Investing in International Stocks

By Keith Noonan – Updated Sep 8, 2025 at 8:14 PM | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

ASML Holding, a key player in global semiconductor manufacturing, is poised to boost chip production capacity.
CD Projekt is expanding in the video game industry, leveraging trends like the metaverse for growth.
MercadoLibre leads in e-commerce and fintech in Latin America, showing strong sales growth despite economic challenges.

International stocks are the stocks of companies based outside the U.S. and can help strengthen your portfolio through diversification and creating new avenues to explosive growth. Many investors should consider allocating a percentage of their portfolios to stocks in international markets.

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A map showing five different international stocks and their countries of origin. — Image source: The Motley Fool.

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NASDAQ: ASML

ASML

Today's Change

(-1.35%) $-13.81

Current Price

$1011.21

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$397B

Day's Range

$997.90 - $1033.54

52wk Range

$578.51 - $1059.00

Volume

68K

Avg Vol

1.7M

Gross Margin

52.70%

Dividend Yield

0.01%

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Semiconductors are now essential components for automobiles, appliances, and a wide range of everyday products and services. And access to chip supplies is a major national security issue for countries around the world.

As a result, there's a big push for localized chip production in the U.S., Europe, and other major markets. ASML's extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines are unmatched when it comes to manufacturing state-of-the-art chips. The company is set to play a big role in expanding global manufacturing capacity.

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2. CD Projekt

Based in Poland, CD Projekt (OTC:OTGL.Y) has established itself as a strong player in the video game industry. The company is best known for games such as The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, but it also operates an online marketplace and sharing platform for digitally distributing games.

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OTC: OTGL.Y

CD Projekt

Today's Change

(0.94%) $0.17

Current Price

$17.87

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$7B

Day's Range

$17.62 - $18.00

52wk Range

$9.06 - $19.74

Volume

7.6K

Avg Vol

7.3K

Gross Margin

77.84%

Dividend Yield

0.00%

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Demand for interactive entertainment is still poised for huge growth over the long term. CD Projekt has compelling opportunities as it releases content expansions for existing titles, launches new properties, and taps into emerging trends, including augmented reality and the metaverse.

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Metaverse

A virtual shared space merging physical and digital reality, where users interact through avatars, often using VR or AR technology.

3. MercadoLibre

MercadoLibre (MELI -2.19%) is a leading provider of e-commerce and fintech services in Latin America. The company was founded in Argentina and is still growing quickly there, but it actually does most of its business in Brazil and generates a major portion of its revenue in Mexico.

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NASDAQ: MELI

MercadoLibre

Today's Change

(-2.19%) $-46.84

Current Price

$2095.21

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$109B

Day's Range

$2088.45 - $2131.44

52wk Range

$1646.00 - $2645.22

Volume

277K

Avg Vol

424K

Gross Margin

45.87%

Dividend Yield

N/A

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MercadoLibre has continued to increase sales rapidly despite macroeconomic headwinds, and it's actually making a big hiring push at a time when many other businesses are reducing their employee counts. MercadoLibre's forefront positions in online retail and fintech point to huge expansion potential as these services become more popular in Latin America.

4. Shoprite Holdings

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OTC: SRGH.Y

Shoprite

Today's Change

(0.27%) $0.04

Current Price

$16.86

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$9B

Day's Range

$16.86 - $16.86

52wk Range

$12.69 - $18.18

Volume

2.1K

Avg Vol

7.7K

Gross Margin

21.14%

Dividend Yield

0.03%

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The United Nations predicts Africa will account for more than half of global population growth through 2050, and Shoprite Holdings' (OTC:SRGH.Y) status as that continent's largest grocery chain positions it to benefit from economic and demographic tailwinds. The company is headquartered in South Africa and operates more than 3,600 locations across 14 countries.

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5. HDFC Bank

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NYSE: HDB

HDFC Bank

Today's Change

(1.39%) $0.51

Current Price

$37.20

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$188B

Day's Range

$36.70 - $37.44

52wk Range

$28.82 - $39.72

Volume

105K

Avg Vol

3.5M

Gross Margin

0.00%

Dividend Yield

0.01%

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India's largest private sector lender, HDFC Bank (HDB +1.39%), is in a favorable position to benefit as the country's economy continues to develop. The company has more than 7,800 bank branches across more than 3,800 cities and towns. HDFC is also a player in the digital payments space and appears poised to benefit from "the war on cash."

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Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Market cap	Dividend yield	Industry
ASML (NASDAQ:ASML)	$397.3 billion	0.70%	Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
CD Projekt (OTC:OTGL.Y)	$7.1 billion	0.39%	Entertainment
MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI)	$108.6 billion	0.00%	Multiline Retail
Shoprite (OTC:SRGH.Y)	$9.1 billion	2.62%	Food and Staples Retailing
HDFC Bank (NYSE:HDB)	$187.9 billion	1.02%	Banks

Data as of Oct 22, 2025.

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About the Author

Keith Noonan is a contributing writer at The Motley Fool covering technology, consumer goods, and other sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College.

TMFNoons

Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, MercadoLibre, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and iShares Trust - iShares Semiconductor ETF. The Motley Fool recommends CD Projekt, HDFC Bank, and NXP Semiconductors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.