One of the most glaring concerns to me these days is the annual interest on the rising U.S. national debt.
It is now higher than our $800 billion-plus defense budget, and the annual interest bill paid by taxpayers to the domestic and international holders of Treasury debt now represents about 14% of the entire U.S. budget.
Hopefully, Washington will wake up and get spending under control before it impacts markets and the value of the dollar.
But just in case, you should consider putting some portfolio hedge positions in place, such as gold and Bitcoin, and diversifying into some high-quality international investments, such as Swiss stocks.
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Let’s delve more deeply into Switzerland, which offers both quality and value.
The Economic Case for Investing in Switzerland
Switzerland’s $700 billion economy has a substantially higher average income than America, with levels of income inequality that are comparable to those in Scandinavia. Furthermore, the average family wealth in Switzerland is $685,000 - about twice the Nordic average. Moreover, Swiss public spending accounts for 35% of GDP, versus 55% in Sweden.
The Swiss health system requires residents to buy insurance from private providers but offers subsidies for the poor. Its premier universities charge roughly $1,000 in annual tuition. It has an open international economy with 40% of its population foreign-born. Looking outward, Switzerland has 40% of its gross domestic product attributed to exports.
While only 137 miles by 216 miles in size, with a population of 7.2 million, Switzerland packs a punch and is a financial and multinational powerhouse. Switzerland ranks just after Japan in the “sophistication” of its exports, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, and Swiss multinational firms account for 15 of the top 100 European companies by stock market capitalization. Even so, small companies deliver two of every three jobs and only one in six Swiss work for the government, half the Scandinavian average.
The Swiss franc is backed by ample gold reserves, fiscal discipline, a trade surplus and very little foreign debt.
Switzerland represents the third-largest financial center in the world after New York and London
Switzerland enjoys a stable government, vibrant democracy and a reputation as an asset haven in times of stress.
The Swiss have had a functioning democracy for 500 years with a legislature that meets for only two weeks, four times a year.
You can clearly see how Switzerland and the Swiss franc fit our hedge needs nicely.
It is also home to world-beating pharmaceutical, engineering and food companies.
Now let’s look at some Swiss stocks.
Swiss Stocks & Switzerland-Focused ETFs for Your Portfolio
For starters, Switzerland is home to four of the largest five firms in Europe in terms of market value: UBS (UBS), Nestlé (NSRGY), Novartis (NVS), and Roche (RHHBY). These companies are increasingly tapping into emerging market growth.
The iShares Switzerland (EWL) is also a wonderful way to gain exposure to a basket of Swiss stocks via leading multinationals and has a low expense ratio.
My favorite stock pick is Nestlé (NSRGY). This consumer giant has a share-buyback program, a focus on growth in emerging consumer markets and a rising dividend. The stock is down 15% so far this year offering a good entry point supported by a return on equity of 32%.
And if you want only exposure to the Swiss franc, go with the CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust (FXF).
Taking some profits on your tech stocks and allocating some capital to hedge plays such as Switzerland may be a smart strategic move.
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