These ETFs Provide Easy Exposure to Growing International Markets
Investors have ample reason to be concerned about the future of U.S. investment vehicles—mid-May's news of Moody's downgrade of the nation's credit rating and the resultant market shake-up and the lingering threat of dramatic tariff increases chief among them. Unsurprisingly, then, many investors may be likely to increase their exposure to international markets to avoid this turbulence.
For investors most accustomed to targeting U.S. securities, picking international stocks can be difficult. Fortunately, many exchange-traded funds (ETFs) make it possible to gain easy access to markets worldwide. The funds below target baskets of stocks from areas already experiencing growth or with strong potential to do so in the future.
Poland's Burgeoning Industry May Help to Fuel ETF Gains
[content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSEARCA:EPOL]
Fresh off encouraging signs in April's industry and labor markets, Poland appears poised to break away from stagnation elsewhere in Central Europe. Its industrial production improved in April, increasing by 1.2% year-over-year (YOY) while analysts predicted a modest decline. The iShares MSCI Poland ETF (NYSEARCA: EPOL) is an ETF that may be able to capitalize on this potential.
EPOL is a rare fund focused exclusively on Polish equities. Keep in mind, though, that the fund is skewed toward financial names, with about 46% of the portfolio dedicated to this sector. The ETF is also concentrated, with just 33 holdings and the largest position representing more than 15% of invested assets.
Still, the strategy has paid off nicely in 2025, as the fund has returned more than 44% year-to-date (YTD). With an expense ratio of 0.60%, EPOL is priced in line with many other international funds; investors should expect to spend a bit more on these specialized ETFs compared with many U.S.-focused alternatives.
Narrow Focus on Austrian Stocks, With an Emphasis on Banks
[content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSEARCA:EWO]
The iShares MSCI Austria Capped ETF (NYSEARCA: EWO) capitalizes on companies listed in Austria's national stock exchange. Based on the MSCI Austria IMI 25/50 Index, the exposure to individual names is theoretically capped. Given EWO's narrow portfolio of only around 20 positions, a small number of stocks still represent a large portion of assets invested. Like EPOL, nearly half of EWO's portfolio is dedicated to financials.
Fortunately, the most prominent positions in EWO's basket, the major banks Erste Group and BAWAG, together accounting for more than a third of the portfolio, have thrived this year, helping to catapult EWO's returns skyward. However, for investors seeking a more diversified approach, a broader European ETF may be the better option.
EWO has achieved YTD returns of nearly 36% and has an expense ratio of 0.50%.
Greek Economic Recovery Can Continue to Drive Big Returns
[content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSEARCA:GREK]
Greece's economy has made an impressive recovery following a crisis in the late 2000s. Investors anticipating this trend to continue might consider the Global X MSCI Greece ETF (NYSEARCA: GREK). GREK is currently the only ETF available in the United States that exclusively focuses on Greek stocks.
Still, like the funds above, it is narrowly focused on a basket of just 31 names, with the three most extensive holdings collectively representing close to 40% of assets.
Similar to the funds above, financial names are better represented in GREK's portfolio than stocks from other sectors. A full 51% of the portfolio is dedicated to banks and related stocks. Again, though, this has paid off with impressive returns of almost 40% so far this year. GREK's expense ratio of 0.57% is also reasonable, particularly given that this fund is alone in its targeting of Greek stocks.
Small-Cap Focus on the Brazilian Equities Market
[content-module:CompanyOverview|NASDAQ:EWZS]
The iShares MSCI Brazil Small-Cap ETF (NASDAQ: EWZS) has a somewhat different focus from the funds above in that it targets the small-cap segment of the Brazilian equities space.
This may be a play for investors looking for exposure to Brazilian stocks in the consumer discretionary and financials sectors, as together these two groups account for more than a third of the portfolio.
EWZS is also more diversified than the funds above, with over 70 positions and the largest holdings occupying under 6% of the portfolio.
Together, this basket of stocks has achieved YTD returns of almost 34% for an expense ratio of 0.60%.
Before you make your next trade, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis.
