Topic: How To Invest

Q: The Canadian dollar has been up and down lately against the U.S. dollar. When buying a U.S. stock, would that stock then have to rise 34% to cover the exchange rate before I realized any gains? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: The short answer is no. $1.00 U.S. equals $1.34 Canadian. You get back the exchange differential when you sell. If the U.S./Canada exchange rate is about the same as when you bought, you’ll only lose the cost of the trade, perhaps 1%. The thing is that using Canadian dollars to buy U.S. stocks involves two transactions. You sell your Canadian dollars to buy U.S. dollars; then you use the U.S. dollars to buy the U.S. stocks you want. The first transaction—the conversion of Canadian dollars into U.S.—may cost you 1% or more of your Canadian funds. The second transaction—using your U.S. dollars to buy U.S. stocks—will involve a second commission charge, like any stock trade. It will vary with the broker who handles it. The outcome of your U.S. stock purchases will depend on two independent factors. The first is the rise or fall in value of the U.S. stock, in U.S. dollars. The second factor is the value of those dollars…