Are ADR stocks risky?

Asked by: Mr. Henri Mann  |  Last update: August 27, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (20 votes)

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.

Is it safe to buy ADR stock?

ADRs have currency risk because of the way they are structured. The global bank that creates the ADRs establishes a conversion rate, meaning that an ADR share is worth a certain number of local shares. To preserve this conversion rate over time, movements in the exchange rate of the home country vs.

What are the disadvantages of ADR stocks?

Liquidity: Regular stocks usually have better liquidity as they trade on the domestic exchange while ADRs could have lower liquidity which means you could be paying higher spreads to trade them. Costs: ADRs may have additional fees i.e. administrative and currency conversion costs.

Is ADR worth it?

Takeaways: ADR can lower the temperature of legal conflicts. Because real estate depends on relationships, and relationships are at risk in traditional litigation, ADR is worth trying for routine matters.

Can you convert ADR to ordinary shares?

Background on ADR Fungibility - ADRs and their underlying ordinary shares may have a fungibility feature, where a share of the ADR can be converted to a certain quantity of the ordinary shares based on a fixed conversion ratio, and vice versa.

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Why buy ADR instead of stock?

There are several potential advantages investors may consider when deciding to purchase an ADR, including greater accessibility to foreign equity exposure, as well as their denomination in U.S. dollars, which should help make reporting of capital gains and losses somewhat easier, while also not having to do any ...

Does an ADR pay a dividend?

Many non-U.S. companies, which might otherwise be unavailable or inconvenient to trade, do trade in the U.S. markets as ADRs (receipts for shares of the foreign stock issued by U.S. banks). ADRs are denominated in U.S. dollars and pay dividends in U.S. dollars.

What is a disadvantage to ADR?

What Are the Disadvantages of Alternative Dispute Resolution? The biggest downside is that they may not always be fair. For example, there can be bias in the arbitration process as each party hires its own arbitrator. In negotiation, the party with the most leverage usually gets its way.

What are the cons 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.
  • ADR does not guarantee a resolution to the dispute.
  • An ineffective third party can potentially hinder a resolution.

Who benefits from ADR?

Benefits of ADR:

Both parties have the opportunity to fully participate throughout the entire process. Uses fewer resources (e.g., time and money) than traditional administrative or adjudicative processes. A resolution will avoid several years of litigation in administrative and court proceedings.

What are the flaws of ADR?

ADR decisions do not set legal precedents, which means that similar cases may be treated differently in the future. If you have the same issue twice, there is no guarantee you will receive a positive outcome the second time. For mediation and conciliation, the outcomes you reach are not legally binding.

What happens to ADR shares if delisted?

Level I ADR holders may (i) sell their ADRs in over-the-counter trading following delisting; or (ii) surrender their ADRs to Citibank in exchange for the underlying shares. Does delisting from the NYSE impact the voting and dividend rights of ADR holders? The delisting does not impact voting and dividend rights.

What are 4 advantages of ADR?

ADR processes have a number of advantages. They are flexible, cost-efficient, time-effective, and give the parties more control over the process and the results.

Do ADR stocks have fees?

The institutions that issue ADRs may charge quarterly or annual 'ADR Pass-Through Fees' which consist of custody fees and fees for processing dividends and corporate actions. These fees can add to your investment costs. Liquidity for some ADRs may be low, which may affect bid/ask spreads.

What happens to Russian ADR stocks?

What will happen to ADRs if they are not converted into Shares? The ADRs will remain on your account until Shares are sold by the depositary bank and the funds received from the sale are distributed to you.

What is the $50 foreign transaction fee for Charles Schwab?

US$50 transaction fee applies to foreign share trades placed directly on a foreign exchange or the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market. Additional foreign handling or transaction fees may be assessed by local market brokers at the time of the trade. For non-U.S. ETF orders, please contact us.

What are the risks of investing in ADR?

ADR risk factors and expenses

Exchange rate risk—the risk that the currency in the issuing company's country will drop relative to the US dollar. Political risk—the risk that politics or regime changes in the issuing company's country will undermine exchange rates or destabilize the company and its earnings.

Who is most at risk from ADRs?

Infants and very young children are at high risk of adverse drug reactions because their capacity to metabolize drugs is not fully developed. For example, newborns cannot metabolize and eliminate the antibiotic chloramphenicol. Therefore, it is not commonly used.

What problems exist with ADR generally?

There are a few disadvantages to using ADR that you should be aware of, including:
  • There is no certainty of a binding outcome.
  • ADR is not always suitable; for example, in a case where emergency relief is necessary, or the opposing party is simply not prepared to engage in the process.

Why not use ADR?

ADR is only as effective as the third-party neutral (arbitrator or mediator, for instance) chosen to help resolve the matter. As an example, a family law mediator who isn't experienced with equitable distribution might not be the best fit to broker a deal in a divorce involving complex assets.

What is an adverse effect of ADR?

An adverse drug reaction (ADR) can be defined as 'an appreciably harmful or unpleasant reaction resulting from an intervention related to the use of a medicinal product; adverse effects usually predict hazard from future administration and warrant prevention, or specific treatment, or alteration of the dosage regimen, ...

What are the shortfalls of ADR?

However, it also has its drawbacks, such as the lack of legal precedent, limited discovery, potential enforcement challenges, power imbalances, informal procedures, and variable quality among ADR practitioners.

Are ADR stocks worth it?

Avoid Currency Risk — Another benefit of ADRs is the ability for investors to invest in foreign companies without worrying about currency risk. In order to purchase a foreign company's shares, an investor must convert their U.S. dollars into that company's currency.

Does Fidelity have ADR fees?

An ADR fee is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) fee. This fee is not charged by Fidelity. The fee is charged by the ADR agent.

How are ADR stocks taxed?

Like regular U.S.-based stocks, ADRs that issue dividends are taxed in the same manner. However, the one caveat is that because it is considered a foreign investment, the foreign home country will typically have a withholding amount.