How Much Should Be Invested Internationally
In general, Vanguard recommends that at least 20% of your overall portfolio should be invested in international stocks and bonds. However, to get the full diversification benefits, consider investing about 40% of your stock allocation in international stocks and about 30% of your bond allocation in international bonds.
For most people, investing internationally through mutual funds or ETFs is the easiest option. Not only do you get the benefits of diversification, but investing through funds is also generally cheaper and easier since you don’t have to worry about the costs and timing considerations involved in trading on international exchanges or through American depositary receipts.
How To Buy Stocks Internationally
There are a few ways individual investors can gain exposure to international markets. For example, you can buy American depositary receipts , U.S.-registered mutual funds, or U.S.-registered ETFs that invest in foreign securities. You might be surprised that many large U.S. companies do business overseas and give you access to international consumers. In this case, investing in a multinational stock might be similar to buying an international stock.
However, to buy individual stocks on a foreign market, you need to open an account with an international brokerone that supports the buying and selling of international stocks. Its wise to understand the fees, available countries, and assets before selecting your international broker.
Once you have opened and funded an account with an international broker, buying international stocks is similar to buying stocks on U.S. exchanges. You may need to request access for the specific exchange you want to trade. Also, you may need to research the exchange and ticker symbol to ensure you are trading the intended stock.
Ken Fishers View On Investing Globally
Billionaire investor and founder of Fisher Asset Management, Ken Fisher, is an advocate of investing globally for diversification. Mr. Fisher is active on social media and he shares his insights on a variety of topics related to capital markets on his Youtube channel. Mr. Fisher spoke about the benefits of investing globally in a video he recorded on January 14, 2022. His views are consistent with BlackRocks findings that in the long term the returns for U.S. equities and international stocks are relatively the same. Here is an excerpt from Mr. Fishers video on the benefits of investing globally:
Some international stocks that Wall Street analysts and investors are bullish on and see upside for include ASML Holding N.V. , Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited , and Shell Plc .
Our Methodology
To identify the 10 best international stocks to invest in, we looked for companies that have mature businesses and have gathered a strong consumer base. We first identified major industries around the world and then looked for companies that have established their leading position in those respective industries. Finally, we narrowed down our selection to stocks that had positive market sentiment associated with them and ranked them in increasing order of hedge fund holders.
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Check Out These Adrs To Diversify Your Portfolio
Gordon Scott has been an active investor and technical analyst of securities, futures, forex, and penny stocks for 20+ years. He is a member of the Investopedia Financial Review Board and the co-author of Investing to Win. Gordon is a Chartered Market Technician . He is also a member of CMT Association.
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International investors have access to virtually limitless opportunities around the world, from Australia to Zambia. Buying and selling these foreign securities is easy to do through the use of exchange-traded funds and American depository receipts . These investment products cover the vast majority of popular companies and countries around the world.
Take a look at the top 10 most popular foreign ADRs, as well as some important considerations for investors before purchasing them.
Quality Is The Best Defense For An Impending Global Recession
Jenkins and his team are focused on finding attractive stocks through their bottom-up process and don’t target companies exclusively based on what sector, country, or region they’re in.
However, it’s impossible to invest well without being aware of what’s going on in markets and the economy. It’s clear that the global economy is losing steam as inflation remains historically high, even though it’s starting to cool. Europe’s economy appears to be doomed, growth in China is abysmal, and many indicators show that a recession in the US is coming.
“Economic data, both in the US as well as overseas, is reflecting a global slowdown,” Jenkins said. “And the million-dollar question is whether or not we will experience a recession in 2023 or perhaps 2024.”
Jenkins later added: “I don’t have a crystal ball. I don’t know. If we’re going into recession, then I think in general it’s going to be challenging no matter which part of the equity market you’re in. Typically in a recession, earnings will fall 20% to 30%, and that hasn’t happened yet.”
However, Jenkins says investors shouldn’t be paralyzed by the possibility of a recession. He noted that the timing and the severity of an economic downturn are impossible to predict.
“What I can tell you is that I’m very excited about the starting valuation of the fund today,” Jenkins said. “It’s at a very, very attractive level and I think set up for very good expected returns over the cycle.”
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Best International Stocks To Buy Now
In this article, we discuss 10 best international stocks to buy now. If you want to see more stocks in this selection, check out 5 Best International Stocks to Buy Now.
Markets are swinging wildly, and the rally in the last week is already over, with major US indices running red for days on end. Investor concern is on the rise as Wall Street awaits third quarter corporate results, and guidance for what to expect for the fourth quarter and next year. On top of that, the Fed might raise interest rates even more. UBS Asset Management strategists Evan Brown and Lucas Kawa said in a report on October 11:
Federal Reserve policy will continue to buoy the US dollar, as tightening will likely continue without a pivot to easing until material evidence of labor market weakness emerges or inflation returns much closer to target.
