DiscoverIPO

CIK (Central Index Key)

The unique identifier the SEC assigns to every company or individual that files with EDGAR, its electronic filing system. It stays the same across every filing a company ever makes, which is why DiscoverIPO uses it as the stable key for tracking a company across multiple filings over time.

Why it matters

Company names change — mergers, legal-name corrections, rebrands — but a CIK never does. It's the one identifier guaranteed to follow a company across every filing it ever makes with the SEC, which makes it the reliable way to look a company up directly on EDGAR when a name search turns up ambiguous or outdated results.

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