Core Insights - U.S. investors exhibit a strong home country bias, with portfolios heavily weighted towards domestic stocks, often exceeding the U.S.'s 60% share of global market capitalization [2][3] - Vanguard's 2026 market outlook suggests modest returns for U.S. equities at 4% to 5% annually, while international stocks are projected to perform better with returns of 5% to 7% [4] - The high cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings (CAPE) ratio of 37.92 indicates that high starting valuations are historically linked to lower future returns [5] Investment Strategies - Investors can diversify globally without overhauling their portfolios by using low-cost ETFs, such as the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS), which has an expense ratio of 0.05% and provides exposure to over 8,700 stocks [6][7] - VXUS offers comprehensive global diversification, covering both developed and emerging markets, while the Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (VYMI) appeals to income-focused investors with higher yields and lower valuations [8]

This was supposed to be the year for international stocks. Now, the Iran war has U.S. markets on top once again. https://t.co/bdkRpm8iaq ...

Core Viewpoint - Investors are rediscovering the value in international stocks, particularly in Europe and Japan, after a prolonged focus on U.S. growth stocks [1][12]. Group 1: Valuation Discrepancies - The valuation gap between U.S. stocks and developed international markets is at one of its widest points in decades, with the S&P 500 trading at a premium while many European and Japanese companies trade at lower earnings multiples despite solid cash flows [3][12]. - European equities are trading at a discount compared to U.S. stocks, despite having strong balance sheets and paying healthy dividends [6][10]. Group 2: European Market Insights - European stock markets have a significant presence of industrial companies, financial institutions, and energy producers, which generate real cash flow and return a portion to shareholders [5][6]. - Many European firms are global leaders in their sectors, yet they continue to trade at a discount to U.S. stocks [6]. Group 3: Japanese Market Developments - Japan has undergone significant corporate reforms, leading to improved capital allocation and higher returns on equity, resulting in companies increasing dividends and share buybacks [7][8]. - Japanese companies maintain strong balance sheets and trade at modest valuation multiples, presenting an attractive investment opportunity [8]. Group 4: Investor Behavior and Market Trends - U.S. investors exhibit a home-country bias, often favoring high-valuation growth stocks over undervalued international firms [9][10]. - Historical trends suggest that periods of U.S. growth stock dominance are often followed by outperformance of neglected value stocks in international markets [14][15]. Group 5: Investment Opportunities - Investors are presented with a choice between continuing to invest in expensive U.S. growth stocks or exploring developed markets where strong companies trade at reasonable prices and offer meaningful dividends [13][16]. - The current market conditions in Europe and Japan provide opportunities for investors seeking reasonable prices, solid businesses, and dependable dividends [17].

Group 1 - International stocks tracked by the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex US Index Fund ETF (VEU) have modestly outperformed the S&P 500 in 2026, benefiting from cheaper valuations relative to the U.S. benchmark [1] - The performance of international stocks is positively influenced by surging energy prices [1] Group 2 - The author has a background in investing since high school, focusing on REITs, preferred stocks, and high-yield bonds, indicating a long-term fundamental approach to investing [1] - The author combines long stock positions with covered calls and cash secured puts, reflecting a strategic investment methodology [1]

>> ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SO-CALLED SELL US TRADE.MAYBE YOU SAY IT'S GETTING LOUDER IN CERTAIN AREAS. JUST AS A REMINDER, AS I MENTIONED GOING TO BREAK LAST YEAR THE OUTSIDE THE US TRADE TROUNCED THE INSIDE THE US TRADE BY THE WIDEST MARGIN IN A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. GIVE YOU AN IDEA.THE ISRAEL ETF UP 43%, S&P WAS UP 16.5%, BRAZIL 41, EMERGING MARKETS 31, JAPAN 26 AND THE FTSE IN LONDON UP 21. SO THAT GIVES YOU AT LEAST AN IDEA. THEN WE HEARD A WEEK AGO OR SO THAT BLACKROCK'S RICK RIED ...

Core Insights - The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) differ significantly in cost, yield, and market exposure, with VXUS providing broader global diversification at a lower price compared to EEM's focus on emerging markets at a higher fee [1][2] Cost & Size Comparison - VXUS has an expense ratio of 0.05%, while EEM's expense ratio is 0.72% [3][4] - The one-year return for VXUS is 29.5%, compared to EEM's 36.8% [3] - VXUS offers a dividend yield of 3.0%, whereas EEM has a yield of 2.0% [4] - VXUS has assets under management (AUM) of $135.2 billion, significantly higher than EEM's $27.5 billion [3] Performance & Risk Comparison - Over five years, VXUS has a maximum drawdown of -29.43%, while EEM's maximum drawdown is -39.82% [5] - An investment of $1,000 in VXUS would grow to $1,297 over five years, compared to $1,079 for EEM [5] Portfolio Composition - EEM focuses on emerging markets, with major sector exposures in technology (28%), financial services (22%), and consumer cyclical (12%), holding 1,214 stocks [6] - VXUS diversifies across 8,602 stocks, with significant sector weights in financial services, industrials, and technology, featuring top positions like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd [7] Investment Implications - VXUS provides stable exposure to international stocks at a low cost, making it suitable for conservative investors [12] - EEM offers higher potential returns but comes with increased risk and higher costs, appealing to investors with a greater risk appetite [12]

