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Something fascinating happened in 2025 that deserves a lot more attention than it’s getting.
While everyone was focused on the Magnificent Seven and AI stocks pushing the S&P 500 higher, international markets quietly delivered some of the most impressive returns we’ve seen in years.
What makes this particularly interesting — these aren’t just backward-looking numbers, and the momentum is continuing into 2026.
Let me walk you through what I’ve been tracking and why this rotation into non-U.S. markets represents a real opportunity for portfolio diversification right now.
The Numbers That Caught My Attention
When I started digging into the data, I was genuinely surprised by the magnitude of these moves.
The Africa ETF (AFK) led the charge with 70% gains in 2025, the Brazil ETF (EWZ) delivered 44% and the Latin America ETF (ILF) gained 45%.
The Argentina ETF (ARGT) posted 62% returns in 2025 alone, and if you zoom out to the COVID lows, we’re talking about a 650% move.
That’s the kind of performance that forces you to pay attention.
The Eurozone ETF (FEZ) wasn’t far behind at 33.5%, China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) delivered 27% and Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHY), which holds more than 200 positions, gained 29% last year.
But one of the most compelling stories right now is Japan.
The Japan ETF (EWJ) returned 20% last year and is already up another 14% to 15% year to date in 2025.
That type of steady outperformance signals underlying strength, and it’s one of the clearest examples of ongoing momentum in global markets.
The One Critical Condition That Changes Everything
Before rotating too heavily into international ETFs, there’s something crucial to understand.
These opportunities don’t exist independently of the U.S. market.
The world isn’t going to rip higher without the U.S. being stable.
If the U.S. goes down, we’ll drag the whole world with us.
That dynamic becomes even more important when you consider the deep liquidity links between the U.S. and Japan.
Large portions of global debt and capital flows are tied up in yen and dollars, which means those two markets create the foundation for global risk appetite.
When that relationship is functioning smoothly, international markets can thrive.
When it isn’t, everything tightens up fast.
What we’re seeing now is money moving from expensive U.S. tech stocks into cheaper global equities.
It’s a rotation story, not a decoupling story, and that rotation can only continue as long as the U.S. maintains stability.
For implementation, I’ve been looking at strategies like covered calls on SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), where selling two-year at-the-money calls provides 16% to 17% discounts on cost basis.
I’m planning to only cover about half my positions — I still want to maintain some upside participation if this international momentum continues.
The takeaway isn’t that U.S. markets are done.
It’s that diversification into international markets makes sense right now, especially in regions showing genuine momentum like Japan — just remember this opportunity depends entirely on U.S. market stability holding.
I’ll see you in the markets.
Chris Pulver
Chris Pulver TradingÂ
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*This is for informational and educational purposes only. There is inherent risk in trading, so trade at your own risk.Â
P.S. 1 Daily Trade Delivered 362 winners in 2025…
JUST by aligning every single trade with the market’s expected range for the day!
And in the first 22 trades this year, this same approach has delivered 18 winners.
Want to see how to get in on the next opportunity?
We develop tools and strategies to the best of our ability, but no one can guarantee the future. There is always a risk of loss when trading. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Stated results are from live published alerts between 8/26/24 and 1/22/25. The win rate has been 89.3% on the options with an average return of 14.62% over a one-day hold time.
