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Investing in Chinese stocks

Its economy is booming, but US tensions could force Chinese stocks off American exchanges.

Interested in adding Chinese shares to your portfolio? Chinese growth stocks are plentiful and easily accessed from a domestic brokerage account. But the future of these stocks on US exchanges remains uncertain — especially for state-owned enterprises.

What are Chinese stocks?

Chinese stocks originate from companies that are headquartered in China. Like the US, there are multiple Chinese stock exchanges — including the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

How to buy Chinese stocks from the US

There are a few ways for US investors to add Chinese stocks to their portfolios, including stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). With an international brokerage account, you can purchase Chinese stocks directly from Chinese exchanges. Not many US brokers offer international trading, but there are a few that offer access to Asian markets, including Moomoo and Interactive Brokers. For investors who aren’t ready for an international brokerage account, numerous Chinese companies also list shares on the NYSE and Nasdaq, offering investment opportunities for US investors with domestic brokerage accounts.
ETFs that track Chinese stocks are another way for US investors to diversify into Chinese investments. And Chinese ADRs — certificates that represent shares of foreign stock — can be bought and sold from domestic brokerage accounts.

Interactive Brokers

Our pick: Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers offers an impressive range of tools and low fees for active or professional investors.

  • Access to over 1 million bonds
  • Trade corporate bonds, municipal bonds and US Treasuries
  • $1,000 minimum face value
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Available asset types Stocks, Bonds, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Futures, Forex, Treasury Bills
Stock trade fee $0
Option trade fee $0 + $0.65/contract
Annual fee 0%

Why invest in Chinese stocks?

China’s economy is on the rise, and its businesses are poised for growth. China is the world’s second-largest economy, second only to the United States. And it enjoys this position thanks to an average economic growth rate of over 6% for nearly 30 years, making it the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
China is also the world’s largest exporter, boasting an export value of approximately $2.5 trillion USD in 2019, according to Statista. In fact, the country’s year-over-year export growth hovered near 17% from 2002 to 2012. The bottom line? China is a major driver of economic growth and backing Chinese companies presents a potentially lucrative investment opportunity for US investors.

Risks of investing in Chinese stocks

Chinese stocks present unique risks. Many Chinese companies are state-owned, and ongoing tensions between China and the US could result in Chinese stocks being delisted from US exchanges. In 2017, there were 102 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the Fortune Global 500. Of those 102 SOEs, 75 of them were from China. In fact, there are over 150,000 state-owned enterprises in China, according to the China Journal of Accounting Research. Why does this matter? These SOEs have been accused of receiving unfair advantages, like low-cost loans, while yielding less competitive returns than their privately run counterparts. China has plans to reform its SOEs, but it’s difficult to say what this reform will look like or what impact it could have on privately held Chinese companies.
And speaking of reform, ongoing tensions between China and the United States have led to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act: a bill introduced by the US Congress that requires companies listed on US exchanges to declare any connections with foreign governments. The bill also states that companies listed on US exchanges must submit to audits of the company’s financial performance. For Chinese companies listed on US exchanges, the bill is problematic and could potentially result in numerous Chinese stocks delisting from US exchanges.

Chinese stocks listed on US exchanges

Over 130 Chinese stocks trade on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. You can buy, sell or hold these stocks with a domestic brokerage account the same way you would any US stock.

See how the following stocks are performing, and view details like market capitalization, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio and dividend yield.

Over-the-counter (OTC) Chinese stocks

There are many well-established Chinese companies that don’t trade on US exchanges. If you hold an international brokerage account, you can purchase shares directly from Chinese markets. And investors with domestic brokerage accounts can invest by buying American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) in OTC exchanges. Over 150 Chinese companies are listed in American OTC markets. ADRs can be purchased through any domestic brokerage account that offers access to OTC investments.

  • China Railway Construction (CWYCY)
  • China Railway Group (CRWOF)
  • CITIC Ltd (CTPCF)
  • Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (IDCBY)
  • Ping An Insurance (PNGAY)

What ETFs track Chinese stocks?

Another option for US investors interested in adding Chinese stocks to their portfolio is by purchasing ETFs that invest in Chinese companies. While this is a less direct investment than purchasing shares, an ETF that tracks Chinese stocks offers broad exposure to a number of securities as opposed to just one.

  • iShares MSCI China ETF
  • KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF
  • Renaissance Capital’s International IPO ETF
  • SPDR S&P China ETF

Compare trading platforms

Many Chinese stocks can be purchased from a domestic brokerage account. Narrow down your options by comparing features, fees and research tools.

1 - 10 of 10
Product USFST Finder Score Available asset types Stock trade fee Minimum deposit Cash sweep APY Signup bonus
Finder score
Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Futures, Treasury Bills
$0
$0
N/A
Get $50-$5,000
Finder score
Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency
$0
$0
4.5%
Get a free stock
Finder score
Stocks, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Alternatives
$0
$0
0.02%
Get up to $1,000 in stock
Finder score
Stocks, ETFs
$0
$0
N/A
Earn up to $300
Finder score
Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency
$0
$0
4.9%
FINDER EXCLUSIVE: Get a guaranteed $15 bonus and $10 in free crypto
Finder score
Stocks, Bonds, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Alternatives, Treasury Bills, High-yield cash account
$0
$0
4.35%
Get up to $10,000 and transfer fees covered
Finder score
Stocks, ETFs
$0
$0
0.1%
Get $10 when you sign up and deposit $5
Finder score
Stocks, ETFs
$0
$500
5%
Get $50
Finder score
Stocks, Bonds, Mutual funds, ETFs, CDs
$0.01
$250
2.83%
Get up to $500
Finder score
Stocks, ETFs, Cryptocurrency
$0
$100
4.00%
N/A
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What is the Finder Score?

The Finder Score crunches 147 key metrics we collected directly from 18+ brokers and assessed each provider’s performance based on nine different categories, weighing each metric based on the expertise and insights of Finder’s investment experts. We then scored and ranked each provider to determine the best brokerage accounts.

We update our best picks as products change, disappear or emerge in the market. We also regularly review and revise our selections to ensure our best provider lists reflect the most competitive available.

Read the full Finder Score breakdown

Bottom line

There are numerous ways to invest in Chinese stocks from a US brokerage account. And for those who prefer to invest in Asian markets directly, brokers like Moomoo and Interactive Brokers offer international brokerage accounts. Before you open an account, explore available trading platforms by fees and available markets to find the broker that is best positioned to serve your investment goals.

Frequently asked questions

Paid non-client promotion. Finder does not invest money with providers on this page. If a brand is a referral partner, we're paid when you click or tap through to, open an account with or provide your contact information to the provider. Partnerships are not a recommendation for you to invest with any one company. Learn more about how we make money.

Finder is not an advisor or brokerage service. Information on this page is for educational purposes only and not a recommendation to invest with any one company, trade specific stocks or fund specific investments. All editorial opinions are our own.

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Editor

Shannon Terrell is a lead writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet and a former editor at Finder, specializing in personal finance. Her writing and analysis on investing and banking has been featured in Bloomberg, Global News, Yahoo Finance, GoBankingRates and Black Enterprise. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and English literature from the University of Toronto Mississauga. See full bio

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has written 159 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Share trading
  • Robo-advisors
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