How To Buy Overseas Stocks
Almost any investment sold for a profit outside of a tax-advantaged account will incur some amount of taxes. International stocks are no different. However, they do introduce a few more moving parts, most of which stem from taxes you may owe in the country your stock originates from.
how to buy overseas stocks
While international stocks are subject to geopolitical, regulatory, and currency risk, a foreign security should not be judged solely because it is not a U.S. domestic product. Investors should take multiple factors into consideration when considering investing in international stocks, such as geographical location, level of development, and liquidity of the markets and complex tax regimes. Additionally, U.S. domestic securities can be just as risky as some foreign ones.
Taking a global perspective means incorporating both U.S. and international stocks in your portfolio. The market place is truly global and when it comes to investing, geographical location matters a lot less than it used to. Depending on your return objectives and risk tolerance, your international allocation should be 5-25% of your total stock market investments and the international weighting necessary for truly global exposure is likely to increase over time as global trends become even more entrenched. Investing in international stocks still carries risks, but if you limit your international exposure you may miss out on attractive growth opportunities as well as the increased diversification that can help buffer your portfolio against market downturn.
When investing in international stocks it is beneficial to understand the differences between developed, emerging, and frontier markets to better comprehend the risks, potential, liquidity, and stability of international investment products.
Your approach to investing globally depends on what type of investor you are. In addition to ADRs and foreign ordinaries, investors seeking global diversification should consider exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds with concentrations in international holdings as well as other non-traditional investments such as international REITs. You can invest in international stocks on your own with a Schwab One brokerage account or call our Global Investing Services team at 800-992-4685 to speak with a dedicated broker about foreign trading.1 Our team is available between 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday and 5:30 p.m. ET Friday.
Order DetailsInternational orders can be entered at any time but will only be eligible for execution during the local market hours for the security. International orders are limited to common stocks with the following order restrictions:
International stocks use a different symbology than domestic stocks. To quote, research, or trade international stocks, enter the stock symbol, followed by a colon (:) and then the two-letter country code for the market you wish to trade in. For example, the company Fiat SPA Torino in Italy would trade under symbol F:IT for its ordinary shares. In Germany, it would trade under symbol FIAT:DE. This symbology can only be used to buy or sell stocks on the international trade ticket.
QuotesReal-time quotes1 are available for international stocks using the Get Quote Tool along the top of Fidelity.com or within your International Stock Trading page. Although the real-time primary market quote is displayed, international orders may execute on the primary exchange, or they may execute on ECNs, ATSs or regional exchanges within the market.
Note: International stocks must be bought and sold in the same market. For example, shares of a stock purchased in Germany could not be sold in France even though the company may trade on one or more exchanges in different markets.
For example, the required board lot size for Canadian stocks trading between $0.10-0.99 CAD is 500 shares. To place an order to buy a Canadian security offered at $0.75 per share, your order quantity would need to be a multiple of 500 (the board lot size); e.g., 500 shares, 1,000 shares, 1,500 shares, and so on.
With international trading, most common stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) listed in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are available to trade online directly in the local market.
A type of investment with characteristics of both mutual funds and individual stocks. ETFs are professionally managed and typically diversified, like mutual funds, but they can be bought and sold at any point during the trading day using straightforward or sophisticated strategies.
In general, Vanguard recommends that at least 20% of your overall portfolio should be invested in international stocks and bonds. However, to get the full diversification benefits, consider investing about 40% of your stock allocation in international stocks and about 30% of your bond allocation in international bonds.
The profit you get from investing money. Over time, this profit is based mainly on the amount of risk associated with the investment. So, for example, less-risky investments like certificates of deposit (CDs) or savings accounts generally earn a low rate of return, and higher-risk investments like stocks generally earn a higher rate of return.
Investments in stocks and bonds issued by non-U.S. companies are subject to risks including country/regional risk, which is the chance that political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries or regions; and currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. These risks are especially high in emerging markets.
Investments in stocks and bonds issued by non-U.S. companies are subject to risks including country/regional risk, which is the chance that political upheaval, financial troubles, or natural disasters will adversely affect the value of securities issued by companies in foreign countries or regions; and currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. These risks are especially high in emerging markets.
A: European stocks have been strong performers of late. The Vanguard European ETF vgk, which tracks the performance of European stocks, has gained roughly 15% this year, easily topping the USA-focused Standard & Poor's 500 index. The unexpected outperformance of European stocks is a good reminder why owning some international stocks is a good idea for nearly all investors. And if nothing else, it spreads your risk over a wider array of companies and economies.
The easiest way to invest in European stocks is through American depositary receipts (ADRs) or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These investment vehicles handle all the currency conversions and buy the foreign stocks. You can buy ADRs or exchange-traded funds in dollars and can leave the currency headaches to someone else for a relatively small fee.
Buying stocks on foreign exchanges is more difficult than buying ADRs, but doable. Several online brokerages have special offerings that allow you to buy and sell securities directly on select overseas markets. E-Trade and Interactive Brokers are the two that promote this capability the most. But if you're not with either of those firms, you'll want to ask your broker if it offers direct access. 041b061a72