E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation’s E*TRADE Securities has launched its Global Trading platform. E*TRADE’s US retail customers will now have online access to foreign stocks and currencies in the major international markets and will have the ability to buy, hold and sell in the respective local currency. The pilot launch is focused on the major global markets: Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Kingdom, and may be expanded to include online access to up to 42 international markets and related currencies.
“Demand for international investing continues to rise dramatically in the United States,” says R. Jarrett Lilien, the President and Chief Operating Officer of E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation. “Retail investors see international investments as a key component of overall portfolio diversification and, want the added benefit of direct share ownership. Our Global Trading initiative offers E*TRADE customers online access to six major international markets, making it easy and affordable to own foreign equities.”
The Global Trading platform will be made widely available to E*TRADE customers in Q2 2007.