As markets become more globalized and economies become more entwined, it's impossible to ignore the importance of investing in international stocks. Mutual funds, index funds, and ETFs have all combined to make your international choices simpler, quicker, and, in many cases, more efficient.

But for many of you, investing in a passive index fund just isn't enough because you're interested in country-specific stocks. You want to invest in companies on the ground -- not in a basket of companies in a mutual fund. Maybe you want direct exposure to Chinese agriculture, Spanish communications, or German banking -- and this is where you'll find it.

In a country-by-country rundown, we're taking a tour across the globe finding out which foreign stocks are traded on major U.S. indices. Hopefully, it will get your engine going.

In today's article, we'll take a look at seven companies whose headquarters are based in Brazil.

Company

Industry

Market Cap (Millions)

Recent Price

Braskem (NYSE: BAK)

Specialty Chemicals

$3,810

$12.27

BRF-Brasil Foods (NYSE: BRFS)

Consumer Meat Products

$11,870

$13.17

AmBev (NYSE: ABV)

Consumer Beverages

$61,590

$97.33

Cosan (NYSE: CZZ)

Confectioners

$2,490

$8.91

Gafisa (NYSE: GFA)

Residential Construction

$2,480

$11.61

Petrobras (NYSE: PBR)

Integrated Oil & Gas

$161,090

$37.56

Tele Norte Leste (NYSE: TNE)

Telecommunications

$6,110

$15.40

Does not include stocks with a market cap below $100 million.

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