Invest in US-listed shares and ETFs

The Nasdaq mainly trades companies related to digital technology, as well as things like financial, consumer, biotech, and industrial companies.

For example, shares in Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, and Tesla all trade on this exchange.

Located on Wall Street in Manhattan, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalisation.

Many of the oldest publicly traded US companies and entities are on this exchange, for example Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, General Electric, and Berkshire Hathaway.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) is the second largest US equities operator.

It's the creator of the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX)—often called the market's ‘fear gauge’. The VIX measures expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days, based on S&P 500 options pricing, and underpins a range of VIX futures, options, and exchange-traded products.

Yes, you can transfer US-listed shares from another broker to Sharesies. You'll need to upload a holding statement showing your name, account number, and shareholdings, along with a signed transfer form—and let your sending broker know the transfer is happening on your end. There are no fees to transfer investments into Sharesies (however the platform or broker you’re transferring from might charge a fee).

Yes—you can send us a request for any Nasdaq, NYSE, or CBOE-listed stock or ETF we don't currently offer. We pass every request on to the team that reviews what gets added. There's no fixed timeframe for when—or whether—a specific stock will be added, as each one is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

With a valid W-8BEN on file, total US dividend withholding tax is 15%, under the NZ–US tax treaty. Without one, it defaults to 30%.

NZ Resident Withholding Tax (RWT) is deducted on top of this, which can bring your total tax on US dividends up to 33% with a valid W-8BEN (or up to 48% without a valid W-8BEN) once imputation credits are factored in. The US doesn't tax capital gains for non-resident investors, but you may still have New Zealand tax obligations on gains, depending on your circumstances.

Sharesies doesn't provide tax advice—for anything specific to your situation, it's best to talk to a tax professional.

The Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) rules apply once the total cost of your overseas shares—including US-listed investments—exceeds $50,000 NZD. This is based on what you originally paid, not the current market value.

If you're over the threshold, you're responsible for calculating and paying FIF tax to Inland Revenue yourself. Sharesies offers a FIF income report for $70.00 NZD, available under Portfolio > Investments > Manage > Download Reports, to help with this. You can also opt out of NZ RWT on FIF distributions directly in the app.

Sharesies doesn't provide tax advice—talk to a tax professional about your FIF obligations.

Throughout the year, US share market opening hours in NZ are 2:30 AM until 9:00 AM NZST (Mid-March to early April); 1:30 AM until 8:00 AM NZST (Early April to late September); 2:30 AM until 9:00 AM NZDT (Late September to early November); 3:30 AM until 10:00 AM NZDT (Early November to mid-March). 

Orders placed during the NZ day are queued and will fill once the market opens overnight. We'll notify you of upcoming market closures for US public holidays, following the NYSE holiday schedule.

With the $15 pricing plan, you get US live pricing updates every 5 seconds during market hours or during extended hours if you’ve opted in.

There’s a 1.9% transaction fee on the amount to buy or sell, which is capped at $5 USD per share order. There’s also a 0.6% currency exchange fee to convert money into and from USD. If you’re on a Sharesies plan, you can get your transaction fees covered on a set amount of orders per month. See all pricing.