What Is the International Finance Corporation (IFC)? The International Finance Corporation (IFC) provides financing of private-enterprise investment in developing countries around the world, through both loans and direct investments. Affiliated with the World Bank, it also provides advisory services to encourage the development of private enterprise in nations that might be lacking the necessary infrastructure
What Is International Investing? International investing involves selecting global investment instruments as part of a diversified portfolio. People often invest internationally to increase the diversification of their portfolios and spread investment risk among foreign markets and companies. Key Takeaways International investing means holding securities issued by companies or governments outside an investor’s home country.Through global
What Is Internationalization? Internationalization describes the process of designing products to meet the needs of users in many countries or designing them so they can be easily modified, to achieve this goal. Internationalization might mean designing a website so that when it’s translated from English to Spanish, the aesthetic layout still works properly. This may
What Is the International Maritime Organization (IMO)? The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and prevent marine pollution from ships. The IMO sets standards for the safety and security of international shipping. It oversees every
What Is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)? The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international nongovernmental organization made up of national standards bodies; it develops and publishes a wide range of proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards and is comprised of representatives from various national standards organizations. The organization’s abbreviated name—ISO—is not an acronym; it derives
What is the International Petroleum Exchange (IPE)? The International Petroleum Exchange (IPE), established in 1980, was a London-based exchange for futures and options on several energy-related commodities. It has been a subsidiary of the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) since being purchased in 2001 and is now known as ICE Futures. Key Takeaways International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) was one
Definition of the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) The International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) is a government-owned investment organization that manages the sovereign wealth fund for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The purpose of the IPIC is to invest internationally within the hydrocarbons industries. In 2016, the IPIC merged with Mubadala Development Company to
What Is an International Portfolio? An international portfolio is a selection of stocks and other assets that focuses on foreign markets rather than domestic ones. If well designed, an international portfolio gives the investor exposure to emerging and developed markets and provides diversification. Key Takeaways An international portfolio may appeal to the investor who wants
What Is the International Poverty Line? The international poverty line is a monetary threshold under which an individual is considered to be living in poverty. It is calculated by taking the poverty threshold from each country—given the value of the goods needed to sustain one adult—and converting it into dollars. The current international poverty line
What Are International Reserves? International reserves are any kind of reserve funds, which central banks can pass among themselves, internationally. International reserves remain an acceptable form of payment among these banks. Reserves themselves can either be gold or a specific currency, such as the dollar or euro. Many countries also use international reserves to back
