Video: Fidelity(R) Expands Its International Investing Platform with Launch of Direct Online Trading for Foreign Stocks and Currency Exchanges

Video: Fidelity(R) Expands Its International Investing Platform with Launch
of Direct Online Trading for Foreign Stocks and Currency Exchanges
Retail Investors Gain Access to 12 Foreign Markets and Eight Currencies All
From One Brokerage Account; Brokers and Advisors Can Access a Broad Set of
Foreign Markets and Online Reporting

BOSTON, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Fidelity Investments® today announced it has
significantly expanded its international investing capabilities with the
launch of a new online platform that can make it faster, easier and more
accessible for retail investors(1), broker/dealers and financial advisors to
trade international stocks and exchange foreign currencies in some of the
world's largest and most popular international markets.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/fidelity/40689/

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091022/NY97015 )

With this new offering, individual investors who trade on their own, or those
who work with financial professionals, can more easily diversify the equity
portions of their portfolios and take advantage of an increasingly global
economy. According to new Fidelity research(i), investors say diversification
and the potential for higher returns are the top two benefits of trading
international stocks.

By combining this new international stock trading platform with the more than
1,200 mutual funds and 250 ETFs with international securities exposure already
available, Fidelity now provides one of the industry's most comprehensive
suite of international investing options.

Fidelity also published today a new Viewpoint, which is the company's customer
e-newsletter that delivers weekly market and economic commentary, investment
ideas and personal finance insights. The new Viewpoint, available at
www.fidelity.com/internationalpov, discusses how international equity exposure
as part of an investor's overall stock exposure may help reduce risk, while
providing the potential for increased returns.

Specifically, Fidelity believes for most investors with longer-term timeframes
(greater than five years), an international equity allocation of 30 percent of
their overall stock allocation provides a reasonable tradeoff between the
shorter term possibilities of increased volatility and the long-term potential
for increased returns. Fidelity announced this new weighting last month as
part of a firm-wide enhancement to its online guidance tools, asset allocation
portfolios, managed accounts, and across all Fidelity Freedom Fund® product
lines.

"When you consider that over the past 10 years, 80 percent of the world's
best-performing stocks were listed outside the United States(2), it is
understandable why investors are increasing their focus on international
investing(ii)," said James C. Burton, president of Fidelity's retail brokerage
business. "And when we asked investors what would make their international
trading experience successful, the top responses were an easy to use trading
platform, availability of research, and fast trade executions -- all core
features of Fidelity's new international trading platform."

With the new platform, retail investors and broker/dealer and advisor clients
now have automated and direct access to a broad set of global markets and
foreign currencies; third-party research, news and real-time market data and
quotes for foreign currency and international equities; and streamlined
processing and recordkeeping of international equities and foreign currencies.

"Fidelity's new international trading offering can help broker/dealers and
advisors better meet their clients' international investing needs and provide
greater efficiencies, enabling them to spend more time with clients and grow
their businesses," said Richard N. Hart III, senior vice president, National
Financial®. "Additionally, the new offering, combined with the recent launch
of Fidelity Clearing Canada ULC, reinforces Fidelity's commitment to building
a global trading platform to support the evolving needs of its broker/dealer
and advisor clients."

Retail Investors Can Trade Foreign Stocks as Easily as U.S. Stocks
Retail investors will be able to trade in 12 foreign markets and exchange
eight currencies all from their existing brokerage accounts(3) in which they
currently conduct their domestic trading. This allows them to view all of
their equity investments and currency positions in one place, and to be able
to sort positions by country and currency. Investors can get started on
Fidelity's new International Trading Web page:
www.fidelity.com/internationaltrading.

The 12 markets available to retail investors represent those to which
Fidelity's customers currently direct the vast majority of their international
trades:
-- Australia
-- Belgium
-- Canada
-- France
-- Germany
-- Hong Kong
-- Italy
-- Japan
-- Netherlands
-- Norway
-- Portugal

-- United Kingdom

The eight currencies include:
-- Australian Dollar
-- British Pound
-- Canadian Dollar
-- Euro
-- Hong Kong Dollar
-- Japanese Yen
-- Norwegian Krone

-- U.S. Dollar

Fidelity gives investors the choice to settle foreign trades with U.S.
dollars. When an investor chooses this option, it eliminates the extra step of
having to exchange currencies before placing a trade. Instead, the investor
places a foreign trade and then Fidelity automatically exchanges the exact
amount of foreign currency needed to execute the trade when the order is
filled. If it is not filled, no currency exchange takes place.

"Fidelity research shows that investors trading international stocks are often
frustrated by the lack of information on foreign markets and companies(i),"
said Burton. "As a result, Fidelity's platform provides real-time foreign
quotes and market information, as well as independent research reports on
companies overseas, all at no cost."

For international trading customers who want extra help, Fidelity provides
phone access to international trading representatives 24 hours a day, six days
a week. Additionally, Fidelity offers the Trading Knowledge Center®, an online
interactive learning tool that provides education on trading and investment
strategies. In order to help customers better understand the advantages of
international investing and how to conduct foreign stock trades and currency
exchanges, Fidelity created a new Trading Knowledge Center module about
international investing, available at
http://personal.fidelity.com/products/trading/Knowledge_Center/tkc2/ (Click
"Trade").

