There are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, but it's been a busy week at the Ticker Symbol Lodge. Just two days after Federated Department Stores
Shareholders in the real estate brokerage specialist approved the $30-per-share cash buyout by private-equity firm Apollo Management today. The deal itself isn't news; it was originally announced back in December. Realogy shares have ticked steadily in anticipation of its exit strategy, and both companies even took on some debt -- practically in tandem -- to help seal the deal back in January.
Ready to move in to the new ticker symbol? Not so fast. Realogy has another two weeks before it packs its bags and calls for the bellhop. It sure didn't stay there long, though. The company was spun off by Cendant just last year.
Will companies be clawing and scratching at the chance to trade under the H ticker symbol? Hotels and hospitals might dig it -- Hilton Hotels
In fact, a quick check shows that there are several vacancies available right now among single-letter symbols. Just 15 of the 26 available ticker symbols are being put to good use. If you want to kill some time over the weekend, see how many you can name. I'll spot you Citigroup
So if you're a publicly traded company and fear that your investors have short attention spans and limited ticker-symbol memory capacity, you've still got time. Just call up the front desk -- ask to speak to NYSE Group -- and get it done.
V is for victory? Vendetta? Well, it's no longer being used by Vivendi, so what are you waiting for? V is for vacancy.
NYSE Group has produced some huge gains since being recommended to Motley Fool Rule Breakers newsletter service subscribers two years ago. If you want to learn more, trade in a single letter ticker symbol for a subscription. Don't have a ticker? It's OK. A 30-day free trial may be right for you.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz misses the days when Sears traded as S, but he does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this story. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early. The Fool has a disclosure policy.