(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila – Young Filipino professionals stuck at home have driven a surge in local stock market investing. According to a report by Bloomberg, one particular brokerage, AAA Equities, even doubled its number of customers opening accounts since the lockdown started in mid-March last year.

These Filipinos are investing primarily in the Philippine Stock Exchange, where stocks of Philippine-based companies are traded. And while investing in local stocks is an excellent starting point, many can take it up a notch: investing in international markets, because the potential returns of investing in foreign stocks can be higher.

Going global allows investors to combine stocks from various markets, which means they get to capitalize on different economies, instead of only relying on one (the Philippines’). Buying stocks from international markets serves as a channel to take advantage of other countries’ economic growth, which will lead to a more diversified and stable portfolio.