It's hard to say who's going to end up on top in the snowballing global economic crisis, but one thing's for sure, it's not going to be Italy.
Italy's been seen as the country next in line to Greece to aggravate the European Union's debt burden, right alongside Spain, Portugal, and Ireland. This speculation is well earned ... Italy's debt, which in the ballpark of $2.5 trillion, is nothing to sneeze at.
The problems that led to Italy's current predicament are numerous. Origins range from the more modern economic mistakes such as having few large, publicly owned companies, arduous barriers to entering the workforce, and "little industrial presence in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, computers, and even food processing" to the deeply routed cultural traits that adversely affect the country's growth. This includes the prominence of private, family-owned businesses, an unwillingness to relocate for work, and a tendency to take the summer months off work. Oh, and their population is shrinking.
Now Italy is likely to default and is banning short-selling until the markets calm, a signal that the economy is crashing big time, and they know it.
All eyes are on Germany to save the day. Will they? Is it worth it?
Interested in trading Italian stocks? Below we list the five Italian companies trading on U.S. markets. Do you think these companies will suffer the same fates as their debt ridden homeland, or can they prosper?
Use the list below as a starting-off point for your own analysis. (Click here to access free, interactive tools to analyze these ideas.)
1. Eni
2. Gentium
3. Luxottica Group
4. Natuzzi
5. Telecom Italia
Interactive Chart: Press Play to compare changes in analyst ratings over the last two years for the stocks mentioned above. Analyst ratings sourced from Zacks Investment Research.
Kapitall's Becca Lipman does not own any of the shares mentioned above.