American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) | Robinhood (2024)

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< Investing with stocks: Special cases

Help Center > Investing > Investing with stocks: Special cases

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs)

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are securities listed on US exchanges and the Over-the-Counter (OTC) market that represent ownership of shares in foreign companies. For companies based outside of the US, listing shares directly on American exchanges like the NYSE or Nasdaq is a complicated and expensive process. However, American investors may want to purchase shares of these companies to diversify their portfolios and gain exposure to new markets. ADRs make it easier for American investors.

To offer ADRs to investors, American banks first purchase shares of foreign companies on foreign exchanges. Then, the banks issue the ADRs, which are certificates denominated in American dollars that represent the foreign shares and can be traded on an American stock exchange or the OTC market.

An ADR may represent a single foreign share, a fraction of a share, or a bundle of shares depending on the price the bank wants to list for the ADR. Many banks will divide or group foreign shares so the ADR price aligns more closely with typical prices on American stock exchanges. Holding an ADR is similar to owning a share in the foreign company, so ADRs still may pay dividends and are subject to capital gains taxation in American dollars.

Robinhood offers certain ADRs for trading on our platform, but not all. We don’t offer ADRs that are subject to local financial transaction taxes, including ADRs on Spanish, French, and Italian listed companies.

What fees are associated with ADRs?

What fees are associated with ADRs?

Some banks require investors who hold ADRs to pay periodic services fees (sometimes called custody fees), which typically run between $0.01 to $0.03 per share. If you purchase a share from a company that’s based outside the US on Robinhood, you can find information about any ADR fees that may apply on the website of the bank issuing the ADR.

The following key dates are used for ADR fees:

  • Record date is when the issuer bank associates owners of the ADR. If you’re holding the ADR on this date, you’ll be charged the ADR fee.
  • Process date is when the fee is charged to your account.

Note

Standalone ADR fees are passed through to your account based on record date. If this fee results in a negative balance, you may sell shares or deposit cash to avoid the possibility of a margin call.

What are the potential benefits and risks of ADRs?

What are the potential benefits and risks of ADRs?

Just like all other securities, there are certain benefits and risks associated with ADRs.

Potential benefits:

  • Increased diversification: ADRs can help American investors build a more geographically diverse portfolio.
  • Lower cost: Investing directly in foreign markets can be expensive, so ADRs generally help to lower that barrier to entry.

Potential risks:

  • Exchange rate fluctuations: If the currency in the issuing company’s country drops relative to the US dollar, that can bring down the value of your investment.
  • Political upheaval: Regime changes in the issuing company’s country can negatively impact the exchange rate or destabilize the company in some other way, and non-local investors often don’t have as much context on how these factors can affect their investment.
  • Inflation risk: If the issuing company’s country is experiencing rising inflation, that can lower the value of their currency.
  • Access to different information: Not all non-US companies provide shareholders with the same type of information that American companies do, and language barriers can make it difficult to access the information that’s available.
  • Some ADRs are listed on the OTC market that may carry additional risk compared to public exchanges. Refer to the relevant stock detail pages for more information on listings.

Why is my ADR no longer trading?

Why is my ADR no longer trading?

Occasionally, the American bank responsible for custody of the shares will terminate the ADR while the underlying foreign stock is still active. This is generally handled in one of the following ways:

  • Shareholders automatically receive cash for their ADR shares.
  • Shareholders have a 6-month window where they can voluntarily convert their ADR shares into the underlying foreign shares. After that 6-month window, the foreign shares are automatically sold and holders receive cash.
  • The ADR shares are automatically converted into the underlying foreign shares. Because Robinhood can’t support the underlying foreign shares, customers will need to work with the company’s transfer agent to receive physical stock certificates.

Note

Robinhood doesn’t support the trading of foreign shares. Because we can’t support the underlying foreign shares, we’ll cover the cost of an ACAT (automated customer account transfer) to a broker that supports the underlying foreign shares. Note that you’ll be responsible for any fees that the outside broker may charge.

Still have questions?

Still have questions?

The decision to terminate an ADR isn’t made by Robinhood. If you have questions about why an ADR was terminated, we suggest contacting the holding bank’s investor relations team to learn more.

Disclosures

Disclosures

Diversification doesn’t ensure a profit and cannot protect against losses in a declining market. All investments involve risk and loss of principal is possible.

Was this article helpful?

Reference No. 3658089

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American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) | Robinhood (2024)

FAQs

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) | Robinhood? ›

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are securities listed on US exchanges and the Over-the-Counter (OTC) market that represent ownership of shares in foreign companies. For companies based outside of the US, listing shares directly on American exchanges like the NYSE or Nasdaq is a complicated and expensive process.

