International Investing

After an extended period of 50%-plus annual growth, China recently surpassed the United States as the largest car market in the world. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as only 2% of the Chinese population owns cars. In other words, the market has vast potential to grow significantly… Read More

The era of very low inflation seems to be coming to an end. Food prices started to perk up in 2010, oil prices are on the rise now and, before long, a wide range of companies may need to push up their prices to account for their own rising costs. This can end in one of two ways: with higher — but still manageable — inflation, or it could trigger a vicious cycle of rising inflation expectations that create even greater inflationary pressures. It’s not just about food, oil… Read More

The era of very low inflation seems to be coming to an end. Food prices started to perk up in 2010, oil prices are on the rise now and, before long, a wide range of companies may need to push up their prices to account for their own rising costs. This can end in one of two ways: with higher — but still manageable — inflation, or it could trigger a vicious cycle of rising inflation expectations that create even greater inflationary pressures. It’s not just about food, oil and other raw materials, either. There’s a also a macro-economic concern: if the United States starts to struggle to find buyers for its debt, it will need to offer far higher bond yields, the dollar would come under pressure and imports into the U.S. would be subject to major inflation pressures. Right now, this doomsday scenario is no sure thing. And it would take several years of pressure to really put inflation on the boil. But you need to start thinking about it now, gradually adjusting your investment exposure as any… Read More

The acquisition of wealth is paramount to our financial futures. Most Americans have historically depended on home ownership for accumulation of wealth, the recent crisis notwithstanding. But most people don’t realize that there’s a better way. One of the greatest… Read More

He may be an American-investing icon, but Warren Buffett still owns a few foreign stocks. Why? The funny thing about a disciplined value-investing approach is that it works all over the world — not just in the United States. The bullish kicker for Buffett is how these stocks not only… Read More

Since 1993, the globe has seen the stock markets of 11 different countries lead the yearly performance race, yet not once during that time has the United States ended up in the winner’s circle. In fact, more often than not, the U.S. market ends up in the bottom half of… Read More

In the past 40 years, not once has the United States’ stock market been the best performer in the world in any given year. At best, American stocks have been finding their way into the middle of the pack, and given enough time, the U.S. stock market’s results are often… Read More