Grail has cancelled its IPO. Instead, the company has been bought by fellow US-based healthcare company, Illumina. Even though you won’t be able to buy stock in Grail directly, there are still ways to back the company.
Latest updates
December 16: Illumina has criticized EU regulators in court for the Commission’s scrutiny of its acquisition of Grail.
August 18: US biotech company Illumina acquires Grail, even though the European Commission has not completed its review of the acquisition.
April 20: In response to competition concerns, EU antitrust regulators will examine Illumina’s proposed acquisition of Grail.
March 30: The Federal Trade Commission has filed to block Illumina’s proposed acquisition of Grail.
What we know about the Grail IPO and acquisition
On August 18, 2021, Illumina, Inc. announced that it purchased Grail, which develops cancer detection tests, for $7.1 billion.
Prior to this, Grail had been considering going public. On September 9, 2020 it filed a draft registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The company had planned to conduct an IPO on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “GRAL.” Altogether, it was hoping to raise $100 million from the offering.
On August 23, just 5 days after being bought out, Grail submitted a withdrawal request to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), effectively cancelling its IPO.
Though owned by Illumina, Grail remains a separate company as EU regulators conduct an antitrust investigation of the acquisition. The issue concerns whether the deal will reduce competition and innovation in the field of genetics-based cancer detection testing.
There has been no indication that Grail will have an IPO in the future. We’ll update this page as more information becomes available.
About Illumina
Illumina, Inc. (NasdaqGS: ILMN) is a diagnostic healthcare company headquartered in California, USA. It develops solutions for genetic and genomic analysis used in research and clinical settings. Among its portfolio are products and services used in life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments.
Illumina’s year-end revenue in 2020 was $3.24 billion, down from $3.54 billion in 2019.
How to invest in Grail from Canada
Although you won’t be able to buy Grail stock directly, you can still invest in its parent company, Illumina, which trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ILMN.” To buy US stocks, you need to open a stock trading account with a Canada-based broker than provides access to US stock exchanges.
Our selection of top picks is based on the same criteria as our annual Stock Trading Platform Awards. This is updated yearly to reflect changes in the market.
"Best for" picks are those we've evaluated to be best for specific product features or categories – you can read our full methodology here. If we show a "Promoted" pick, it's been chosen from among our commercial partners and is based on factors that include special features or offers, and the commission we receive.
This isn't an exhaustive list of all the trading platforms out there. What's best for you depends on your own investing strategy, budget and financial goals.
Tax implications of buying US stocks in Canada
Agreements between Canada and the US require Canadians holding US stock investments to pay the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) a 15% withholding tax on any dividends earned on their US stocks. Interest earned from bonds or other interest-yielding US investments are similarly taxed at a rate of 10%.
An exception is made for stock investments held in trust exclusively designed to provide retirement income. Such trusts include RRIFs, LIRAs, LIFs, LRIFs and Prescribed RRIFs. RRSPs are also exempt from US withholding tax if you own US investments in the form of US stocks, bonds or ETFs.
Investment accounts that do not qualify for this exemption include RESPs, TFSAs and RDSPs.
All income from investments, including foreign investments, must be declared as part of your income on your Canadian tax return. Unless your US earnings are exempt from withholding tax, this means you’ll be double taxed on those earnings — first by the IRS, then by the CRA. However, the CRA may allow you to claim foreign tax credits for any taxes you’ve already paid to the IRS.
Speak with a tax professional to find out what rules and exceptions apply to your circumstances.
Compare stock trading platforms
You can compare features of stock trading platforms in the table below. Once you’ve decided on the right fit for your needs, click the “Go to site” button to get started.
Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades.
Stacie Hurst is an editor at Finder, specializing in loans, banking, investing and money transfers. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Writing, and she has completed FP Canada Institute's Financial Management Course. Before working in the publishing industry, Stacie completed one year of law school in the United States. When not working, she can usually be found watching K-dramas or playing games with her friends and family. See full bio
A failed SPAC deal pulled the plug on this vertical farming company’s plans to go public. But you can buy stock in other sustainable farming companies.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Advertiser Disclosure
Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.