Can International Stocks Boost Your Returns?
With all the talk these days about the weak dollar, our growing deficit and our anemic economy, people are looking to international stock markets for better investment opportunities. But before you get too enthusiastic about these markets, here are a few things to consider.
Growth. Everyone is predicting that international economies will grow faster the the U.S. That may well be true, but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll get better investment results. You may recall that technology companies grew faster than other companies, but the investment returns have been terrible over the last 10 years.
- Why? Because the high growth rate was already baked into the price.
- You need to consider this when you venture into international markets. You aren't the only one who believes they will grow faster, and they will be priced accordingly.
- While international stocks may turn out to be good long term holdings, they are still equity investments. This means they're going to be subject to about the same risk profile as U.S. stocks. So get prepared for a wild ride.
- Even with our history of booms, busts and fraud, we still get ourselves into trouble. Expect that these emerging economies will go through similar events.
- If our fiscal, monetary or tax policies don't work, then we have a chance to change things every couple of years. And we change them through a democratic, peaceful process.
- We are stable, yet flexible, which is good for capital markets.
- Other countries don't have this history, and sometimes governments change in strange ways. Consider Venezuela and Russia, or how China might deal with a political challenge.
- Both political instability and inflexibiilty are bad for financial markets.
Bottom line. International investing is one of several things you should be doing to diversify your holdings. But don't expect these markets to work miracles for you.
As with all financial matters, consult your individual financial advisor prior to making any decisions.
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