The letters XRT are an abbreviation to signify that a security is trading ex-rights. Typically, the price of a security will drop as soon as the rights expire. To keep investors and traders informed, the letters XRT are placed immediately after a security’s trading symbol and the symbol XRT is displayed directly on the electronic system known as the consolidated tape. The XRT symbol is displayed along with an array of other financial data. Before a security expires and receives the XRT designation, existing shareholders are given an opportunity to buy new shares at a discount. If they fail to buy, the security expires and receives the letters XRT. The buyer of a stock displayed with the XRT symbol is not entitled to any rights previously available. Buyers should always research why a security is trading XRT, before making a purchase. |