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Arm IPO: How to buy Arm shares from Australia

Buying pre-IPO stock in global companies isn't easy but there are other ways to invest.

News update: September, 2023

  • 15 September 2023: Arm shares jumped 25% on its debut on the Nasdaq on Thursday to a US$65 billion valuation
  • 14 September 2023: Arm's IPO is priced at $51 per share, which values the company at around US$54 billion.
  • Arm IPO date: The Arm IPO is scheduled to list on the Nasdaq on Sept 14, 2023.

Following a successful market debut, Arm shares are now trading on Wall Street under the ticker code ARM.

The British chipmaker, Arm Holdings, listed shares on the Nasdaq exchange as an ADS. An ADS - or American Depository Share - is the name given to non-US companies that list on a US stock exchange.

This means you can now buy Arm shares directly through an online trading platform that has access to US stocks.

How to buy shares in Arm

You can buy Arm shares by following a few simple steps:

  1. Compare share trading platforms. To buy shares in a company listed in the US from Australia you'll need to find a trading platform that offers access to US stock markets. Look for a platform with low brokerage and foreign exchange fees (compare your options below).
  2. Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, which will typically include your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, credit card or debit card.
  3. Search for Arm. Find the share by name or ticker symbol ARM. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment that matches your financial goals.
  4. Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until Arm reaches your desired price. To spread out your risk, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying using consistent intervals and amounts.
  5. Decide on how many to buy. Weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs. You may be able to buy a fractional share of Arm, depending on your broker.
  6. Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of Arm. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights.

Compare trading platforms to buy Arm shares

1 - 6 of 6
Name Product Standard brokerage for US shares Currency conversion fee Asset class
eToro
Finder AwardExclusive
eToro
US$0
50-150 pips
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
CFD service. Capital at risk.
Finder exclusive: Get 12 months of investment tracking app Delta PRO for free when you fund your eToro account (T&Cs apply).
Join the world’s biggest social trading network when you trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account.
IG Share Trading
Finder Award
IG Share Trading
US$0
0.70%
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, UK shares, ETFs
$0 brokerage for US and global shares plus get an active trader discount of $5 commission on Australian shares.
Enjoy some of the lowest brokerage fees on the market when trading Australian and international shares, plus get access to 24-hour customer support.
Moomoo Share Trading
US$0.99
55 pips or 0.0055 AUD/USD
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Get an additional 30 days on top of the regular brokerage-free period for new accounts. T&Cs apply.
Trade shares on the ASX, the US markets and buy ETFs with Moomoo. Plus join a community over 20 million investors.
CMC Invest
Finder Award
CMC Invest
US$0
0.60%
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, mFunds, ETFs
$0 brokerage on global shares including US, UK and Japan markets.
Trade up to 35,000 products, including shares, crypto, ETFs and managed funds, with access to 15 major global and Australian stock exchanges. Plus, buy Aussie shares for $0 brokerage up to $1,000. (Limited to one buy order per stock per trading day).
Webull
US$0.25
0.50% (50 pips)
ASX shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Earn US$100 in cash vouchers when you fund your new account and maintain a minimum balance of US$2,000 by Dec 29 until March 31, 2024. Plus, earn up to 5.3% p.a. yield on your US cash account (T&Cs apply).
Trade ASX and US stocks and US options, plus gain access to inbuilt news platforms and educational resources. You can also start trading for less with fractional shares.
Tiger Brokers
Exclusive
Tiger Brokers
US$2
37 pips
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Get 10 brokerage-free trades for the US or ASX market for the first 180 days and US$50 fractional shares when you deposit at least US$500. Plus, all new customers get 1 free trade per month for the first 12 months (T&Cs apply).
Get one brokerage-free trade per month for the first 12 months for US or ASX markets. T&Cs apply.
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The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no indication of future results.

About the Arm IPO

On Thursday 14 September, British chip designer Arm Holding listed on the Nasdaq with a price of $56.10. On its first day of trading, Arm jumped 25% to a close of $63.59, resulting in a valuation of US$65 billion.

It's likely to be the biggest IPO of 2023.

After months of speculation, Arm, whose parent company is SoftBank, filed to go public in August 2023.

The news landed during a significant moment for chipmakers like NVIDIA, whose valuations are getting bolstered by the hype around artificial intelligence (AI). GPU chips are required in AI training, including by applications like ChatGPT.

While no target share price was included in the initial filing, SoftBank initially sought a valuation of between $60 billion and $70 billion.

That valuation was later reduced to US$54.5 billion and $51 per share for pre-listed IPO stock.

Ahead of its listing on September 13, Arm shares were reportedly oversubscribed.

What's the deal with Arm Holding?

Arm is a major semiconductor company headquartered in the UK and owned by Japanese company SoftBank Group.

The firm primarily designs CPUs although it also designs other chips like GPUs and chip-related infrastructure and software. Its major competitors include AMD, NVIDIA, IBM and Intel.

Arm had previously listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) although it delisted in 2016 after it was acquired by SoftBank.

In 2022, a takeover deal by Nvidia collapsed and SoftBank subsequently announced plans to re-list on the NASDAQ.

How to invest in the Arm IPO

Arm has already listed on the stock exchange, so it's too late to buy IPO stock, however you can buy ordinary shares via a share trading platform.

Before stocks list on an exchange, some investors will get the opportunity to buy pre-IPO stock. But in most cases this is only available to institutional or high net-worth investors.

That being said, it's worth checking with your broker or trading platform whether they're offering pre-listed stock to retail investors. In some rare instances, brokers do offer pre-IPO stock to clients, particularly if they have a partnership with the underwriters.

The lead underwriters in the Arm IPO are Barclays, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Mizuho Financial Group.

Should you invest in the Arm IPO?

Buying shares in any company comes with risks but there are particular considerations that should be made when buying IPO stock.

Big name IPOs like Arm are typically surrounded by a lot of hype. This may be spurred on by the media, commentators or marketing efforts from the company itself. The idea is to get as much good press happening in the lead up to the listing.

But all this noise can result in higher than normal volatility once the stock starts trading. It's not unusual to see a stock price jump on the first day of trading, only to nose dive in the days following.

It's worth remembering that some active traders see IPOs as an opportunity to make a quick profit by driving up prices, only to make a sudden exit at the peak. With the market's fixation on AI, it's certain Arm will garner plenty of interest and speculation.

For this reason, investing in newly listed IPO stock can be riskier than buying regular stock. Do your homework and only invest what you can afford to lose.

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