CELEBRATING THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL 20 YEARS LATER
It has been 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the country of Germany has come a long way in only two decades. I was in Berlin last month and saw firsthand the continued resurgence of a city that was torn for so many years. It is clear there needs to be more done to help one of the largest economies in the world continue its growth. But with that being said, the country is already a world economic leader.
Investing in Germany may not be as exciting as China or Brazil, however there are a few interesting plays for investors willing to think outside the box.
- Siemans (SI) - Very large international company that has operations around the globe and in a plethora of different industries. Can be considered Germany’s version of General Electric (GE), but without the mess of the finance division. Stock is bouncing nicely today and could make a run back into the triple-digits in the coming weeks.
- Fresenius Medical (FMS) - One of the world’s largest dialysis providers that also supplies the centers with medical equipment. The stock is hitting a fresh one-year high and could be one of the few health care stocks to make it through a US reform unscathed.
- iShares Germany ETF (EWG) - If you want to invest in the broad German equity market the best bet is EWG which is composed of 53 stocks based in Germany with SI being the number one holding. Year-to-date EWG has gained 17%, beating the Dow, but lagging the S&P 500.
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