With the U.S. economy questionable lately, it might be the time to look into international investments through exchange traded funds (ETFs). The U.S. economy may not be experiencing much growth right now, but overseas markets can present opportunities.
Jonas Elmerraji for TheStreet suggests that investing international does not mean you have to put your money into risky places. There are developed economic superpowers, such as France and the United Kingdom, with potential for global plays. ETFs give investors easy access to countries and regions around the globe.
The largest international ETF by assets is iShares MSCI EAFE (EFA), which includes exposure in the U.K., Japan, France, Germany, Switzerland and other countries. iShares MSCI Taiwan (EWT) is up the most year-to-date of the international ETFs, up 12.6%. Compared to the S&P 500 that is down 7%.
There are numerous ETFs available to gain exposure overseas either by single country, region or even the world, such as Vanguard FTSE All World-ex U.S. (VEU).
Try looking at ETFs that are above their trend lines and use caution when considering an investment in a volatile country where there is lots of political upheaval.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.