Home Insights Equities International equities: Opportunities beyond U.S. dominance

On the back of strong economic growth and a steady wave of technology advancements, U.S. equities have outperformed global equities for nearly 15 years. However, with U.S. valuations reaching historic highs and investors facing evolving challenges like trade disputes and tariff wars, compelling opportunities in international equities and multinational companies could redefine the narrative.

One key narrative continues around market trends: the remarkable dominance of U.S. equity markets over their global counterparts. Comparative price performance highlights how the U.S. has consistently outpaced other markets in the nearly 15 years since the global financial crisis. In fact, U.S. equities are now two-thirds of the market cap of the MSCI All Country World Index, up from just 43% in 2010. However, there are indications that international stocks may be poised to come back into favor.

Over the past decade, the U.S. experienced an innovation wave facilitated by an array of technological advancements. This yielded greater and more resilient growth than observed in most economies leading to capital favoring the U.S.

U.S. markets also benefit from a favorable investment climate relative to some of the more heavily regulated international markets. Intriguingly, many multinational companies are re-listing in the U.S. due to more appealing market dynamics. Meanwhile, despite reform efforts in China and Japan aimed at improving corporate structures, challenges persist.

While U.S. exceptionalism is clearly a key theme heading into 2025, the current situation is not unshakeable. Historically expensive valuations across U.S. equities should prompt investors to look at multi-national companies who increasingly do business beyond their borders and are trading at much more attractive levels than their U.S. counterparts. As complex issues like tariff negotiations and trade disputes play out, attractive opportunities in underappreciated markets globally are likely to emerge.

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