Foreign Stocks You Can Actually Buy: France

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 be taking a look at seven companies whose headquarters are based in France.

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

Know anything about any of the companies listed above, or have the inside scoop on country related issues? Head over to Motley Fool CAPS or leave a comment below. If not, check these companies out and let the 165,000-plus member Fool community gain from your knowledge!