Global corporations Sinopec, Vitol, Total and Glencore each earn at least $200 billion in annual sales — but you’ve probably never heard of them. It’s the lack of familiarity with the world’s top global companies that keeps many of us from investing in foreign… Read More

As the European crisis unfolds, businesses and consumers are forced to cut back spending on all non-essential services. Having enough money to cover the basics is enough of a challenge. From phone service to mail delivery to electricity, there are certain regular expenditures that simply can’t be avoided. Yet European… Read More

Brazil is an undisputed economic powerhouse. Not only is it the leading emerging market and the largest economy in South America, it is the sixth-largest economy in the world after overtaking England in 2011. Read More

Brazil is an undisputed economic powerhouse. Not only is it the leading emerging market and the largest economy in South America, it is the sixth-largest economy in the world after overtaking England in 2011. The country’s incredible rise to global prominence has been driven by its rich trove of natural resources.#-ad_banner-# Brazil’s largest export is iron ore, and is the world’s third-largest producer behind only China and Australia. Brazil’s iron ore exports are up more than 200% in just the past… Read More

Brazil is an undisputed economic powerhouse. Not only is it the leading emerging market and the largest economy in South America, it is the sixth-largest economy in the world after overtaking England in 2011. The country’s incredible rise to global prominence has been driven by its rich trove of natural resources.#-ad_banner-# Brazil’s largest export is iron ore, and is the world’s third-largest producer behind only China and Australia. Brazil’s iron ore exports are up more than 200% in just the past three years. Brazil is also a major player in energy. It is currently the 13th-largest exporter of crude in the world, but that’s rapidly changing… The country’s growth in energy got a big boost in 2006 with the discovery of the Lula oil field off its eastern coast, lifting Brazil’s proven and probable reserves by 150% to 50 billion barrels. The Economist projects that will help the country rise to the sixth-largest oil producer in the world by 2020. Agriculture is also a huge part of Brazil’s booming… Read More

Walk around virtually any city in Europe, and you’ll get a glimpse of deep economic strains.#-ad_banner-# Many store fronts are boarding up, people are walking the streets with hopes of finding employment and landlords are evicting tenants who are far behind in rent. Yet,… Read More

Walk around virtually any city in Europe, and you’ll get a glimpse of deep economic strains.#-ad_banner-# Many store fronts are boarding up, people are walking the streets with hopes of finding employment and landlords are evicting tenants who are far behind in rent. Yet, economists increasingly expect the gloom to lift slowly. And if history is any guide, then you want to invest in troubled Europe before the region’s economy is back in full force.  This notion hasn’t been lost on some investors who are already profiting from increased… Read More

Walk around virtually any city in Europe, and you’ll get a glimpse of deep economic strains.#-ad_banner-# Many store fronts are boarding up, people are walking the streets with hopes of finding employment and landlords are evicting tenants who are far behind in rent. Yet, economists increasingly expect the gloom to lift slowly. And if history is any guide, then you want to invest in troubled Europe before the region’s economy is back in full force.  This notion hasn’t been lost on some investors who are already profiting from increased exposure to Europe. But these investors were mostly focused on the riskiest stocks that appeared to be the most distressed. Many Italian bank stocks, for example, have risen 50% or even 100% since bottoming out last summer. But for investors looking to commit fresh funds to European investments, it may be wiser to take a different tack.  Focus on stocks and funds that remain near lows, but have a high degree of economic sensitivity. Once investors have become convinced that Europe… Read More

Just a few quarters ago, an increasing number of data points yielded an impression that the Chinese economy might soon be in distress. The housing sector looked overbuilt, the banking sector was carrying a rising number of… Read More

Right now, many quality European multinationals are cheaper than their U.S. peers, as investors’ concerns about Europe’s economy have lowered share prices. The S&P 500 currently trades at 2.14 times book value and 12.4 times projected 2013… Read More

U.S. Investors poured a stunning $54 billion into emerging-market exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in 2012, according to research firm ETFGI. That’s a stunning growth from just $3 billion in 2011. The two largest ETFs in the category, Vanguard… Read More

In the late 1980s, Japan’s economy was the envy of the world. The country’s meteoric rise to become the world’s second-largest economy coupled with the dominance of Japanese brands such as Sony, Toyota and Kubota gave rise to the term “Japanese Economic… Read More