Our team has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and none of the big name stocks were on the list.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
CEOs of The LYCRA Company and Qore® Join Global Fashion Summit Lineup
Article content Article content WILMINGTON, Del. — The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing sustainable fibers and solutions for the apparel industry, announced today that its CEO, Gary Smith, is a speaker at the Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2025. He will be joined on stage by Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore ®, the maker of QIRA ®, a next-generation BDO and a key ingredient in bio-derived LYCRA ® fiber, which is launching later this year. The CEOs of The LYCRA Company and Qore® will discuss the development of bio-derived LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA®, made from annually renewable field corn, during their Fireside Chat at the Global Fashion Summit: From Farm to Fashion. Smith and Veldhouse will discuss the development of this sustainable fiber made from annually renewable field corn during their Fireside Chat: From Farm to Fashion. Their session takes place on Wednesday, June 4, at 3:35 CEST in the DR Concert Hall. The discussion will be moderated by Amy Nguyen, a researcher, writer, and founder of Sustainable & Social. Article content This is the first time both companies are participating in the Global Fashion Summit, a premier platform focused on sustainability in the fashion industry. The companies have a prominent exhibit space for attendees to learn more about bio-derived LYCRA ® fiber made with QIRA ®. Here, visitors can be transported to the Qore ® site and cornfields in Iowa through a virtual reality experience. Article content Bio-derived LYCRA ® EcoMade fiber will be the world's first large-scale, commercially available renewable elastane. It delivers equivalent performance to the original LYCRA ® fiber and serves as a one-to-one replacement with no re-engineering of fabrics, processes, or garment patterns required. The product contains 70 percent renewable content and can potentially reduce the carbon footprint of LYCRA ® fiber by up to 44 percent*. The LYCRA Company holds patents related to this renewable fiber in several regions including Europe. Article content 'We're proud to join the Global Fashion Summit for the first time and showcase how collaboration can accelerate a more sustainable future for fashion,' said Gary Smith, CEO of The LYCRA Company. 'Partnering with Qore ® has enabled us to scale innovation that is renewable and ready to meet the demands of global fashion brands striving to meet their sustainability goals.' Article content The newly constructed Qore ® site in Eddyville, Iowa, began operating last month and has started producing QIRA ®. The company will host a grand opening celebration in July. Article content 'Starting production at our new state-of-the-art facility marks a major step forward—not just for Qore ®, but for the entire industry,' said Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore ®. 'With QIRA ® now being made in Iowa from annually renewable field corn, we're turning sustainable innovation into reality and helping our partners bring next-generation materials to market.' Article content About The LYCRA Company Article content The LYCRA Company is a leading global fiber and technology solutions provider to the apparel and personal care industries committed to offering sustainable products using renewable, pre-, and post-consumer recycled ingredients that reduce waste and help set the stage for circularity. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, it owns the LYCRA ®, LYCRA HyFit ®, LYCRA ® T400 ®, COOLMAX ®, THERMOLITE ®, ELASPAN ®, SUPPLEX ® and TACTEL ® brands. The LYCRA Company adds value to its customers' products by offering unique innovations that meet the consumer's need for comfort and lasting performance. Learn more at Article content About Qore ® LLC Article content Formed through a joint venture by Cargill and HELM AG, Qore ® helps leading brands replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-derived intermediates. At the heart of the joint venture is the production of QIRA ®, the next-generation bio-derived 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Made biologically through the fermentation of plant-based sugars, QIRA ® can save up to 86% of greenhouse gas emissions when replacing today's widely used chemical intermediates made from traditional fossil sources. Bio-derived QIRA ® can be used the same way as its fossil counterpart but with significantly better environmental performance. For more information and inquiries, visit Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Globe and Mail
6 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Poland presidential election result too close to call, both candidates claim victory
Conservative historian Karol Nawrocki has taken a narrow lead in the race to become the next president of Poland, but the final result is too close to call and won't be known until Monday. Mr. Nawrocki was projected to win 51 per cent of the vote according to two late exit poll released Sunday night that also took into account returns from several regions. A pair of earlier exit polls had given his centrist opponent, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a slight lead, although those surveys did not include actual results. Ballot counting was expected to continue into Monday, but both candidates claimed victory Sunday night. 'We won,' Mr. Trzaskowski told supporters at an election night gathering in a Warsaw museum. 