Platform for buying overseas shares

Dear all
My first post since joining this great forum.

Like to ask if anyone know what is the best platform to invest in overseas shares? Platform like SCB online trading or SAXO do not seem to allow me to vote as shareholder as the shares are held under them as nominees. I am thinking of investing in some European listed companies (not for trading unless things go wrong) and hope that I will attend their AGM in future
Tks.

(22-11-2011, 06:20 PM)header Wrote: Like to ask if anyone know what is the best platform to invest in overseas shares?

Welcome; I am also new here I have been using Interactive Brokers for a few years now. I am generally happy with the many products and international markets you can access through them at relatively modest commissions. However, the software is quite complicated and takes time to learn. Also, their customer service is slow and very brief in responding to questions (phone contact is fine, though expensive).

It's a broker for traders/investors who don't need any handholding. The same applies to the AGM registration process. Sometimes I am alerted to an AGM by email, sometimes by postal mail and sometimes not at all. In the first two cases, there may or may not be a return form to vote on the different agenda items. Often the postal mail forms arrive too late to respond. I believe the procedure also depends on how the stock issuing company decided to manage their AGM procedures. Not (only) on the broker.

In any case: through Interactive Brokers you are generally the direct holder of the stocks in your portfolio which seems to be your main concern.

Tks. Seems that IB is what I need although at first glance the bokerage fees are a bit higher than say SAXO. But I guess there is no best of both world. Will check it out.

i heard IB has min no trade floor per month? u need to consider that also

(22-11-2011, 06:20 PM)header Wrote: Dear all
My first post since joining this great forum.

Like to ask if anyone know what is the best platform to invest in overseas shares? Platform like SCB online trading or SAXO do not seem to allow me to vote as shareholder as the shares are held under them as nominees. I am thinking of investing in some European listed companies (not for trading unless things go wrong) and hope that I will attend their AGM in future
Tks.

Hi header, welcome to the forum!

to be vested in overseas shares, I will see us (retail investors) losing a few shareholders' benefits - such as voting rights & speaking to management in AGM. The closest we can acquire information is via their financial reports or announcements or at best, if they choose to reply our emails.

you mentioned you want to attend their AGM, that will means traveling to Europe itself & if it's several companies, you have to consider the time span spread in between each AGM. Unless you are a wealthy private investor, I don't think the returns on such trip is worthwhile - might as well buy additional shares in the companies.

Tks dzwm87.
Attending overseas AGM is a dream for me at the moment. It will combine with overseas travel.
But u are right it may not make strict financial sense and we may lose out to institutional investors in monitoring these overseas companies. But I see current EU problems as an opportunity and hopefully opportunity will still be there after I have done my research.

Be careful though, some of Euro stocks might be dirt cheap because they are dirt.

All the best for your research!