7 Latin American Stocks to Buy for the Long-Term

Latin American stocks might not be the most stable holdings on the planet – but that’s just fine if you’re an aggressive investor.

Map of the Americas, illustration.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Latin American stocks might not be the most stable holdings on the planet – but that’s just fine if you’re an aggressive investor. That’s because the region offers some of the more explosive growth opportunities in the global market.

Brazilians have a tongue-in-cheek saying about their country: Brazil is the country of the future … and it always will be.

That’s probably a little unfair. Brazil and Latin America in general have grown and modernized to the point that their economies are barely recognizable to those who remember the commodity-driven economies of decades past. Latin America is highly urbanized and has a vibrant and growing middle class.

All the same, the region still has a long way to go to meet developed-world standards. For example, per capita income in the United States, Germany and France is $59,495, $50,206 and $43,550, respectively, according to recent estimates by the International Monetary Fund. In contrast, Chile – the wealthiest country in Latin America – has per capita income of just $24,558. Argentina and Mexico weigh in at about $20,000 each.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it will be a long time until these countries approach developed-world living standards. In the meantime, intrepid investors looking to get a piece of that growth have abundant options at their disposal. Latin American stocks include dozens of world-class companies that stand to benefit from the continued growth in the region.

Today, we’re going to look at seven solid LatAm stocks that you can hold for the long-term.

Disclaimer

Data is as of June 12, 2018.

Charles Lewis Sizemore, CFA
Contributing Writer, Kiplinger.com

Charles Lewis Sizemore, CFA is the Chief Investment Officer of Sizemore Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor based in Dallas, Texas, where he specializes in dividend-focused portfolios and in building alternative allocations with minimal correlation to the stock market.