CDIs are UK securities representing an underlying interest in an overseas security. They are issued on a one-for-one basis. Because CDIs are UK securities, you can receive dividends in sterling and can buy or sell CDIs easily in the UK.
You should note however that if underlying investments are quoted in other currencies, exchange rate movements may affect the value of your investment in pounds sterling.
In the UK, any CREST member can hold CDIs. CREST is the company that settles most UK trades in equities. If you are not a CREST member, you can often hold CDIs through a nominee service. Equiniti offers a Corporate Sponsored Nominee (CSN) service for a number of companies, where you can hold just that particular stock. For more information about CSNs, please click here.
Alternatively, we offer the Equiniti Investment Account and ISA products, where you can also hold any CDI traded through CREST.
For more information about the Investment Account click here.
For more information about ISAs click here.
Once you are holding CDIs in a nominee account, you can buy, sell or transfer them in the same way as other nominee services except for transferring shares into certificated form. You can also transfer to another UK nominee service (if you have an alternative provider) or an overseas custodian.