Anheuser-Busch InBev is the largest brewer in the world and one of the world's top five consumer product companies, as measured by EBITDA. The company's portfolio contains six of the top 10 beer brands by volume, according to Euromonitor, and we estimate it distributes 23 brands with retail sales over $1 billion. AB InBev was created by the 2008 merger of Belgium-based InBev and US-based Anheuser-Busch. The firm holds a 62% economic interest in Ambev and in 2016 it acquired SABMiller.

Global stocks are gaining, if not at the pace of domestic equities. While the S&P 500 has risen 17% year to date, the EAFA index of large- and mid-cap stocks based in countries other than the U.S. and Canada has gained 9.5%. Over the past five years, the performance gap has been wider, with the S&P 500 advancing 94% compared to a 32% gain in EAFE. But the underperformance has given global stocks a valuation advantage, particularly in the area of dividends. Consider that the EAFE dividend yield of 2.9% is 170 basis points higher than the comparable S&P 500 dividend yield. We think global dividend stocks now offer opportunity, particularly given the endless speculation over the direction of interest rates in the U.S., which has created market-timing headaches for equity income investors, who have endured recent wide swings in prices for rate-sensitive equity in areas such as utilities, REITs and MLPs. In our view, investing in international income stocks is one way to increase portfolio diversification while reducing sensitivity to volatile U.S. interest rates. Investing in overseas stocks carries its own set of risks, including the impact of currency exchange and geopolitical turmoil. But there are also a number of positives in this asset class for U.S. investors, including a wide selection of companies that pay dividends, robust industry diversification, and, as we have mentioned, higher yields and lower valuations. Argus has recently boosted its global coverage, and recommends the following international dividend stocks, each of which has at least a long-term BUY rating from an Argus analyst. Note this list of approximately 25-30 companies offers exposure to eight of the 11 major industrial sectors. The list includes companies from 10 countries.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV produces and sells beer, near-beer products, and soft drinks worldwide. The company, whose origins date back more than 600 years, has over 500 beer brands, including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck's, Leffe, and Michelob. Through a range of M&A deals, it has become the world's largest brewer by volume and one of the world's largest consumer products companies by revenue. It employs approximately 155,000 people.

U.S. stocks are moving higher on Friday morning, this after the latest PCE inflation data met the expectations of investors eager to keep interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve on track for September. Today's session closes out a volatile month, with August starting with a steep decline in share prices and then clawing back to all-time highs in a very quick (too quick?) fashion. Straight ahead is September, a month with a not-great reputation for stocks.