Reasons to invest in international shares with nabtrade
International investing
Trade in the US, UK, Hong Kong and Germany.
One destination
Enjoy one platform for all your international and domestic trades.
Great value
Take advantage of great brokerage and a competitive foreign exchange rate.
About international shares
Australia represents only around 2% of the global equity market, with much of it heavily concentrated in the banking and mining sectors. By investing internationally investors can achieve greater diversification and lower risk by accessing a broader range of sectors and some of world’s best known businesses.
Investing internationally may also allow investors to take advantage of companies exposed to emerging markets such as China and India, which feature favourable demographics and rapid income growth. Please consider the risks when investing in international markets such as political stability, economic factors and currency movements.
With nabtrade, investors can trade in the US, UK, Hong Kong and Germany.
Our pricing
| Trade size | $1,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 | Over $20,000 |
| Brokerage | $9.95 | $14.95 | $19.95 | $19.95 | 0.11% of trade value |
A foreign exchange fee applies to all executed international trades. See below.
Benefits
Capital gains
If your shares increase in value you may be able to realise a capital gain.
Dividend income
Many companies pay regular dividends, allowing you to generate an income stream.
Liquidity
You can generally transact in shares quickly and more cost-effectively than other investments such as property.
Risks
Volatility
While shares offer the potential for relatively high returns, share prices can fluctuate due to market forces.
Liquidity risk
There may be instances where you’re unable to sell your shares due to very low trading volumes or if a company enters a trading halt.
Exchange rate fluctuations
Movements in exchange rates can result in the agreed exchange rate you lock in being more expensive or of less value to you compared to the exchange rate at the date of settlement of your order.
Foreign exchange
A foreign exchange (FX) fee applies to all executed international trades. The exchange rate will depend on the Foreign Exchange market at the time the FX transaction executes.
The Foreign Exchange transaction is locked in once the trade gets booked in the relevant foreign market, which means you won’t need to perform your own currency transactions each time you trade.
Please access and read the nabtrade Global Market Trading Product Disclosure Statement (PDF 692KB) and the nabtrade Financial Services Guide (PDF 602KB) for more information on our FX service and charges.
Learn more about foreign exchange
FAQs
- Trading hours and public holidays are determined by each market. Orders placed outside of international market open hours will be queued until the relevant market opens, at which point they will be released into the market.
- Tax information may need to be declared to the Australian Tax Office for any foreign sourced income. Tax rates may also apply in the country of origin. (NAB is not a registered tax agent. We recommend you seek independent financial advice from your financial adviser or registered tax agent). For more information about tax, visit Global Tax.
- To trade international shares, all account holders must be Australian residents for tax purposes and not foreign residents for tax purposes. All account holders must reside in Australia with both residential and mailing addresses for all accounts being in Australia. Company, organisations and trusts must be registered in Australia. Please refer to Global Tax for full eligibility criteria.
- Investing through the nabtrade Global Market Trading service is not the same as investing directly. The nabtrade Global Market Trading service is an international share trading, nominee and custody service. Although you’ll be the beneficial owner of the relevant International Securities, the legal interest is held by the Custodian or Sub-Custodians and they will receive all communications regarding your investments on your behalf, including notification of shareholder meetings, upcoming corporate events and dividend information.
Trade settlement periods
| US | New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), AMEX, NASDAQ |
(Settles T+1) |
| UK | London Stock Exchange (LSE) | (Settles T+2) |
| Germany | Xetra | (Settles T+2) |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx) | (Settles T+2) |
| Australia | Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) & Cboe | (Settles T+2) |
Get started with nabtrade
Every new nabtrade customer receives:
- A domestic trading account
- An international trading account
- An integrated cash account
Additional service options include:
- nabtrade High Interest Account
- nabtrade IRESS ViewPoint
- NAB Margin Loan
- Self Managed Super Fund setup and management services
Get started today
- Apply - Complete the application form - you can select from an Individual, Joint, Company or SMSF/Trust account.
- Add cash to your account - watch the tutorial.
- Start trading - Login to nabtrade on desktop or download our app.
Activating your international account
To enable international trading on your account, please follow the steps below.
Individual and joint trading accounts
Send a copy of your Australian passport or drivers licence details, for all account holders, to international@nabtrade.com.au from the email address we hold on file for you.
Company or Trust accounts
Complete the US Withholding Tax Treaty Statement. This form can also be found once logged into nabtrade under Support > Forms.
Tax File Number
Please ensure your Tax File Number (TFN) is held by nabtrade for you and any other account holders, as this is a requirement for international trading. You can check this by logging on to nabtrade and going to Admin > Personal Details. If your TFN is not held, please enter it online by clicking Edit.
For security purposes, please do not email us your TFN.
Funding options for International shares
There are two ways to fund your investment:
Add cash to your account
Every nabtrade account comes with a linked cash account.
Borrow to invest
With a NAB Margin Loan you can borrow to invest in over 700+ international shares.
