A global depository receipt or global depositary receipt (GDR) is a certificate issued by a depository bank, which purchases shares of foreign companies and deposits it on the account. GDRs represent ownership of an underlying number of shares.
Global depository receipts facilitate trade of shares, and are commonly used to invest in companies from developing or emerging markets.
Prices of global depositary receipt are often close to values of related shares, but they are traded and settled independently of the underlying share.
Several international banks issue GDRs, such as JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Bank of New York. GDRs are often listed in the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Luxembourg Stock Exchange and in the London Stock Exchange, where they are traded on the International Order Book (IOB). Normally 1 GDR = 10 Shares, but not always. It is negotiable instrument which is denominated in some freely convertible currency. it is a negotiable certificate denominated in us dollars which reparesents a NON-US Companys publicly traded local equity.