The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that being threatened and insulted daily by the most powerful person in the world seems to be taking a toll on the psyche of the Canadian consumer. The Globe's Tim Shufelt writes that a boycott movement is gaining strength as travellers rethink U.S. trips and consumers substitute Canadian goods for American ones. So why invest in a country that wants to do us harm? Is it unpatriotic to buy U.S. stocks? Divesting America is an idea that may appeal to the current national mood, but it is not as easy as choosing French's ketchup instead of Heinz. In global financial markets, there are no real alternatives to American stocks, and unloading American holdings entirely in favour of Canadian investments would come at a cost. Even the most passive investor may have seen their U.S. holdings become excessively large as the market has run up. Investors could take profits on U.S. stocks and commit that money to the Toronto Stock Exchange. Or, if you are trying to avoid booking capital gains, you might leave your U.S. holdings as is and direct whatever new money you invest toward domestic equities. Dividends paid by Canadian companies are given preferential tax treatment.