How to Buy British Stocks

U.S. investors looking for exposure to British stocks have several options, as the U.K. market is one of the easiest foreign markets for investors to gain access to. Fortunately, most of the choices are cost-effective and easy to execute.

Buying British Stocks

Investors can choose to go the most traditional route, which would be to call a regular stock broker or use an online brokerage account to purchase shares listed in London. Even discount brokers such as E*Trade allow U.S. investors to purchase shares of companies that trade in London.

The American Way

Investors have another option that is cheaper than buying shares listed in London. Several of the biggest British companies also list their stocks in the U.S. as American depositary receipts. Examples include AstraZeneca, Barclays, BP and Vodafone.

Consider An ETF

The rapid expansion of the exchange traded fund (ETF) industry has introduced dozens of country-specific ETFs to investors. The iShares MSCI U.K. Index Fund gives investors exposure to a basket of British stocks across a broad swath of industries.

References

• List Of U.K. ADRs