Knowing when to shift

Article Excerpt

For years I’ve advised our readers to resist the temptation to invest in emerging markets. I felt you could get all the global diversification you need with a portfolio of 75% Canadian stocks and 25% U.S. stocks. Of course, I advised sticking to our three-part philosophy: invest mainly in well-established companies, spread your money out across the five main sectors, and downplay stocks in the broker/PR limelight. If you want more foreign or emerging markets exposure, I advised adding a closed-end fund or two to your portfolio. This turns out to have been good advice, judging by a recent study by the London Business School — see http://bit.ly/mj29p. It shows that stocks from the fastest-growing countries provided average annual returns of 6%, compared to 12% from slower-growing countries. The difference partly reflects corruption outside North America, plus smarter policies here. But the situation may be reversing. Emerging market politicians are maturing, while recent U.S. policies may stunt growth and spur inflation. For now, let’s just…