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Approaches to Mapping Bloomberg Option Tickers to Reuters RICs

Article Quant Q&A · Author: kcaJ
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Summary

This discussion concerns mapping listed option identifiers between Bloomberg and Reuters. It gives an example of an older Reuters RIC pattern for a Eurodollar option: the identifier encodes an exchange marker, strike, expiry month, call or put designation, and a year digit. The question is how to map such contracts under current conventions, where identifier rules and year interpretation may differ.

The replies outline practical approaches rather than a universal decoding rule. One recommends using a specialist mapping service; another suggests checking whether a Bloomberg identifier can first be mapped to an ISIN and then to a Reuters RIC. Heuristics may be viable when occasional unmapped contracts and manual review are acceptable. The note cautions, implicitly, that identifier schemes and requirements vary, and does not document a current pattern or validate either route.

Key ideas

  • The example RIC encodes exchange, strike, expiry month, option type, and year information.
  • Identifier conventions can change, making old patterns unreliable.
  • A security identifier such as an ISIN may provide an intermediate mapping route.
  • Heuristics can leave contracts unresolved and require manual investigation.

Tags

OptionsFuturesMarket microstructure
Full text
# Bloomberg Ticker mapping with Reuters RIC


# Bloomberg Ticker mapping with Reuters RIC












I am trying to map Bloomberg ticker into Reuters one. For example this one: `EDZ3C 96.625 COMDT`

Few years ago aforementioned BBG ticker would be mapped to Reuters RIC: `GE96625L3`

This can be decoded as:

- `GE`: code for Globex Exchange

- `96625`: the strike 96.625

- `L`: calculated based on rule: A-L (call) and M-X (put) where A, M=Jan; B, N=Feb; ….; L, X=Dec, meaning that our option has: Expiry: December Type: Call

- `3`: Expiry year (2023)

How do I find Reuters RIC pattern nowadays? This is a question about listed options data.

## Answer by Eli (score 2)

https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/76872

Just use www.magtia.com services.

I realize it's a very simplistic answer. However, you either want to be in the mapping business forever and spend 1.5 full time analysts doing this right, or, naturally, outsource this activity to Magtia.

It's a business solution, not a mapping solution.

If business requirements are relaxed and you can afford mistakes, unmapped contracts which will still require investigation and manual intervention (i.e. someone's time), then come up with heuristics.

## Answer by user42108 (score 1)

https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/49161

Is this a generic question or specific to Eurodollar options?

And I note that "Z3" will now return Dec '23, not Dec '13.

EDIT: In Reuters (technically Eikon from Refinitiv) you can map from ISIN to RIC. If you can find a way to map from Bloomberg ticker to ISIN first, then you can do this via two stages. No idea if that's possible but seems like it's worth checking.

Shown in full with attribution under the source's licence. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (Stack Exchange)

This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.