International ETFs … Minus the Currency Risk!
June 23, 2011 at 14:50 PM EDT
Have you noticed how the best-performing ETFs and mutual funds often specialize in international stocks? Funds focused on emerging markets, Asia/Pacific, China, Brazil and many others dominate the top of almost any long-term return rankings. Why? You might think it is because foreign markets have outperformed the U.S. That’s true in some cases — but by no means always. There’s another reason, too. If you are a U.S. investor, your return from non-U.S. investments will reflect the performance of the market you buy and any movement in the foreign market’s currency vs. the U.S. dollar. As we will see, the consequences can be dramatic. How a Falling Greenback Helps Investors Many Americans ignore currency fluctuations. Unless you live . . . → Read More: International ETFs … Minus the Currency Risk!