Broker/Dealers and Advisors Gain Increased Market Access and Efficiencies
To help broker/dealer and advisor clients more easily achieve diversification
in their customers' portfolios, Fidelity provides straight-through execution,
settlement and custody of stocks in 25 foreign markets and 16 currencies
through its brokerage technology workstations. Combined with the markets and
currencies listed above, broker/dealers and advisors also can access these
markets and currencies:
-- Austria (Euro)
-- Denmark (Krone)
-- Finland (Euro)
-- Greece (Euro)
-- Ireland (Euro)
-- Mexico (Peso)
-- New Zealand (Dollar)
-- Poland (Zloty)
-- Singapore (Dollar)
-- South Africa (Rand)
-- Spain (Euro)
-- Sweden (Krona)

-- Switzerland (Franc)

Broker/dealers and advisors can provide their customers a single monthly
account statement for their U.S. and local currency holdings, as well as a
consolidated tax reporting statement. They can rely on dedicated trading
support 24 hours a day, six days a week. For broker/dealers, Fidelity offers
risk management tools, such as pre- and post-trade supervision, to help them
monitor international transactions executed through Fidelity. More information
about Fidelity's new international trading offering, including an online
educational video, is available for broker/dealers and advisors at
www.fidelity.com/institutional.

In addition to new online trading capabilities, broker/dealers and advisors
also can execute trades in U.S. dollars, with the help of Fidelity Capital
Markets' dedicated international trading desk, in the following countries:
Argentina, Brazil, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel,
Luxembourg, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
and Turkey.

"With more than half of the world's stock market opportunities residing
outside the United States(4), Fidelity's new international trading platform
offers retail investors, broker/dealers and advisors an easy way to reflect
the global economy and diversify the equity portion of a portfolio," said
Hart.

About Fidelity Investments
Fidelity Investments is one of the world's largest providers of financial
services, with assets under administration of $3.1 trillion, including managed
assets of nearly $1.5 trillion as of September 30, 2009. Fidelity offers
investment management, retirement planning, brokerage, and human resources and
benefits outsourcing services to over 20 million individuals and institutions
as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms. The firm is the largest
mutual fund company in the United States, the No. 1 provider of workplace
retirement savings plans, the largest mutual fund supermarket and a leading
online brokerage firm. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit
www.fidelity.com.

(1) Gold level commission schedule customers only.

(2) FactSet, March 31, 2009. There were only 10 U.S. companies in the top 50
of the ACWI for the preceding 10-year period.

(3) International trading may only be conducted in non-retirement accounts.
International stock trades are restricted to Day Orders only; trades must be
Market or Limit Orders; trades must be cash only - not margin; short sales are
not permitted; international stocks must be bought and sold in the same
country.

(4) Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) (from FactSet) as of Sept.
2009

(i) About the International Trading Study
Data for Fidelity Investments' International Trading Study were collected
between September 3, 2009, and September 8, 2009, by JLA Strategic Research
through a national online survey of 405 investors. All investors are actively
involved in placing at least 36 trades per year, have household incomes of
$100,000 a year or more and have investable assets of at least $250,000.

Study results may not be representative of all investors who meet the criteria
of this study.

(ii) About the Seattle Traders' Summit Poll
The Fidelity 2009 Seattle Traders' Summit Active Trader Poll was conducted
September 29, 2009, on hand-held Audience Response System devices by JStryker,
Inc. On average, 321 Traders' Summit attendees responded to each question.
Fidelity invited to the Traders' Summit customers and other guests, many of
whom are active traders, making 120 or more trades per year. Of the active
traders polled, 71% indicated they would increase their exposure to foreign
markets in the next year.

Study results may not be representative of all investors who meet the criteria
of this poll.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges
and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus containing this information.
Read it carefully.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against loss.

International trading, including direct investments in foreign markets,
involves various investment risks, including foreign exchange risk (the
possibility that foreign currency will fluctuate in value against the U.S.
dollar), increased volatility as compared to the U.S. markets, political,
economic and social events that may influence foreign markets or affect the
prices of foreign securities, lack of liquidity (foreign markets may have
lower trading volumes and fewer listed companies, shorter trading hours and
restrictions on the types of securities that foreign investors may buy and
sell) and less access to information about foreign companies. Emerging
markets, in particular, can be subject to greater social, economic,
regulatory, and political uncertainties and can be extremely volatile.

System availability and response times may be subject to market conditions.

Currency exchanges are completed on behalf of Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
by Fidelity FOREX, Inc., a Fidelity affiliate and may include a mark-up. More
favorable exchange rates may be available through third parties not affiliated
with Fidelity.

Canadian clearing and custody services are provided by Fidelity Clearing
Canada ULC. Fidelity Clearing Canada ULC, National Financial Services LLC and
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC are affiliates.

Fidelity Capital Markets is a division of National Financial Services LLC.

Fidelity Investments, Fidelity, the Fidelity Pyramid design logo, Fidelity
Freedom Funds, Trading Knowledge Center and National Financial are registered
service marks of FMR LLC.

Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC
900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917

National Financial Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC
200 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02110

Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company, Inc.
82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA 02109

SOURCE Fidelity Investments

Corporate Communications, +1-617-563-5800