Russian-based investors and brokers will be able to issue and cancel depository receipts in Russian companies thanks to an agreement between the National Settlement Depository (NSD), Russia’s central securities depository, and BNY Mellon.
The two companies have developed a structure by which depository receipts, issued by BNY Mellon on shares of Russian companies, can be converted into a share or vice versa in Russia within one business day.
This process currently takes between two and three business days. The structure will allow depository receipts to trade on the secondary market, settle and be used as collateral in repos by Russian market participants in their own time zone.
Eddie Astanin, chairman of the executive board of NSD, said: “We believe it will provide an added value service for our customers. As a consequence we expect to see increased interest from global investors working with depository receipts in the Russian securities market.”
BNY Mellon will act as custodian for NSD and depository bank for depository receipts trading in the Russian market.
Christopher Kearns, CEO of BNY Mellon's depository receipts business, said: “This is a revolutionary solution for the capital markets because it’s the first time a DR will trade on its local market. DR’s trading in multiple markets at the same time is also a relatively new concept. This is another step towards the idea of a global security which allows investors to transcend geographical borders.”
