Two low-risk ways to add global exposure

Article Excerpt

A great way to invest in foreign companies is through American Depositary Receipts, or ADRs, which represent one or more shares of the foreign stock. Here are two ADRs that a good picks for conservative investors. ABB LTD. ADRs $20 (New York symbol ABB; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.1 billion; Market cap: $42.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 3.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.abb.com) makes transformers, transmission systems and circuit breakers for electrical utilities. It also produces automation systems and robotics for industrial clients. The company is now looking at options for its power grid business. Those include selling it outright or setting it it up as a separate company. For the last two years, activist investor Cevian Capital, ABB’s second-largest shareholder, has called for the sale of that business because it accounts for 30% of the company’s overall sales, but is much less profitable than ABB’s other segments. Meantime, ABBs plan to improve profitability for the power grid business…