The idea of holding a portion of your portfolio in non-U.S. stocks has been around for quite some time, but the ways in and reasons for which it’s put into practice have evolved.
At first, the addition of non-U.S. stocks provided another level of diversification, as these markets did not move in perfect tandem with the U.S. market. Today, it’s harder to discern the difference between markets in the United States and abroad—just consider the events of the past year.