A global depositary receipt (GDR) is a bank certificate issued in more than one country for shares in a foreign company. GDRs list shares in two or more markets, most frequently the U.S. market and the Euromarkets, with one fungible security, Investopedia suggests.

GDRs are most commonly used when the issuer is raising capital in the local market as well as in the international and US markets, either through private placement or public stock offerings.

A global depositary receipt (GDR) is very similar to an American depositary receipt (ADR), except an ADR only lists shares of a foreign country in the U.S. markets.

Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) give issuers exposure to the global markets outside their home market.

Depositary receipts are negotiable certificates issued by a bank to represent the underlying shares of stock. The underlying shares are held in trust at a foreign custodian bank. GDRs refer to certificates traded outside the US.

Even though they may not be listed in US exchanges, GDRs are generally denominated in US dollars.