U.S. investors seeking the considerable benefits from exposure to Asian economies need not exclude companies in their own backyard. Consider Expeditors International of Washington (NASDAQ:EXPD), for example, which provides logistics and freight services across the globe for its customers. Asian markets have consistently been the source of roughly half of its revenue.

While the global recession has taken a Paul Bunyan-sized slice of Expeditors' revenue over the last year, Asian markets included, it still remains a profitable operation. During times of strong economic growth, like the years from 2004 to 2007 and hopefully again in the near future, Expeditors' revenue from the Far East can grow very quickly. Since 2008, however, revenue from this region declined as the global recession led to a decline in volume of international shipping. Should the global economy and international trade recover, Expeditors will likely see strong revenue growth from this region again.

What makes Expeditors different than shipping companies such as FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and UPS (NYSE:UPS), is that Expeditors does not do any of the actual shipping, but instead provides all the other behind-the-scenes work that allows the magic of international trade to happen. This allows Expeditors, and other logistics providers like C.H. Robinson Worldwide, (NASDAQ:CHRW) more flexibility to shift their resources across the globe to maximize profit if one region, like Asia, recovers from the global recession faster than another.

In addition to the potential growth, Expeditors' focus on profitability has allowed it to increase its operating margin for its Asian operations over the last year despite the slump in revenue. This will serve the company well should shipping volumes, and hence revenue, rise in the near future -- which will help Expeditors continue its history of giving its hard-earned cash to shareholders through increasing dividend payments.

If you're searching for an equity investment with the ability to tap into potential growth of Asian markets, which also has a five-star CAPS rating, then Expeditors International should be near the top of your homework list.

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