Valoren Number

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Valoren Number: Definition and Uses

What is a Valoren number?

A Valoren number is a numeric identifier assigned to financial instruments in Switzerland. Typically 6–9 digits long, Valoren numbers uniquely label securities but do not embed any information about the instrument (for example, they do not indicate country, issuer or instrument type).

How Valoren numbers are assigned and maintained

  • Numbers are allocated sequentially from a central list; the digits themselves carry no intrinsic meaning.
  • Valoren numbers are issued and maintained by SIX Financial Information, the market-data division of SIX Group (formerly Telekurs). SIX collects real-time data from major trading venues and maintains a large securities database that covers millions of instruments.
  • For derivatives, Valoren numbers may be reused after the contract expires.

Common uses

Valoren numbers are used across Swiss and regional financial infrastructure and by market-data firms in Europe for:
– Security identification and recordkeeping
– Transaction reporting and position keeping
– Combining with other codes (for example, Market Identifier Code (MIC) and currency code) to uniquely identify a traded instrument across venues

How Valoren differs from ISIN and CUSIP

  • Valoren: numeric sequence with no embedded data; primarily a Swiss/local identifier.
  • ISIN: international identifier that follows a structured format (country code + national identifier + check digit) used globally.
  • CUSIP: a North American identifier with an alphanumeric structure that includes issuer and issue information in its format.

Where Valoren is used

Valoren numbers serve as the principal security identifier within Switzerland and Liechtenstein and are commonly referenced by financial institutions and market-data vendors throughout Europe when handling Swiss-issued instruments.

Key takeaways

  • Valoren numbers are simple numeric identifiers (6–9 digits) used mainly for Swiss securities.
  • They contain no embedded meaning and are allocated sequentially by SIX Financial Information.
  • Often used alongside MIC and currency codes to identify traded instruments; derivatives’ Valoren numbers can be reused after expiry.