'This is a special moment in the history of Poland. I am convinced that this will allow us to move forward like a torpedo and focus primarily on the future.' Mr. Nawrocki, who is backed by the populist Law and Justice party, or PiS, told his supporters that 'we will win and save Poland. We have to win tonight and we know that we will.' Poland's president is largely ceremonial, but oversees foreign policy, heads the military and can block legislation passed by parliament. If the two earlier polls are correct, Mr. Trzaskowski's win would be transformative for Poland's centrist government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and a welcome relief for the European Union. It would also be a further rebuke of PiS, which ruled Poland for eight years until the party was ousted by Mr. Tusk's Civic Coalition in October, 2023. Mr. Tusk has blamed the current President, PiS supporter Andrzej Duda, for thwarting his legislative agenda, which includes liberalizing Poland's strict abortion laws and unwinding changes to the judiciary introduced by PiS. Mr. Duda was elected in 2015 and 2020, but he couldn't run for a third term. Mr. Trzaskowski is staunchly pro-EU. His victory would follow a week after Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan, another pro-EU candidate, won the presidential election in Romania – defeating ultranationalist George Simion, who threatened to weaken the country's role in the bloc. 'Rafał Trzaskowski's victory will be of great importance for Donald Tusk's government, because it will unblock the legislative paralysis,' said Anna Siewierska, a political science professor at the University of Rzeszow. 'Trzaskowski's election win will also be a clear strengthening of Poland's European course and, importantly, a guarantee of strong and unconditional support for Ukraine fighting Russia.' But if Mr. Nawrocki wins, he is expected to block Mr. Tusk's reforms, Prof. Siewierska added. 'Nawrocki is a staunch critic of the European Union, and many of his statements can be perceived as a real risk of Polexit,' she said, referring to Poland possibly leaving the EU. Mr. Trzaskowski, 53, has come to epitomize the modern, outward-looking Poland. The son of a jazz pianist, he speaks six languages, attended the University of Oxford and earned a doctorate in political science from Warsaw University where he wrote a thesis on 'reforming the decision-making system of the European Union.' He got involved in politics in 1989, when the country held its first free election since the fall of communism. He was a high school student at the time and campaigned for Solidarity, the trade-union movement that opposed Poland's communist leadership for years. Mr. Trzaskowski served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2013, and held a seat in the Polish parliament from 2015. He was elected mayor of Warsaw in 2018 and re-elected last year. He has been a divisive figure nationally, and critics say his liberal values and support for causes such as LGBTQ rights has put him out of touch with ordinary Poles. The fact that Mr. Nawrocki, a political novice with a checkered background, is leading in late polls reflects the deep fractures in the country. Mr. Nawrocki, 42, ran on a platform that focused on Christian values, reducing immigration and fierce opposition to Mr. Tusk. Despite his background as a soccer hooligan and a series of salacious allegations that he denies – including claims he procured prostitutes for guests while working as a security guard at a resort and swindled an elderly man out of his apartment – Mr. Nawrocki picked up support by tapping into the disgruntlement many Poles have for Mr. Tusk's government and their uncertainty about Mr. Trzaskowski. He also proudly sought the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, who met Mr. Nawrocki in the White House in May. Prof. Siewierska said Poland has always had political divisions but that the polarization has become more pronounced in recent years. 'This polarization is driven by two opposing narratives. One refers to history, tradition, Christianity, to some mythical greatness of Poland,' she said. 'The second narrative refers more to the future, the concept of a common Europe, a secular state. These are two different stories, two different sets of values, two different emotions.' She said both PiS and the Civic Coalition have fuelled the division. 'In this election campaign, it turned out that for a large part of society, the truth no longer matters.'
Globe and Mail
6 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Strategy Stock (MSTR) Still a ‘Compelling Vehicle' for Bitcoin Exposure, Says Top Analyst
Strategy (MSTR), the largest corporate owner of Bitcoin in the world, climbed 0.73% on Monday and is up nearly 30% year-to-date, fueled by its expanding Bitcoin holdings and creative capital-raising efforts. Yesterday, TD Cowen's Top analyst Lance Vitanza reiterated a Buy rating on the stock, describing the company as a 'compelling vehicle for Bitcoin investors.' Confident Investing Starts Here: The five-star analyst highlighted Strategy's latest move, the debut of its first-ever Series F Redeemable Preferred Stock At-The-Market (STRF ATM) program, as a key catalyst for long-term value creation. With a price target of $590 and upside potential of 58%, the analyst believes that Strategy remains a smart long-term bet on Bitcoin. New STRF Offering Aims to Boost Shareholder Value Vitanza explained that the STRF ATM program was used to raise $2.1 billion, giving it strong backing to grow its Bitcoin portfolio without major dilution. Compared to the company's earlier funding plans, including its common stock ATM and Series K Preferred Stock ATM, the new tool is designed to be more shareholder-friendly and accretive. Last week, Strategy bought 4,020 Bitcoins for $427 million, using cash mostly from these offerings. Vitanza believes that using the STRF setup for such deals can lead to better use of funds and stronger returns for investors. BTC Torque Points to 8x Value Gain TD Cowen also updated its proprietary Bitcoin Torque (BTC Torque) model, a metric that calculates the value created for shareholders relative to the capital invested. After including share dilution and fees, the firm estimates a torque ratio of 8.0x over 10 years, implying that every $100 million raised through STRF could generate $800 million in shareholder value. Is MSTR Stock a Buy Right Now? According to TipRanks, MSTR stock has a consensus Strong Buy rating among 13 Wall Street analysts. That rating is based on 12 Buys and one Sell assigned in the past three months. The average MSTR price target of $524.92 implies a 41.03% upside from current levels. See more MSTR analyst ratings Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue
