After nearly ten years in which markets outside the United States lagged badly behind Wall Street, international stocks have regained momentum — and investment professionals believe this shift is not a short-lived bounce but the start of a more durable trend.

The long stretch of underperformance effectively came to an end in late 2024, and the reversal has continued into 2026. For much of the past decade, U.S.-based investors kept very limited exposure to foreign markets because returns abroad were weak. Now, as global economic conditions change and worries grow about how concentrated the U.S. stock market has become, many investors are reconsidering how little they hold outside America.

Tim Seymour, chief investment officer of Seymour Asset Management and a portfolio manager for an international dividend-focused ETF, argues that this is not simply momentum chasing. Speaking on a recent financial television program, he said the move toward global markets reflects a broader reassessment rather than a tactical trade.

Over the past ten years, non-U.S. equities trailed American stocks by a wide margin. A major global benchmark ETF that tracks both U.S. and international markets lagged U.S. performance by roughly 60 percent during that period. This gap pushed capital heavily toward American mega-cap technology companies and shaped a generation of investor behavior that favored domestic markets almost exclusively.

Yet that imbalance is now working in favor of international investing. While foreign companies account for roughly one-third to two-fifths of total global market value, U.S. investors typically hold only about 12 to 15 percent of their equity portfolios abroad, and in many cases even less.

Since November 2024, international stocks have outperformed U.S. equities by about 15 percent. That does not erase a decade of weaker returns, but it signals a meaningful turning point as global growth improves in several regions.

Among U.S. investors seeking overseas exposure, one of the most popular vehicles is an emerging markets ETF that currently manages more than 26 billion dollars and delivered roughly 42 percent returns over the past year. A broad global equity ETF rose about 20 percent in the same period, beating the S&P 500 by around five percentage points. Seymour suggests that while emerging markets can offer higher upside, most investors should keep a larger allocation in developed markets, perhaps around a 70-30 split.

Currency trends have also helped revive interest in international assets. A softer U.S. dollar has boosted returns for American investors holding foreign stocks. At the same time, rising prices for metals such as gold and copper have strengthened many resource-rich countries, making this a truly global investment theme rather than a U.S.-centric one.

Japan illustrates how fundamentals are improving abroad. Years of corporate governance reform and greater attention to shareholder value are finally translating into better earnings and market performance.

Europe is benefiting as well from lower interest rates, government spending, and regulatory changes. Some analysts believe deregulation there could be even more impactful than in the U.S. Banking, utilities, and industrial companies have shown renewed strength, and many European banks now offer attractive dividends compared with their American peers.

Latin America has been one of the strongest-performing regions recently, largely due to metals demand. Chile and Peru have gained from copper and gold prices, while Brazil has advanced on both commodities and shifting political expectations. Brazil’s market has rallied sharply over the past year, as have Peru-focused investment funds.

Even after a brief pullback following news about potential changes at the U.S. Federal Reserve, metals such as gold, silver, and platinum remain far higher than a year ago, reflecting strong global demand.

Strategists expect that broader global policies under the current U.S. administration will continue to encourage international trade realignment, as countries look beyond the United States for partnerships in energy, technology, and manufacturing.

Technology is another area where investors are rebalancing. South Korea’s market, dominated by memory chip leaders like Samsung and SK Hynix, has surged thanks to booming demand for semiconductors used in smartphones and data centers. Major chip manufacturers outside the U.S., including companies in Taiwan and the Netherlands, are also central players in this global tech cycle.

Overall, the renewed appetite for international equities reflects a broader reallocation of capital after years of neglect. Valuations are more attractive, earnings are improving, and economic power is becoming more distributed across the world. As Seymour put it, these are global investment trends, not just American ones.