Overview of Foreign Stocks Investing
In today's global market, there are many investing possibilities outside the U.S. Some brokers, such as Charles Schwab and E*Trade, let their customers trade stocks on foreign exchanges, potentially offering high returns with higher risk. Here is an overview of how to access these markets through each firm.
Foreign Stocks on Charles Schwab
Traders at Schwab can open
a global trading account that provides direct access to twelve foreign exchanges. This account shows quotes and settles trades in each market’s currency.
The available markets at Schwab include
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, and the UK. These cover seven currencies: Euro, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Japanese yen, Norwegian krone, and British pound.
Notably,
Schwab does not charge any fees for this service, and there’s no minimum requirement. However, to open a global account, you must submit a paper form because there isn’t an online application. The account statement appears in several currencies to reflect your worldwide holdings.
Schwab gives real-time quotes during trading hours on those twelve foreign exchanges. The firm also has specialists trained in overseas trading. They are available Sunday at 5:30 pm EST through Friday at 5:30 pm EST.
To help traders, Schwab’s site has a video explaining how the global account works, what it can be used for, and the trading features it offers. You can also download a PDF brochure that covers the benefits and risks of investing in global markets. The brochure mentions Schwab’s ability to trade foreign bonds.
Schwab’s site further offers details on various countries, including free Morningstar reports on Canadian stocks. Schwab advisors also publish articles covering emerging markets and other areas, sharing valuable observations.
Besides trading global stocks on overseas exchanges, Schwab allows trading FOTCs (foreign stocks on the U.S. over-the-counter market). The commission on these is $54.95, which is relatively high. Schwab customers can trade ADRs (American Depositary Receipts) of non-U.S. firms, which cost the usual $0 commission.
Schwab’s commission for global equities varies based on the currency of the trade, giving a clear pricing structure.
| Currency | Online | Phone |
|---|
| Australian Dollar | $32 | $70 |
| Euro | €19 | €50 |
| Canadian Dollar | $14 | $70 |
| HKD | $250 | $600 |
| Yen | ¥2,000 | ¥6,000 |
| Krone | 160 kr | 400 kr |
| Pound | £9 | £30 |
These charges are much more than the $0 Schwab takes for U.S. stocks. A currency exchange fee of 0.20% to 1% also applies, depending on the amount you convert.
For a complete Charles Schwab review
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Foreign Stocks on E*Trade
E*Trade used to have a wide-ranging global trading feature, but this ended in 2015. Still, E*Trade has some limited ways to trade international stocks. Customers can place orders by phone for foreign shares. For that, E*Trade charges its usual $0 commission plus its standard $25 broker-assisted fee. E*Trade tries to complete international orders on a best-effort basis.
The firm’s website includes data on foreign exchanges, such as those in Tokyo, London, and Hong Kong, as well as Germany, France, and Canada. E*Trade provides research for stocks on these markets.
For example, when you look up Honda Motor Company in Tokyo, you’ll see the symbol 7267 (Japanese tickers are numbers, not letters). E*Trade supplies plenty of details on this stock, stating it is the real share on the Tokyo exchange, not an ADR in the U.S.
Information includes Honda’s 52-week high of 3,675 yen, its most recent dividend of 24 yen, and a market cap of 44.8 trillion yen. The P/E ratio is 9.33. E*Trade’s site also has charting tools and displays current news on any company you research.
E*Trade has an international watchlist where you can follow securities on Canadian, French, German, Hong Kong, Japanese, and UK exchanges. You must enter the correct symbol to add a stock.
The site shows indexes for these global markets, such as the FTSE 100 and Hang Seng, on a 20-minute delay. Reuters posts global news, plus data on most active stocks, top gainers, and top losers by percentage, along with net gainers and losers. On the day this text was written, Sing On Holdings in Hong Kong rose over 40%.
E*Trade also gives access to Reuters stock reports on certain global equities. These PDFs do not offer specific recommendations, but they share what other analysts think. They also have useful details on the firm’s history and numbers taken from the company’s financials.
For a complete E*Trade review
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International Stocks Brokers Recap
Global trading services vary greatly from one firm to another. Always remember that trading fees can be much higher than those for U.S. stocks.
Updated on 1/17/2026.
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