"T. Rowe Price should be the first fund family to consider if you want to increase your exposure to emerging market equities," says Mark Salzinger and Sheldon Jacobs.

The editor of The No-Load Fund Investor explains, "Price has a fine general emerging market stock fund, along with the broadest lineup of regional emerging market funds, all guided by experienced, successful managers."

Among the Price funds, they note, "Price New Asia (PRASX) is our current favorite among Price's emerging market stock funds, and we recommend it strongly now as a speculative play on our favorite emerging region."

China, they add, accounts for 28.2% of New Asia's assets.They note, "China is fiscally the strongest of all the emerging market countries. Its economy is growing in the 10% plus area, exports are booming across various manufacturing sectors, and foreign exchange reserves recently reached $1 trillion and are headed even higher."

Meanwhile, India accounts for 27.2% of the fund's assets, they note. Salzinger and Jacobs explain, "Though India's stocks are expensive by traditional valuation measures, it offers an entrepreneurial dynamism that is the envy of much of the rest of the world. Also, India's consumer class is booming, partially thanks to increased incomes from outsourcing to India from companies in the developed world."

South Korean stocks, at 12.7% of assets, make up the next largest weighting, while Taiwan accounts for 9.7% of assets. "In South Korean, valuations are relatively low and R&D spending is relatively high." Taiwan, they suggest, acts as a "back door avenue to growth in Mainland China."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com features the latest investment ideas and market commentary from the financial newsletter community.

Possibly more than ever before, smart stock investing requires a clear and wide forward view. If you don't have an undeniable road map for where your chosen companies are headed, you must dig deeper and you need to do it right now. Specifically, if the companies that you have chosen to invest in don't have a declared international focus, you must be certain of why that is and if it's appropriate.

Barring some unforeseen worldwide economic crash, which is in fact extremely possible, the fact sheet on investing these days is headed with the word global. If your portfolio is not thoroughly salted with companies that do business on a worldwide scale, then your portfolio is scheduled to wither and wane over the next three to five years. Global diversity is essential right now, and will continue to be a requirement from here on out.

It's my opinion that one of the most important criteria these days for successful portfolio building is to create a portfolio footprint that covers at least three different countries. If you have the funds to spread out and you're a fan of diversity, just for safety I suggest that you base your portfolio across five to seven countries. I would suggest the following research focuses as a sample to get your global thinking started.

Consider China for heavy manufacturing, machinery, electronics manufacturing, and a range of consumer goods. I'd be shy of putting any money over there at the moment, however, because to me their stock market is currently overinflated in value.

Although taking different approaches to investing, Dan Sullivan and Nick Vardy are both recommending the same stock -- Cognizant Technology (NASDAQ: CTSH).

The company provides IT consulting and technology services -- and is best known for its leading role in outsourcing.

Sullivan, editor of The Chartist, points out that for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, the company earned $69.5 million, up 21% while sales rose 65%, to $424.4 million. For the full year, earnings rose 40% sales were up 61%.

The advisor notes, "Despite recent selling pressure over the past few weeks, Cognizant holds the #1 spot in our relative strength ratings."

Nick Vardy, editor of The Global Stock Investor, calls the stock the "best in class." He explains, "The Indian outsourcing play continues to garner accolades. Congnizant was just recently named one of Business Week's 50 Best Performing Companies, ranking 12th overall and second in the Information Technology sector."

He points out that the rankings are meaningful, since Business Week selects the 'best in class' from each of the 10 sectors that make up the S&P 500. Companies were chosen based on sales growth, average return on capital, total return, profitability and rank within industry sector.

For more stock picks from the leading financial newsletter advisors, visit Steven Halpern's free daily website, TheStockAdvisors.com.