If you searched for Xiaomi ADRs, you’ve inevitably come across both XIACF and XIACY. What’s the difference? You cannot trade XIACF as a retail investor because it’s a “privately placed” ADR under SEC Rule 144A. This means that they’re for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) only. QIBs want and contribute to the 25x higher average trading volume than XIACY. Volume ensures there are enough buyers and sellers to trade with you. Information and services are also limited to QIBs.