I always find it interesting and useful to see where our fellow ASX investors are spending their capital, both domestically and with international shares. Luckily, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)'s CommSec brokering platform gives us a list of its most traded shares each week. As the largest broker in Australia, it's a set of statistics that has some weight. So let's look at some of the companies listed beyond our shores that were the most popular last week (13–17 July).
Which international shares are ASX investors buying?
1) Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA)
Last week's winner by a mile was Elon Musk's electric vehicle and battery company Tesla. Tesla has been setting chins a-wagging in recent weeks as its share price has ballooned. One year ago, Tesla shares were going for around US$255. Today, those same shares will set you back around US$1,500, which includes a 50% jump in just the last month. Appreciation like this always attracts a lot of attention, so there's no surprise Tesla takes out the top spot.
2) Nio Inc. (NYSE: NIO)
Number 2 this week is another electric car company in the form of Nio. Nio is often called the 'Tesla of China' despite it being nowhere near the scale of its rival Tesla just yet. Nio shares have become a speculative plaything in recent months. Back in May, Nio shares were going around US$3.30. But the last 2 weeks have seen Nio surge to over US$16 and then back down to the US$11 we see today. If you want to get your kicks on the Route 66 of investing, it seems you might have needed to take an electric car for the trip last week.
3) Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Now we're getting into some blue-chip territory. Microsoft is one of the largest companies in the world and dominates the world of personal computers with its Windows operating system and Microsoft Office suite of productivity apps. Its business has largely been unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic and possibly explains why ASX investors were clambering over the company's shares last week.
4) Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)
Apple really needs no introduction. Along with Microsoft, it's one of the largest companies on the planet right now and is known for its ubiquitous iPhone product. In addition, every other product line that Apple offers is successful in its own right, whether that be the Mac, iPad, AirPods or its subscription services like Apple Music. Apple is unquestionably a fantastic company and would make a great investment (in my view) for any Aussie investor.
5) Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)
Last but certainly not least is Jeff Bezos' Amazon. Along with Apple and Microsoft, Amazon is another member of the trillion-dollar company club in terms of market capitalisation. Despite its sheer size, Amazon shares have been on an absolute tear in recent weeks, climbing from around US$2,000 a share in early April to more than US$3,000 a share earlier this month. Everyone knows Amazon is one of the most disruptive and dominant companies in the world, and unrivalled in the world of e-commerce. As such, Aussie investors don't seem to want to let the high price tag of Amazon today get in the way of them owning a piece of the action.
Foolish takeaway
Whilst we have many great companies on the ASX, it's always interesting to see what Aussie investors are finding attractive beyond our shores as well. It's never been easier to buy international shares, so if you aren't already, it might be a lucrative exercise to check out some of these names and see how they could fit in your own portfolio.
