How to Buy Stock on the International Stock Exchange

Choose your investment channel. If you're considering investing in the international stock market, most likely you already have a brokerage account in place. With international investments, it's best to have a knowledgeable adviser in your corner. If you've been going it alone up to this point, you might want to consider a full-service brokerage firm or a fee-based service to help you navigate this new terrain. Understanding currency exchange procedures, regulatory requirements and overall portfolio management advice is much needed when investing in the international stock market.
Research the global stock market. Two types of markets dominate the global stock exchange: Mature markets--These include the United States, London and Europe. These are markets in which growth potential is small. The corporate market momentum has pretty much stabilized.Developing markets--These markets are called BRIC economies and include the countries of Brazil, India, China and Russia. These are developing countries, and so their corporate market growth potential is large.You would think the developing markets would be the wise investment choice; however, developing countries are prone to frequent economic and political change. Changes like these impact the corporate structure of a country’s market system and can drastically improve or depreciate the value of a stock investment.Mature markets offer stability but little opportunity for growth. The potential for technological advancement within a mature market system is, however, a possible growth opportunity. Take some time to get a feel for the economic and political climates of the countries you’re looking to invest in. Changes in a country’s leadership, talk of intercontinental alliances or the potential of war or upheaval are things to look for when considering how stable an investment will be.
Match portfolio needs with international stock type. There are several different investment packages to consider when choosing international stocks. You can invest in a specific oversees company, or you can invest in a group of companies or even a group of countries.The main types of investment options offered by brokerages are:American depositary receipts (ADR)--These allow investors to invest in international stocks without buying into a foreign exchange.Exchange-traded funds (ETF)--These are, in essence, mutual funds that can be traded just like individual stocks.International funds--These are similar to exchange-traded funds. The only difference is they’re handled by a portfolio manager, and all decisions are made by the portfolio manager.Foreign securities--This is when an investor purchases international stock directly from his broker’s international trading desk.
Choose your broker carefully. More oftentimes than not, U.S. brokers who trade on the international market are trading through domestic market makers. The market maker is the middleman, and he’s the one who’s actually carrying out the trade exchange. As such, market makers make a profit off your investment monies. This is an extra cost that can best be put toward the investment stock itself.Instead, look for brokers who deal directly with oversees traders. Of course, they’ll charge a trading commission, but this charge is substantially lower than what goes to a domestic market maker.
Track currency exchange rates. Investing in oversees stock means your U.S. dollar will be converted to whatever a country’s currency is. The drawback here is not all currencies are created equal.Translating your U.S. dollar into a foreign currency rate means price quote amounts, dividends and fees will be altered to reflect the difference of value in the currencies in play. Make it a point to understand the currency exchange rates that apply to your portfolio makeup and incorporate them into your investment budget planning process.

How to Invest in the Paris Bourse Stock Exchange

Learn how the Euronext is structured. In September 2000, the Paris Bourse Stock Exchange became the Paris-based Euronext exchange, with subsidiary exchanges based in five other European countries. In 2006, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Group and the Euronext merged to form the NYSE Euronext.
Speak to your financial adviser about your personal finance plan. Determine how much money to invest in the exchange formerly known as the Paris Bourse, remembering that any wise investor knows better than to sink everything into a single place.
Open a trading account with a discount brokerage. Thanks to the merger of the NYSE and the Euronext, international investors have much easier access to the Paris stock exchange than they do to other major international stock markets. Thus your buy and sell requests don't necessarily have to be routed through a Paris-based broker for your order to be filled.
Choose a French company to invest in. The best way to find these is to track trends in the Paris exchange by reading local, English-language financial papers and following the market for a period of weeks or months. Check into a company's background the same as you would for a domestic stock: know the share's price history, review financial statements, check earnings forecasts and make a decision about which company's stock offers the best value.
Place an order to buy shares of the company you've decided upon through your brokerage. Use the NYSE Euronext's English homepage to get up-to-date stock quotes and follow your investment (see Resources below).