Updated as of December 15, 2022
- What are the restrictions on non-sanctioned Russian securities? The U.S. sanctions prohibit U.S. financial institutions from facilitating the purchase of securities of any Russian company. This means that you cannot open new positions in Russian securities, including their derivatives.
- Do I have to sell my positions in non-sanctioned Russian issuers?No. You may hold your existing positions in non-sanctioned Russian securities or sell your positions, as you choose. Please keep in mind that your ability to close positions may be limited by exchange or local rules. For example, current restrictions by the Central Bank of Russia prevent IBKR clients from making any trades (opening or closing) on the Moscow Stock Exchange.
- Is there a deadline for selling non-sanctioned Russian securities?No, there is no wind-down period to divest. You may sell your positions in non-sanctioned Russian securities at any time so long as the market for that security is open to IBKR for trading. For instance, IBKR does not currently have access to the Moscow Stock Exchange.
- Can I continue to purchase Russian securities or sovereign debt in the secondary market?No, the prohibitions apply to any debt or equity security issued by a Russian entity, including sovereign debt. You can sell your Russian securities or debt positions or hold them, but you cannot make new purchases.
- Can I convert my ADRs and GDRs in non-sanctioned Russian securities?IBKR is not supporting conversions of your ADRs and GDRs into RUB-based securities that deliver to your IBKR account. We may, on a best-efforts basis, facilitate conversions in which the underlying shares are delivered to a non-IBKR account.
- Can I transfer my position in non-sanctioned Russian securities?Yes, you can transfer these positions to another brokerage account in your name, assuming the receiving broker will accept the positions.
- Can I receive dividends on non-sanctioned Russian securities?Due to changes made by the Russian Central Bank, IBKR is not facilitating the payment of dividends on any Russian securities. Clients should contact the issuer to receive their dividends.
- How will corporate actions relating to my non-sanctioned Russian securities be processed?At this time, we note that many corporate actions on non-sanctioned Russian securities do not appear to be getting processed by our Custodian Bank. To the extent our Custodian Bank processes the corporate action, IBKR will apply the corporate action to client accounts.
Additional Information