Robert Powell of MarketWatch has a very good story on international stock investing. He takes a look at 10 international stocks that trade on U.S. exchanges and hold promise for long time growth. Ten international stock that will set you up for the long haul.

"If you look at who really gets rich in the world it is usually people who purchase the right businesses and hold those businesses for many years," David Winters, manager of the three-year old Wintergreen Fund, told the MorningstarAdvisor newsletter in June.

At $14 trillion, the U.S. market represented about 44% of the world's $32 trillion in stock-market value at the end of August, according to Russell Indexes. But that means the rest of the world's markets combined eclipse the U.S. stock market. And Winters -- whose fund does own stock in Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKA) -- is of the mind that the best investment opportunities are outside the U.S.

Indeed, after several years of standout performance, international stocks have taken a much tougher drubbing this year so far than their U.S. counterparts. The average world-stock mutual fund lost almost 19% through August, versus a 10% decline for diversified U.S. funds, according to fund researcher Lipper Inc. The downturn abroad, particularly in Europe, may have been one reason that Buffett -- the quintessential bargain buyer -- took a European "shopping tour" in May.

In talking with money managers and other experts, here are 10 international stocks, ranked by market value, that trade on U.S. exchanges and hold promise for those with a long time horizon looking to invest in different parts of the world, in different industries:

1. Nestle
John Dessauer, editor of Investor's World for more than three decades, knows a thing or two about long-term holdings. His top pick is Nestle SA (NSRGY) , the world's largest food and drink company. Famous for its Nescafe instant coffee, Purina cat food, and KitKat candy bars, the company has about $100 billion in sales. "This is one stock that you can buy now and hold till you retire or keep forever," he said. Long a Dessauer favorite, it's even more so now, he said. The company recently discovered, quite by accident he says, a way to process food that would be permissible for Muslims, which number 1.4 billion worldwide. Members of the world's second largest religion have strict dietary laws that prohibit the use of lard and gelatin, for instance. "This could be a huge business for the company," he said.

2. Total
Brad Durham, managing director of Emerging Portfolio Fund Research, said one of his favorite international stocks to hold for the long-term is France-based oil giant Total SA (TOT). Standard & Poor's has a "buy" recommendation on Total. According to S&P, Total is favored for its low-cost exploration and production capabilities, and for restructuring of its refining and distribution business. Total also recently entered a joint-venture with Russia's Gazprom to develop a major Russian gas field, and is investing substantially in new petrochemical plants in Qatar and South Korea.

3. GlaxoSmithKline
Dessauer considers GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) , which recently appointed Andrew Witty as its chief executive, on the verge of a major turnaround. Witty, who maintains an office by the employee cafeteria, has set a new direction for the firm, focusing less on blockbuster drugs and more on developing an array of products that are "collectively more reliable than blockbusters," Dessauer said. Equally important, he says Glaxo, which sells its products in 140 countries already, should benefit from selling its vaccines in emerging markets.

4. Sanofi-Aventis
Justin Fuller, manager of Morningstar's Ultimate Stock-Picker's Portfolio, recently examined which stocks held by Berkshire Hathaway are also highly rated by the Chicago-based investment research firm. That parsing turned up 13 stocks, the only international representative being Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) , which develops and markets pharmaceuticals for cancer, heart disease, central nervous system disorders and diabetes and makes vaccines. The company derives two-thirds of its revenues from outside the U.S. and its biggest revenue generator is Lovenox, which represents about 9% of total sales. According to Morningstar analyst Damien Conover, Sanofi-Aventis has a strong lineup of new drugs in the pipeline that should offset weakness from its drugs that are losing patents. Most recently, the company reported that sales grew 5% year over year, led by growth in long-acting insulin Lantus. The company is in the midst of a restructuring initiative and Morningstar has put a $50-a-share fair-market value on the stock.

5. Nokia
Dessauer and S&P both give a "buy" rating to Nokia Corp. (NOK) the world's largest maker of mobile phones. According to Dessauer, the Finland-based company is a "no brainer" investment. He says the company's share of the mobile phone market in countries such as China and India is growing rapidly, plus it's paying around a 3.5% dividend at the moment. Nokia does face headwinds from slow growth for handset telephone units and competition for high-end devices, S&P said. But S&P said in a mid-July research report that "strong market share, a diverse portfolio and broad geographical exposure represent key strengths."

6. Anglo American
S&P also has a "strong buy" recommendation on London-based mining giant Anglo American Plc (AAUK) . Anglo American is poised to benefit from consolidation in the mining industry and rising global demand for industrial metals, according to a recent S&P research report. "Economic growth in China and India will raise demand for durable goods and the metals used to manufacture them," S&P said. Anglo American intends to increase investment in iron ore, nickel, copper and metallurgical coal, which should boost sales and profits, S&P noted. The research firm in mid-August set a $41-a-share price target for the stock over the next 12 months, which hinges on the prices of coal and copper gaining in 2009. DeBeers, the world's largest producers of rough diamonds, is 45% owned by Anglo American. That company stands to benefit as China's middle class grows, Winters was recently quoted as saying.

7. Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan
Potash Corp. (POT) , which is the world's largest producer of the fertilizer potash, has been on a roller coaster ride of late what with the recent and dramatic rise and fall in crop prices. But Potash, which controls 22% of the world's global capacity, stands to benefit handsomely over the long term as current trends play out.Population growth in rapidly developing economies such as Asia, India and South America combined with the growing use of agricultural products for energy suggest increased demand for potash. "Proper fertilizer use will be critical to produce enough food for a growing global population from a finite land base," Morningstar wrote in a recent report.

8. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Another S&P "strong buy" recommendation is Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA) , which manufactures generic drugs, an area of health care that S&P expects will boom as countries attempt to hold the line on drug spending. Teva has the largest generic lineup of its peers, with 149 generic drug applications awaiting U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval as of late July. S&P analysts also praise Teva's "strengthening presence" in the U.S. and Eastern and Central Europe.

9. Philips Electronics
Another Dessauer favorite is riding the green wave. Based in Amsterdam, Philips Electronics N.V. (PHG) is best known for selling electronics such as coffee machines and magnetic-resonance imaging systems.Now, however, Dessauer says the company has designs on becoming the world's leading maker of energy efficient light bulbs. According to a Morningstar report, with its recent acquisition of The Genlyte Group, a provider of light-emitting diodes (LED), Philips became the biggest lighting firm in the United States. The firm aims to use Genlyte's relationship with U.S.-based distributors and retailers to increase sales of LED lighting, which use far less power than incandescent lights and last as long as 10 years, Morningstar says.

10. Jardine Matheson Holdings
Jardine Matheson Holdings (JMHLY) , which is based in Hong Kong, is among Wintergreen Fund's largest holdings. Founded as a trading company in China in 1832, Jardine is a Fortune Global 500 company focused principally on Asia. Its businesses comprise a combination of cash-generating activities and long-term property assets, including Jardine Pacific, Jardine Motors Group, Jardine Lloyd Thompson, Mandarin Oriental, Jardine Cycle & Carriage and Astra International. "Jardine is a good way to participate in the demographics boom of China and Asia," notes a report on stock-research Web site GuruFocus.com. "As the U.S., European, and Japanese work force ages, the Chinese work force is going to be in its peak producing years... Jardine offers a way to invest in China by a company that has been doing business there for about 170, run by British management."

Disclosure: The Div Guy owns shares of GSK at the time of this post.