How do I trade on US and UK Markets?

To activate US and UK trading on your account, please contact our Customer Experience team by emailing [email protected]
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You will then be able to invest in over 1000 NYSE and NASDAQ listed securities, and over 250 LSE listed securities, all from your Invest Direct dashboard. If a stock you are looking to trade is missing from our website, please get in touch and we can look to have this added as a tradable instrument.
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​How US and UK trading works
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Investing in the US and UK with Invest Direct is carried out on a custodial basis.
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That means that when you purchase shares on the US or UK markets, Invest Direct’s custodian (FNZ Custodians Limited) holds those shares in custody on your behalf. FNZ collects any dividends on your behalf and passes them on to you via your Invest Direct cash account, and provides you with annual tax statements.
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Any dividends you receive will be deposited to your Invest Direct cash account in the relevant source currency and you can convert to NZD via the Invest Direct platform.
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Once every six months, you will receive an account statement and be charged a small custodial administration fee (in addition to any brokerage fees charged at the time of trade).
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You can view our pricing here.
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​Foreign Investment Fund - tax election
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Before you can start trading in US and UK markets you will need to let us know if you hold offshore investments that are subject to the FIF rules, this election can be made on your account under the preferences tab on the website.
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The FIF rules apply to many offshore investments but certain exemptions may apply. For more information, please consult your tax advisor, and/or visit www.ird.govt.nz.
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​How your orders will be handled
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You can submit your orders through Invest Direct at any time.
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As part of keeping you safe and meeting regulatory obligations, our broker is required to review your order before it is placed with the relevant exchange.
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US and UK orders received before 6pm NZ time will, if accepted by the broker, be placed into the next available trading session.
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When your order is filled, you will receive an automated notification and contract note as usual.
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If you have any questions or feedback please email [email protected]