?
Identify key pieces of information: the company name, the CUSIP number, the name of the person to whom the stock is registered and the location of incorporation. All this information should be readily available on the face of the certificate.
How to calculate how much a company is worth?
If your company exists, simply calculate how much it is worth by multiplying the amount of shares you have by its current share price. Note, however, that you may still want to do some further research to determine whether there were any splits or reorganizations that would affect the amount of stock you hold.
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.
Can a broker look up a stock?
Most brokers can do an old CUSIP number look up and find information on your stock if you hire them. They can then determine the value of your stock and help you decide what to do with it.
What do you do if you have a stock certificate?
What do you do if you have a stock certificate? The first step to determine the value of the stock is to see whether or not the company still exists.
Why are stock certificates worthless?
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. because of the design or quality of the engraving. You can find collectors and dealers in such sources as:
How much does a stock search cost?
Some stock search firms charge as much as $75 per company and use many of the same sources located at your local library. However, these companies can search records in other places not accessible to libraries, such as bankruptcy courts and state unclaimed property offices. Remember that some companies may have generated and retained their own records over a period of many years.
Do private companies sell their stock?
Private or closely held companies do not sell their stock to the public.
Is a stock certificate worth anything?
Oftentimes companies are bought out by or merged with other companies, and their names change. If this happens, a stock certificate may be worth something as a security.
How to get a share certificate?
The most obvious way to get your certificate is to go directly to the company that issued the stock, the issuer, and ask to have a physical certificate mailed to you. But going through the company can be an expensive and time-consuming process.
How to find out if a stock is still in business?
If it is, look for the state in which the company was incorporated along with the CUSIP number on the certificate. Contact the office of the secretary of state in that state to find out if the company still does business there. If so, you can call the company directly to get the transfer agent's contact information.
How to cash in stock?
In order to cash in the stock, you need to fill out the transfer form on the back of the certificate and have it notarized. Once complete, send the notarized certificate to the transfer agent, who will register the stock to you as owner. At that point, you can sell the stock through the transfer agent or via a stockbroker.
When did stock certificates end?
The demise of the stock certificate ends a centuries' old tradition. One of the oldest known examples of a stock certificate, found in Holland, was issued in 1606. It was around that time that the Dutch East India Company became the first company to issue stock.
Is a stock certificate a collectible?
Outdated Certificates As Collectibles. Stock certificates were often plain, straightforward documents. In their heyday, however, companies competed to create the most visually impressive certificates, which frequently were appealing examples of a printer's art. Some stock certificates are now collectors' items.
Does Investopedia include all offers?
This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace.
Is it easier to prove stock ownership?
Today, most of the world's exchanges have either done away with or are phasing out paper certificates. Stock ownership is much easier to prove now thanks to electronic records and electronic communication networks (ECN) .
Step 1
Collect all possible information from the stock certificate. This includes the name and location of the corporation, the certificate’s number and, if possible, the name of the transfer agent.
Step 2
Research the history of the corporation. Although the corporation itself no longer exists, there can be several reasons for this. It may have gone out of business, in which case the stock is worthless, but it may have been involved in a merger or a takeover, in which case your stock certificate may represent holdings in the new company.
Step 3
Contact the secretary of state for the state in which the corporation was registered. Request all available information for the company, which will include contact information for any company officers or stock agents, if such information is still available. Many states charge a fee for this service, so ask about costs before continuing.
Step 4
Enlist the services of a trained stock research agent if you are unable to locate the information you need. These people routinely provide stock searches and can generally acquire any available information much more quickly than you could come up with it on your own. These independent researchers charge a fee for their services.
What companies have procedures in place to help investors replace lost or stolen certificates?
Brokerage firms, banks, transfer agents and corporations have procedures in place to help investors replace lost or stolen certificates.
What to do if you find a lost certificate?
If you later find the missing certificate, you should notify whomever you called to place the "stop transfer" so that the lost or stolen securities report may be removed. Otherwise, you may have difficulty selling the securities. If you are expecting a certificate through the mail and it doesn't arrive, you should immediately contact ...
What to do if a certificate doesn't arrive?
If you are expecting a certificate through the mail and it doesn't arrive, you should immediately contact the organization that arranged the transaction — typically your brokerage firm. While many companies choose to use registered or certified mail to deliver securities certificates to individuals, some prefer to use regular mail so as not to call attention to the potential value of the item.
Who must request a new certificate before an innocent purchaser acquires it?
The owner must request a new certificate before an innocent purchaser acquires it.
Should securities certificates be safeguarded?
Securities certificates are valuable and should be safeguarded. To avoid the cost and burden of safeguarding certificates, some investors let their brokerage firm hold their securities for them in “street name”.
Getting Started
Company Histories
- These sources report corporate financial events, obsolete securities, or company histories: 1. Capital Changes Reporter 2. Directory of Obsolete Securities 3. Fisher Manuals 4. MERGENT/Moody's Manuals 5. Smythe Manuals 6. Standard and Poor's Manual of Railroads It's a good idea to check business, city, and phone directories and periodical indexes. Consult both cu…
Corporate Records
- What if the above sources don't help? Certain records are kept by the state under whose laws the company was incorporated. Be aware that the state of incorporation and the state in which the company is located may not be the same. 1. For Maryland corporations, call the office of the Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporation Division in Baltimore at (410) 767-1340. …
What Is Scripophily?
- 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: 1. because of the people who signed them or owned them. 2. because of an interest in history. 3. because of the design or quality of the engraving. You can find collectors and deale…
Further Assistance
- If you need more information, your local library may be able to help. You'll need to provide them with either: 1. the name of the company 2. the date of the certificate 3. the state of incorporation or: 1. a copy of the certificate If you still can't find what happened to a company using these sources, you may choose to have the stock of incorporat...