The United States is not the only country with interest rate hikes, and most global economies are acting similarly. MSCI’s global index hit its lowest level in almost two years on October 11, and the Bank of England continued with policies that largely support the UK bond market. Reports of escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war and mounting COVID-19 cases in China are crushing market sentiment further.
Our Methodology
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What Percentage Of My Portfolio Should Be In International Stocks
Many advisors recommending keeping international stocks to a relatively small portion of your portfolio. Of your overall stock exposure, you may consider starting with up to 20% of your funds in international stocks. As with any portfolio balance, you should carefully consider your own goals, risk tolerance, and financial situation, rather than blindly following a rule of thumb.
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Best International Companies To Own: 2022 Edition
These companies from various corners of the globe are well-positioned for the future.
Investors from most every part of the world exhibit a certain amount of home bias: the tendency to prefer domestic equities to international ones. This makes sense. Investors are likely more familiar with these brands and, consequently, are more comfortable putting their money toward them.
But in todays investing world adding international exposure is one of the first steps toward a diversified portfolio, according to Morningstar portfolio strategist Amy Arnott. If, for example, the U.S. dollar weakens, exposure to European or Asian equities can soften the impact.
With that in mind, how can stock investors tackle international investing?
First, its important to remember that at Morningstar, we dont view investing through the lens of daily price movements or hot tips. We see owning a single stock as similar to owning a small part of the company or the underlying business itself.
Consider the amount of effort we devote to researching and comparing options before buying a car. It tends to be a lot, and it tends to work out well for our needs, exceeding expectations and providing a reliable form of transportation. This is the same approach we take to buying a stock.
Here are the 24 companies based outside of the United States, but available to U.S. investors, that made the cut.
Vanguard Total International Stock Etf
The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF is another fund thats well worth your attention. The fund was designed to provide diversified exposure to both emerging and developed markets around the world.
When you invest in the fund, youll gain exposure to developed economies like Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe, as well as exposure to emerging economies like China and Brazil.
The fund uses the FTSE Global All Cap ex-US Index as its benchmark, which tracks more than 5000 companies in global markets across all market capitalizations while excluding investments in U.S. companies.
Key Stats
As investors have come to expect from Vanguard funds, the VXUS comes with industry-low expenses, but you wont be giving up returns in exchange for the discount.
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British American Tobacco Plc
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17
Dividend Yield as of October 19: 7.54%
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a London-based provider of tobacco and nicotine products, offering vapor, tobacco heating, modern and traditional oral nicotine products, and combustible products. On September 28, British American Tobacco p.l.c. declared a $0.7404 per share quarterly dividend, in line with previous. The dividend is payable on November 15, to shareholders of record on September 30. British American Tobacco p.l.c. s dividend yield on October 19 came in at 7.54%.
On August 30, Barclays analyst Gaurav Jain raised the price target on British American Tobacco p.l.c. to 4,500 GBp from 4,400 GBp and maintained an Overweight rating on the shares.
According to Insider Monkeys second quarter database, 17 hedge funds held stakes worth $2.3 billion in British American Tobacco p.l.c. , compared to 19 funds in the prior quarter worth $2.2 billion. Rajiv Jains GQG Partners is the leading position holder in the company, with more than 34 million shares worth $1.46 billion.
In addition to Citigroup Inc. , Exxon Mobil Corporation , and Philip Morris International Inc. , elite hedge funds are piling into British American Tobacco p.l.c. .
Here is what Distillate Capital has to say about British American Tobacco p.l.c. in its Q1 2022 investor letter:
Understanding The Risks Of Foreign Stocks
Fear of the unknown is one reason many investors stick to home. And that attitude is not completely unjustified, as international stocks could add unforeseen risks to your portfolio just what youre trying to avoid through diversification. Here are four risks to be aware of:
Fear of the unknown is one reason many investors stick to home.
Turmoil. Some countries and their markets may be liable to violent swings from politics, economic uncertainty, foreign currency rates, corruption or even war. Its hard enough to stay on top of the news at home, let alone track these issues in distant regions.
Data. More limited access to financial information may be another risk of investing internationally. Other countries have different rules for the breadth, type and timeliness of data that publicly traded companies must report, which can vary significantly from the norm in the U.S.
Liquidity. The U.S. is home to the largest stock exchange in the world, which means theres generally an ample market of buyers and sellers. That may not be the case elsewhere, with lower trading volumes or more limited trading hours both of which could make it more difficult to buy or sell when you want.
Legal recourse. The Securities and Exchange Commission protects investors from fraudulent activity but it focuses primarily on the U.S. market. When buying foreign investments, you may not have the same access to certain legal remedies as you would when buying a U.S.-based stock.
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Idea #2 Split Developed And Emerging Markets
Developed countries tend to have the biggest stock markets, and thus larger market capitalization. They totally dominate the allocation percentages of market cap-weighted index funds and ETFs.
But, most global growth is coming from emerging markets.
