A Whimsical Ticker

"Customized" stock market ticker symbols are a bit like personalized license plates: They're a very small space in which some people have fun seeing how clever they can get. Your might not think that stock market mavens go in for clever niceties like that, but they do, and here's the proof: Harley-Davidson recently switched their stock market ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange from "HDI" to "HOG".
"The nickname 'hog' has been closely identified with Harley-Davidson for decades and is a term of affection and respect for their motorcycles all around the world. The new ticker symbol captures the spirit of what Harley-Davidson is all about --- the fun of riding motorcycles. Bringing the legendary 'hog' nickname to Wall Street is another way to share some of that fun with their (Harley's) investors on a daily basis.
The Motor Company is not the first to inject a little whimsy into the otherwise relentlessly humorless arena of Wall Street. Other companies that have indulged in custom ticker symbols include amusement park corporation Cedar Fair (FUN), meat mogul Premium Standard Farms (PORK), Olympic Steel (ZEUS), Anheuser-Busch (BUD), animal health care provider VCA Antech (WOOF), Shoe Pavilion (SHOE), and satellite TV company EchoStar (DISH). Very impressive huh?
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