When people think about diversification, they usually think about owning different stocks or different funds.

But true diversification goes a step further.
It means spreading risk across countries, economies, industries, and currencies.

That’s where international investing plays an important role.

1. Diversification Beyond One Economy

Every country moves through economic cycles differently.

Interest rates, inflation, government policy, demographics, and productivity trends don’t line up perfectly across borders. When a portfolio is concentrated in one region, it becomes overly dependent on how that single economy performs.

International investing helps spread exposure across:

• Multiple economic cycles
• Different policy environments
• Varying growth drivers

The goal isn’t to avoid downturns entirely, it’s to reduce the impact of any one country struggling at the wrong time.

2. Reducing Hidden Concentration Risk

Many investors believe they’re diversified because they own a number of holdings.

In reality, those holdings often move together.

This is especially relevant for Canadians. Canada represents only about 3% of the global stock market, yet many portfolios hold far more than that domestically. This creates concentration risk that often goes unnoticed because the companies feel familiar.

International exposure helps reduce reliance on a single market, currency, and regulatory environment, without having to abandon Canadian investments altogether.

3. Access to Industries Canada Doesn’t Represent Well

The Canadian market is structurally concentrated in a few sectors, particularly:

• Financials
• Energy
• Materials

While these sectors play an important role, Canada has limited representation in others that drive global growth, such as:

• Large-scale technology
• Advanced healthcare and biotech
• Consumer brands with global reach
• Industrial automation and manufacturing

International investing fills those gaps, giving portfolios exposure to industries that simply don’t exist at scale in Canada.

4. Participation in Global Growth

Economic growth doesn’t happen in one place.

Population growth, productivity gains, and rising consumer demand are occurring across different regions at different times. International markets provide access to:

• Faster-growing consumer bases
• Export-driven economies
• Regions benefiting from long-term demographic trends

This isn’t about predicting which country will outperform next—it’s about ensuring portfolios aren’t tied to a single growth narrative.

5. Currency Diversification Adds Resilience

All investments carry currency exposure, even domestic ones.

International investing introduces multiple currencies into a portfolio, which can:

• Reduce reliance on the Canadian dollar
• Help offset periods of domestic weakness
• Add balance over long-term investment horizons

Currency movements can add short-term volatility, but over time they often contribute to broader diversification benefits.

Final Thought

International investing isn’t about chasing performance or betting against Canada.

It’s about building a portfolio that:

• Isn’t overly dependent on one economy
• Has access to a broader set of industries
• Can adapt as global leadership shifts over time

For Canadian investors, international exposure is often less about adding risk, and more about reducing it.