GLOBAL DEPOSITORY RECEIPTS Definition

Bookmark and Share

GLOBAL DEPOSITORY RECEIPTS are receipts evidencing ownership in the underlying shares of a foreign company. Generally, U.S. banks and trusts issue American depository receipts (ADR) and American depository shares (ADS). They hold the foreign company securities underlying the receipts in their vaults. In addition to the underlying securities, the receipts entitle the shareholder to all dividends and capital gains. The bank or trust company issuing the receipts may have denominated the receipts in a currency other than the currency underlying the foreign security. U.S. and European banks and trust companies usually issue global depository receipts (GDR), which are receipts in the shares of global offering of a foreign issuer who has issued two securities simultaneously in two markets, usually publicly in non-U.S. markets and privately in the U.S. market. European banks and trust companies generally issue European depository receipts (EDR), sometimes called continental depository receipts (CDR) when issued in bearer form, which evidence ownership in foreign securities.

Learn new Accounting Terms

MAJORITY CONTROL is the degree of control provided by a majority position.

FUND BALANCE is when liabilities are subtracted from assets, there is a fund balance. A positive fund balance means there are more assets than liabilities; a negative fund balance means just the opposite. Fund balance can be complicated by the fact that part of the fund balance is reserved and part unreserved. The difference between reserved and unreserved is that the unreserved can potentially be authorized for future expenditures while the reserved cannot. Additionally, the fund balance is a residual and not necessarily a cash amount.

Suggest a Term

Enter Search Term

Enter a term, then click the entry you would like to view.