Own the World: How Smart Investors Create Global Portfolios
Despite the fact that foreign stocks make up a larger portion of world equity markets than U.S. stocks, only a small portion of American investors' dollars are allocated overseas. Many of the world's biggest and fastest-growing companies are located outside the United States, so a global portfolio can bestow rich rewards on the savvy investor. But increased return opportunities aren't the only benefit. Greater opportunities for risk management through diversification are another important advantage of a global investment portfolio. Yet even the most sophisticated investors have been deterred by misconceptions about the risks associated with foreign stocks and the seeming lack of information about foreign markets.Own the Worldwill educate you on the importance of going global, the investment vehicles providing access to global markets, and potential pitfalls to watch out for when expanding portfolios overseas.Author Aaron Anderson, an analyst at Fisher Investments, describes the benefits of global investing in straightforward terms. He explains that many of the world's most successful firms are located outside the United States, including many of the companies Americans rely on most. He details how investing globally can increase diversification and reduce portfolio risk because different conditions in different countries can cause domestic and foreign stocks to be imperfectly correlated. The author provides an overview of global stock markets and describes how to efficiently employ a top-down approach to building a global portfolio. He outlines some of the factors impacting stock prices around the world as well as some of the more challenging aspects of global investing, such as political risks, different accounting standards, and others. He further explains that, in many cases, the perceived risk is greater than the actual risk.While global investing can't insulate investors from all the ups and downs inherent in stocks no matter where they're from, it can unleash myriad opportunities to take advantage of the growth potential and risk-reducing benefits of stocks around the world. This book can show you how to take full advantage of these tremendous opportunities.