Controlled-risk foreign investment strategy can boost yields

Healthcare organizations that have invested in the U.S. stock market have enjoyed high returns in recent years. After such a performance, many investment managers see little reason to investigate overseas markets, believing that the U.S. market will continue to be profitable and economic uncertainties make overseas markets too risky. However, in 1999, markets in Europe, Australia, and the Far East outperformed the S&P 500 for the first time in five years. In addition, signs such as mounting price/earnings ratios may indicate that the U.S. stock market will be less profitable than it has been in recent years. Consequently, investment managers should revisit the idea of international investing.