What is an American depositary receipt ADR used for? ›

American Depositary Receipts, or ADRs, allow Americans to invest in foreign companies. Although these companies do not ordinarily trade on the U.S. stock market, an ADR enables investors to buy these stocks as easily as they would invest in any domestic stock.

Why buy ADR instead of stock? ›

Accessibility: ADRs offer investors an easy way to invest in foreign companies without the complexities of international investing including exchange rate fluctuations and transaction fees. This opens a wider range of opportunities beyond US stocks.

How do ADRs work? ›

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are negotiable securities issued by a bank that represent shares in a non-U.S. company. ADRs can trade in the U.S. both on national exchanges and in the Over-The-Counter (OTC) market, are listed in U.S. dollars, and generally represent a number of foreign shares to one ADR.

What is American Depositary Receipt? ›

The ADR full form in stock market, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), are financial instruments that allow investors in the United States to invest in foreign companies. An ADR is a negotiable certificate that represents ownership of a certain number of shares in a foreign company.

Do ADRs pay dividends? ›

ADRs pay dividends in US dollars and trade like regular shares of stock. Companies can now purchase stocks of foreign companies in bulk and reissue them on the US market. ADRs are listed on the NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX and can be sold over-the-counter.

Do ADRs have currency risk? ›

Because ADRs are issued by non-US companies, they entail special risks inherent to all foreign investments. These include: Exchange rate risk—the risk that the currency in the issuing company's country will drop relative to the US dollar.

What are the disadvantages of ADRs? ›

Disadvantages of ADR: If ADR is unsuccessful, it can delay the court proceedings. Except for arbitration, ADR is not usually legally binding. All parties to the dispute must agree to using ADR.

What are the pros and cons of American depositary receipts? ›

The pros of ADR include easy tracking and trading, availability through US brokers, denomination in dollars, and may help provide portfolio diversification. The cons of ADR include double taxation, a limited selection of companies and other fees that investors may incur.

Can you convert ADR to ordinary shares? ›

An American Depository Receipt (ADR) is a financial instrument that is traded like a share but consists of ordinary shares of a foreign company. Customers holding supported ADRs (as listed below) can now use CapTrader/IB's Voluntary Election Tool to convert ADRs into the corresponding ordinary shares.

How much are ADR fees? ›

These custodian banks or 'ADR agents' will typically charge an ADR 'pass-through fee' to cover administrative or other costs associated with the ongoing management of the particular ADR program. The average fee is one to three cents per share.

How do banks make money on ADRs? ›

ADR depositary banks charge holders of ADRs custody fees, sometimes referred to as Depositary Services Fees, to compensate the depositary banks for inventorying the non-U.S. shares and performing registration, compliance, dividend payment, communication, and recordkeeping services.

Who buys ADRs? ›

U.S. investors can purchase ADR stock on the major U.S. exchanges. ADRs come in two types, sponsored and unsponsored. Sponsored ADRs have an agreement between the foreign company and the U.S. bank who performs recordkeeping. Non-sponsored ADRs do not have an agreement and originate from a U.S. broker-dealer.

What happens when an ADR is terminated? ›

Termination of the ADR agreement will result in cancellation of all the depositary receipts, and a subsequent delisting from all exchanges where they trade. The termination can be at the discretion of the foreign issuer or the depositary bank, but is typically at the request of the issuer.

Do ADRs have voting rights? ›

Holders of ADRs receive dividends in US dollars (if applicable) and have the right to vote on shareholders resolutions.

What is the primary benefit for an American investor when purchasing an American depositary receipt ADR )? ›

ADR advantages

Convenient access to foreign markets. An ADR provides foreign stock exposure through U.S. brokers and is denominated in U.S. dollars. Easier trading and tracking. ADR trading is cleared through U.S. settlement systems.

What is the purpose of an ADR? ›

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) refers to the different ways people can resolve disputes without a trial. Common ADR processes include mediation, arbitration, and neutral evaluation. These processes are generally confidential, less formal, and less stressful than traditional court proceedings.

When should ADR be used? ›

Most parties start ADR three to ten months after the complaint is filed. But, you can start ADR at any time during your case — even before the lawsuit is filed. The sooner you start talking about settlement, the sooner your case can be resolved.

Why do people use ADR? ›

You might use alternative dispute resolution (ADR) instead of going to court. You can also use an ADR scheme to narrow down the problem before you go to court. The main advantages of solving a problem with ADR are: it's usually cheaper, more flexible, faster and less stressful than going to court.

Why do you need ADR? ›

The ADR is a set of European rules and regulations specific to dangerous goods haulage via road or ship. Most countries around the continent have opted into the European Agreement relating to the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR).

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