Over the next couple decades, several emerging markets will be the biggest economies in the world:
Chart Source: IMF World Economic Outlook
Despite this, due to weighting by market capitalization, the Vanguard FTSE All-World Index ETF , which represents the world besides the United States, and indices just like it, have only about a quarter of their assets in emerging markets and three-quarters of their assets in developed international markets.
In fact, the Vanguard Total World Stock Index ETF , which includes the United States and all major countries and represents literally the entire world by market capitalization, has less than 12% of its assets in emerging markets.
For this reason, I like to split my emerging markets exposure and developed foreign exposure into separate allocations, and then weight the emerging exposure more heavily. Emerging markets are more volatile, but thats where most forward GDP growth is coming from.
For example, in a M1 Finance portfolio, you can overweight emerging markets:
Each month, I add money to my M1 Finance account, so if emerging markets dip, my allocation buys the dip and brings the allocation back to where I want it. If developed markets dip, my allocation buys that dip instead.
International Stocks Management Services
No single countrys stock market will outperform all the rest all the time. Investing in international stocks provides an excellent wealth-growing opportunity that hedges you against local events. Contact Bogart Wealth today to discuss your investing concerns or any other wealth management queries.
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The Best International Stock Funds For 2022
These international mutual funds and ETFs all earn Morningstar Analyst Ratings of Gold.
There are plenty of reasons to own international stocks in a portfolio. Some investors want foreign stocks in their portfolios to round out their exposure to the global stock market. Morningstars director of global exchange-traded fund research, Ben Johnson, points out that U.S. stocks constitute about 55% of the world’s public equity market cap, with foreign stocks representing the remaining 45%. But most U.S.-based investors’ equity allocations are nowhere close to that breakdown.
Others may want to tilt their portfolios toward foreign fare after a period of U.S. stock dominance like the one we’ve seen in the past several years. At 2021’s end, the average U.S. large-blend fund had trounced the average foreign large-blend fund by more than 10 full percentage points annually over the trailing three-year period.
But before adding an international fund to your portfolio mix, double-check that you dont already have plenty of exposure to international markets through your core equity fund holdings Morningstar’s Instant X-Ray feature can help you determine your portfolios current international stock stake. While there’s no “right” allocation to markets abroad, Morningstars Lifetime Allocation Indexes suggest up to a near-42% position in non-U.S. stocks, depending on life stage and glide path.
Here’s Why You Should Hold Icf International Stock Now
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ICF International, Inc. has an impressive Growth Score of B. This style score condenses all the essential metrics from a companys financial statements to get a true sense of the quality and sustainability of its growth.
ICFs 2022 and 2023 earnings are expected to improve by 18.3% and 5%, respectively, year over year. Revenues are anticipated to rise 14.2% and 11.4% in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
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Top International Stocks To Buy: Ishares Global Green Bond Etf
12-month Yield: 0.76% Expense Ratio: 0.2% per year
Many investors are using environmental, social, and governance criteria as they set standards for the companies and funds they invest in. Recent metrics highlight, ESG funds captured $51.1 billion of net new money from investors in 2020, a record and more than double the prior year.
The iShares Global Green Bond ETF gives exposure to investment-grade green bonds issued to fund environmental projects worldwide. Since most of the bonds have A to AAA ratings, credit risk is low.
To reduce currency risks so that returns are more stable, the fund is U.S.-dollar hedged. Since its inception in November 2018, net assets have grown to $214 million.
BGRN currently has 568 holdings. The top 10 issuers make up about 33% of the fund. Bonds issued by governments of France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and the European Investment Bank are among top names. Close to 20% of the bonds come from France. Next in line are Germany , the U.S. , supranationals , the Netherlands and others.
The effective duration is slightly over eight years. In other words, if interest rates rose faster than expected, the price of BGRN could come under pressure. Duration is an important concept for bond buyers. For instance, a bond fund with a 10-year duration will decrease in value by 10% if interest rates rise 1%. Thus, as a bonds duration rises, the interest rate risk also increases.
International Stock Etfs For 2021
Choosing the right international stock ETF is a combination of the following:
- Which countries you want exposure to, and in what proportions
- What market-caps you want to include
- Any additional metrics you want
- Expense ratio: the lower the better, all else being equal
Most large international index funds and ETFs are based on one of two sets of indices:
- The Morgan Stanley Capital International indices
- The Financial Times Stock Exchange indices
Both of them allow a fund to passively track a market at a low cost. But although the MSCI and FTSE indices are similar, theyre not exactly the same. For example, one of the biggest differences between the two right now is that MSCI considers South Korea to be an emerging market, while FTSE has considered it to be a developed market since 2009.
BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world, which owns the massive iShares brand of ETFs, tends to use MSCI for its international index funds. Vanguard, on the other hand, tends to use FTSE indices for its funds.
Below, Ill highlight some of the funds that I believe offer the best international exposure at the lowest rates.
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