Article continues below advertisementAmong the many money moves considered by investors to strengthen and diversify their portfolio, the option of investing in international stocks has gained significant traction in recent years.During the first half of 2025, global equities largely outperformed U.S. stocks, even as the U.S. market reached record highs. In fact, the MSCI ACWI ex-USA Index returned 16.6% compared to the S&P 500's 7.1% gain in H1 2025, driven in part by growth in AI and overseas defense spending in the European Union.