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Christine St Anne is Morningstar's online funds and ETFs editor.

The relatively cheap valuations of global equities and now the strengthening Australian dollar has given investors greater buying power in overseas markets.

According to a report from UBS, the global equity sharemarkets will continue to deliver moderately above average returns encouraged by moderate EPS [earnings-per-share] growth and PE [price-to-earnings] multiple expansion from what are currently undemanding levels.

"Global equity valuations look very attractive versus yields available on government bonds or investment-grade corporate debt," the UBS report said.

Companies in sectors such as global healthcare, consumer staples and information technology are offering exceptional value for global investors, BlackRock global investment specialist James Holt says.

These sectors are not only attractive from a valuations perspective but are well placed to capitalise on the continued growth in emerging economies.

"China is entering its next stage of development and is becoming a more consumer-based economy. As a result, demand for middle-income consumer goods is on the increase," Holt says.

Computer giant Apple had plans to open 25 stores in China this year. The company, however, had to revise its plans with a view to boosting store numbers on the back of consumer demand in China.

"On average, 40,000 customers will visit an Apple store per day in China compared to the US, where around 10,000 customers visit a store per day," Holt says.

Global healthcare companies are also set benefit from growth given an ageing population.

A world of opportunities

Investors can benefit from these trends in the consumer growth and ageing populations by tapping into world markets.

The market capitalisation of the healthcare sector on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is $36 billion. In comparison, the market capitalisation of the global healthcare sector is $2 trillion.

Similarly, the market capitalisation of the consumer sector on the ASX is $92 billion. Globally, the consumer staples market is worth $2.8 trillion.

Given the market capitalisation of the global healthcare and consumer sectors are significantly larger than the Australian market, these sectors offer investors a larger number of companies to invest in.