Core Insights - The iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS) provides broad exposure to developed and emerging markets at a lower cost compared to the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG), which focuses solely on emerging markets and has seen stronger recent returns [1][2] Cost and Size Comparison - IXUS has an expense ratio of 0.07%, while IEMG has a slightly higher expense ratio of 0.09% [3][4] - As of February 2, 2026, IXUS has a one-year return of 35.9% and a dividend yield of 3.24%, whereas IEMG has a one-year return of 41.5% and a dividend yield of 2.75% [3] - IXUS has assets under management (AUM) of $51.9 billion, while IEMG has a significantly larger AUM of $120.0 billion [3] Performance and Risk Analysis - Over the past five years, IXUS has experienced a maximum drawdown of 30.05%, compared to IEMG's 37.16% [6] - A $1,000 investment in IXUS would have grown to $1,305 over five years, while the same investment in IEMG would have grown to $1,106 [6] Portfolio Composition - IXUS holds 4,173 stocks across developed and emerging markets, with a focus on financial services (21%), industrials (15%), and basic materials (13%) [7] - IEMG consists of 2,725 stocks from emerging economies, with a significant emphasis on technology (26%), financial services (21%), and consumer cyclicals (12%) [6][10] - Both ETFs have Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing as a top holding, but IXUS diversifies its exposure across various sectors and regions, while IEMG is heavily concentrated in technology [10][11] Investment Implications - International stocks have outperformed U.S. markets in 2025, driven by a weaker dollar, attractive valuations, and strong earnings growth, making both IXUS and IEMG viable options for investors [8][9] - IXUS is suitable for investors seeking comprehensive international exposure with stability, while IEMG appeals to those willing to accept higher volatility for potential long-term growth in emerging markets [11]

Last year we saw almost ma all major international markets outperform the US and you know after 15 years of uh having outperformance now other markets I think will catch up on the US market because the in terms of valuations the US is a bit more expensive than other market. So David, share with our listeners and viewers why we're starting to diversify our personal investments a little bit away from the United States. >> Yeah.Well, international markets have outper outperformed US markets and since the begin ...

Core Insights - Investors added $165.4 billion to U.S.-listed ETFs in January 2026, a decrease from December's record but still significantly higher than January 2025's $107 billion [1] Group 1: ETF Inflows - International equity ETFs led the inflow rankings with $68.2 billion, surpassing the $42.7 billion that flowed into U.S. equity ETFs [2] - The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) attracted $8.8 billion in January, with a year-to-date gain of 8.3%, compared to a 2.2% gain for the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) [3] - VOO remains the most popular ETF overall, gathering $16.3 billion in January [3] Group 2: Fixed Income ETFs - U.S. fixed income ETFs saw inflows of $36.6 billion, while international fixed income ETFs attracted $15.6 billion [4] - Bond performance has been muted, with the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) and the Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF (VCIT) both up about 0.2% year to date [4] Group 3: Commodity ETFs - Commodity ETFs pulled in $4.3 billion in January, primarily due to demand for gold, with the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) gathering $2.6 billion in inflows [5] - In contrast, silver ETFs faced significant outflows, with the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) losing $2.9 billion in January [6] Group 4: Smaller Stocks - The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) gained $4.4 billion in January, benefiting from the outperformance of smaller stocks over large caps in 2026 [7] - RSP is up 3.8% year to date, nearly double the gain of the market-cap-weighted S&P 500 tracked by VOO [7]

Core Insights - U.S. stocks had a strong performance in 2025, with the S&P 500 increasing by 16.4%, despite a significant drop in March and April [1] - International stocks outperformed U.S. stocks, with the MSCI World ex USA index rising by 32.6% due to a weakening dollar and shifts in investment strategies influenced by trade policies [1] - The S&P 500 has shown impressive total returns of 26.3% and 25% in the two preceding years, with an average annual return of 14.8% since 2009, significantly above its historical average [5] Investment Performance - The S&P 500's stock prices have increased at more than double the rate of cumulative earnings-per-share growth since 2009, leading to a high forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of nearly 22 times forward earnings expectations [6] - The cyclically adjusted price-earnings (CAPE) ratio, developed by economist Robert Shiller, has surpassed 40, a level not seen since the dot-com bubble, indicating potential overvaluation in the market [7] Future Outlook - Shiller forecasts muted returns for the S&P 500 over the next decade, predicting average annual nominal returns of only 1.5%, which may not keep pace with inflation [8] - Investors are encouraged to consider whether international stocks can maintain their momentum and continue to outperform in 2026 and beyond [3]