Definition of 'American Depositary Receipt - ADR'

A negotiable certificate issued by a U.S. bank representing a specified number of shares (or one share) in a foreign stock that is traded on a U.S. exchange. ADRs are denominated in U.S. dollars, with the underlying security held by a U.S. financial institution overseas. ADRs help to reduce administration and duty costs that would otherwise be levied on each transaction.

Investopedia explains 'American Depositary Receipt - ADR'

This is an excellent way to buy shares in a foreign company while realizing any dividends and capital gains in U.S. dollars. However, ADRs do not eliminate the currency and economic risks for the underlying shares in another country. For example, dividend payments in euros would be converted to U.S. dollars, net of conversion expenses and foreign taxes and in accordance with the deposit agreement. ADRs are listed on either the NYSE, AMEX or Nasdaq as well as OTC. Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/adr.asp#ixzz1xMVHG4X0

American Depositary Receipt (ADR)

What It Is:
An American Depositary Receipt (ADR) is a certificate that represent shares of a foreign stock owned and issued by a U.S. bank. The foreign shares are usually held in custody overseas, but the certificates trade in the U.S. Through this system, a large number of foreign-based companies are actively traded on one of the three major U.S. equity markets (the NYSE, AMEX or Nasdaq).

How It Works/Example:
Investors can purchase ADRs from broker/dealers. These broker/dealers in turn can obtain ADRs for their clients in one of two ways: they can purchase already-issued ADRs on a U.S. exchange, or they can create new ADRs. To create an ADR, a U.S.-based broker/dealer purchases shares of the issuer in question in the issuer's home market. The U.S. broker/dealer then deposits those shares in a bank in that market.

The bank then issues ADRs representing those shares to the broker/dealer's custodian or the broker-dealer itself, which can then apply them to the client's account. A broker/dealer's decision to create new ADRs is largely based on its opinion of the availability of the shares, the pricing and market for the ADRs, and market conditions. Broker/dealers don't always start the ADR creation process, but when they do, it is referred to as an unsponsored ADR program (meaning the foreign company itself has no active role in the creation of the ADRs). By contrast, foreign companies that wish to make their shares available to U.S. investors can initiate what are called sponsored ADR programs. Most ADR programs are sponsored, as foreign firms often choose to actively create ADRs in an effort to gain access to American markets. ADRs are issued and pay dividends in U.S. dollars, making them a good way for domestic investors to own shares of a foreign company without the complications of currency conversion. However, this does not mean ADRs are without currency risk. Rather, the company pays dividends in its native currency and the issuing bank distributes those dividends in dollars -- net of conversion costs and foreign taxes -- to ADR shareholders. When the exchange rate changes, the value of the dividend changes. For example, let's assume the ADRs of XYZ Company, a French company, pay an annual cash dividend of 3 euros per share. Let's also assume that the exchange rate between the two currencies is even -- meaning one Euro has an equivalent value to one dollar. XYZ Company's dividend payment would therefore equal $3 from the perspective of a U.S. investor. However, if the euro were to suddenly decline in value to an exchange rate of one euro per $0.75, then the dividend payment for ADR investors would effectively fall to $2.25. The reverse is also true. If the euro were to strengthen to $1.50, then XYZ Company's annual dividend payment would be worth $4.50.

Why It Matters:
ADRs give U.S. investors the ability to easily purchase shares in foreign firms, and they are typically much more convenient and cost effective for domestic investors (versus purchasing stocks in overseas markets). And because many foreign firms are involved in industries and geographical markets where U.S. multinationals don't have a presence, investors can use ADRs to help diversify their portfolios on a much more global scale. American Depositary Receipt. A negotiable certificate issued by a U.S. bank representing a specific number of shares of a foreign stock traded on a U.S. stock exchange. ADRs make it easier for Americans to invest in foreign companies, due to the widespread availability of dollardenominated price information, lower transaction costs, and timely dividend distributions. Read more: http://www.investorwords.com/120/ADR.html#ixzz1xMVnEWJp
American Depository Receipt (ADR) An American Depository Receipt (ADR) is a stock which trades in the United States (US) but represents a specified number of shares in a non-US corporation (like Infosys,

etc). ADRs are bought and sold on American stock markets just like regular stocks, and are issued/sponsored in the U.S. by a bank or brokerage. ADRs were introduced because of the difficulty in buying shares from other non-US countries which trade at different prices and currency values. U.S. banks simply purchase a large lot of shares from a foreign company, bundle the shares into groups and reissue them on either the NYSE, AMEX, or Nasdaq. The depository bank sets the ratio of U.S. ADRs per home country share. This ratio can be anything less than or greater than 1. For example, a ratio of 4:1 means that 1 each ADR share represents 4 shares in the foreign company. Global Depository Receipt GDR GDR's are similiar to ADR's except that they are issued and can be traded in more than one country (globally). When the depository bank is in the USA, the instruments are known as American Depository Receipts (ADR). European banks issue European depository receipts, and other banks issue global depository receipts (GDR).

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What does it mean by ADR and GDR in capital markets?

Asked in Personal Finance & Tax at 7:22 PM on September 21, 2007 Tags: adr, gdr, capital, markets
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American Depository Receipt (ADR) An American Depository Receipt (ADR) is a stock which trades in the United States (US) but represents a specified number of shares in a non-US corporation (like Infosys, etc). ADRs are bought and sold on American stock markets just like regular stocks, and are issued/sponsored in the U.S. by a bank or brokerage. ADRs were introduced because of the difficulty in buying shares from other non-US countries which trade at different prices and currency values. U.S. banks simply purchase a large lot of shares from a foreign company, bundle the shares into groups and reissue them on either the NYSE, AMEX, or Nasdaq. The depository bank sets the ratio of U.S. ADRs per home country share. This ratio can be anything less than or greater than 1. For example, a ratio of 4:1 means that 1 each ADR share represents 4 shares in the foreign company. Global Depository Receipt - GDR GDR's are similiar to ADR's except that they are issued and can be traded in more than one country (globally). When the depository bank is in the USA, the instruments are known as American Depository Receipts (ADR). European banks issue European depository receipts, and other banks issue global depository receipts (GDR). Answered by uniquekamra at 7:33 PM on September 21, 2007
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uniquekamra

Global Depository Receipts(GDR) / American Deposit Receipts (ADR) - Foreign Investment through ADRs/GDRs, Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs) is treated as Foreign Direct Investment. Indian companies are allowed to raise equity capital in the international market through the issue of GDR/ADRs/FCCBs. These are not subject to any ceilings on investment. An applicant company seeking Government's approval in this regard should have a consistent track record for good performance (financial or otherwise) for a minimum period of 3 years. This condition can be relaxed for infrastructure projects such as power generation, telecommunication, petroleum exploration and refining, ports, airports and roads.