Should You Look Abroad? Global Equity ETFs to Consider

The current economic landscape highlights the heightened uncertainty confronting investors. From AI bubble concerns and worries about U.S. asset prices being overvalued to persistent economic and geopolitical frictions, diversification has become essential for investors seeking to safeguard and stabilize their portfolios.

Against this backdrop, broadening exposure to global equities emerges as a compelling strategy. The S&P World Index, which tracks the performance of stocks from 24 developed economies, has gained 16.39% over the past year and 0.91% quarter to date, outperforming the S&P 500 over both periods.

Cooling Investors Demand

According to Reuters, U.S. equity funds saw a notable slowdown in demand in the week ending Nov. 12, as investors questioned the sustainability of the AI-fueled market rally and reacted to signs of softening labor market conditions in October. A renewed decline in major tech stocks further dampened sentiment, intensifying doubts about whether current lofty valuations can be maintained.

Per the abovementioned article, investors added only $1.15 billion to equity funds, marking the weakest weekly net inflow since the $557 million outflow recorded in the week of Oct. 15. Additionally, inflows into U.S. large-cap funds dropped sharply to $2.35 billion from $11.91 billion the previous week.

Should Investors Worry About an AI Bubble?

Wall Street has long been wary about a potential bubble in the AI sector. Markets have lately been concerned about the capital flooding into the AI boom, clouding visibility on future revenues and profits and casting doubt on stretched valuations.

If your portfolio is largely invested in ETFs tracking broad U.S. market indexes such as the S&P 500, you are, directly or indirectly, heavily exposed to the information technology sector, particularly in the “Magnificent 7” tech leaders.

If the AI-driven stock market bubble bursts, heavily tech-reliant investor portfolios may suffer significant losses, which makes diversifying beyond tech funds and companies a smart play. With roughly 36% of the S&P 500 allocated to information technology, managing concentration risk and ensuring proper diversification become crucial when constructing a balanced portfolio.

ETFs to Consider

International Equity ETFs

Adding international equity ETFs can broaden geographical exposure and strengthen overall diversification. Additionally, investing in international equity ETFs could potentially boost risk-adjusted returns.

Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF FNDF has double-digit exposure to Japan (24.44%) and the U.K. (14.95%).

Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF DFAI has double-digit exposure to Japan (22.80%), the U.K. (12.41%) and Canada (11.93%).

Avantis International Equity ETF AVDE has double-digit exposure to Japan (21.35%), the U.K. (12.17%) and Canada (11.67%).

Schwab International Equity ETF SCHF has double-digit exposure to Japan (21.28%), the U.K. (12.26%) and Canada (10.76%).

International Dividend ETFs

Investors can also consider global dividend-focused funds. Dividend-paying securities serve as primary sources of reliable income for investors, particularly during periods of equity market volatility. Companies offering dividends often act as a hedge against economic uncertainty.

Investors can consider WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Fund IHDG, Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF VIGI and iShares International Select Dividend ETF IDV, with dividend yields of 2.58%, 1.87% and 4.54%, respectively. 

Emerging Market ETFs

Those willing to take on slightly more risks can increase their exposure to emerging market ETFs, unlocking the potential for higher returns.

According to Reuters, in the week ending Nov. 12, emerging market funds showed equity inflows of $2.17 billion, marking a third consecutive week of additions.  Additionally, the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Index has gained 21.05% over the past year and 1.05% quarter to date.

Investors can look at funds like iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF IEMG, Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF VWO and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF EEM.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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