CUSIP - 6 digit cusip to 9 digit cusip / permno / gvkey

Following a few queries about having a 6 digit cusip and requiring a 9 digit cusip.

CUSIP identifiers are made up of up to 3 parts:

1. Cusip issuer number – 6 digits
2. Cusip issue number – 2 digits
3. Cusip check digit – 1 digit

If you have 6-digit cusips for US companies and want to translate to 8 or 9 for use with CRSP and Compustat you can use WRDS.

WRDS

CRSP – Tools

Translate to PERMCO/PERMNO

This accepts 6-digit cusip as input

and will produce

PERMNO (or PERMCO), Company Name, Ticker, Exchange, and NCUSIP ( 8-digit cusip )

Now that you have a PERMNO (or PERMCO) you can use this to access CRSP.

CRSP – CRSP/COMPUSTAT Merged – Linking Table can be used to convert a PERMNO into a GVKEY (S&P identifier) and a 9-digit cusip. You can choose “Use Unique link…”  in the linking options, and “Historical CRSP PERMNO Link to Compustat Record” and all the identifying information.

An alternative for getting the 9th check digit is to use the WRDS CUSIP database.

CUSIP – Issuer query : provide 8 digit cusips, ask for “cusip check digit” and concatenate to convert 8 to 9 digit.

The CUSIP – ISSUER query can be used to convert 6 – 9 digit cusips by getting the issue number, finding the one with “Description 1″ as “COM” and concatenating the issuer no, the issue no (almost always 10) and the check digit.

If this doesn’t work the 6 digit CUSIP is probably not for a quoted company covered by WRDS – try their code lookup facility (on most search pages).

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