I'm on the IB homepage and I see that you can trade international stocks... I see that the comissions are outrageous compared to that of the US stocks (except for the UK)... Is there an edge in international stocks? Why do people trade these? Arey ou able to trade these stocks with say your USD account, or do you have to have a seperate account? Thanks
Assuming you are referring to foreign ordinaries. You can trade these accounts in US dollars. The reason fees for such transactions are typically higher is that the currency exchange rates and other fees are included. As far as advantages to trading internationally there are many... diversification, expands sphere of investment opportunities, etc. There are however additional risks. These include the fact that foreign exchanges tend not to be as heavily regulated as the US exchanges. Also, I have found that financials are not always audited and typically do not utilize GAAP and information is scarce at best. That being said, there is always opportunity where you least expect it. Good luck!