E=MC...ash: International Stocks Shine Brighter Than S and P 500!

Relativity of Returns

Ach my friends! It appears the universe of finance much like the space time continuum is relative! The S&P 500 that stalwart of American investment is up a paltry 2% in 2025. A snail could move faster! This reminds me of my early days when everyone thought Newtonian physics was the absolute truth. But lo and behold there's more to the cosmos (and the market) than meets the eye. Turns out international stocks are the new black hole sucking in all the attention and spitting out handsome returns. As I always said "The only real valuable thing is intuition," and my intuition tells me this is worth investigating!

The Perils of Parochialism

Tariffs interest rates and geopolitical kerfuffles in the Middle East! Oy vey! The world is a turbulent place much like my attempts to comb my hair. These uncertainties have turned the stock market into a roller coaster making even the bravest investors reach for the airsickness bag. After years of Big Tech dominating the U.S. market it's time to diversify to spread the risk like butter on a large piece of toast. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." So U.S. investors let's not be insane! Let's explore the world beyond our borders!

VEU is the New Moo!

Marguerita Cheng a smart cookie from Blue Ocean Global Wealth says international stocks are now the stars. And indeed the Vanguard FTSE All World ex US ETF (VEU) is up 14% this year which is more than a decent leap for any ETF! It appears my famous equation E=MC² can be tweaked to E=ID² where 'I' stands for International 'D' for Dividends! Why stick to one cow when you can have a whole herd?

Copa: Fly High Dividends Higher

First up Copa Holdings the Panamanian airline company! Their shares are up over 16% and they're offering a dividend yield of about 6.3%. That's like finding a five leaf clover in a field of three leaf clovers! Analysts are practically tripping over themselves to rate it a buy. Raymond James analyst Savanthi Syth calls their Q1 results 'Best In Class.' Best in class! That's better than my violin playing and that's saying something! "The important thing is not to stop questioning," and I'm questioning why I didn't invest sooner!

Vale: Digging for Dividend Gold

Next we have Vale the Brazilian mining giant! Nearly 60% of analysts rate it a buy or overweight. It seems they're unearthing more than just iron ore – they're digging up profits for investors! Bank of America upgraded them citing improved management and the resolution of some railway dispute. A railway dispute! It sounds like something out of a Marx Brothers movie but with less slapstick and more steel. The dividend yield is a whopping 9.1%! Now that's what I call a solid investment solid as a chunk of iron ore!

Latam: Soaring Skies Soaring Returns

Last but not least Latam Airlines Group of Chile. Their shares are up 37% in 2025 and they're offering a dividend yield of 2.7%. Morgan Stanley is overweight on the stock saying traffic is up. It seems that they're not just flying people from one place to another they are also flying money into investors pockets and that to me is something that truly matters. As I always said: "Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value."