Is American Century International Opportunity Institutional (ACIOX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

If you have been looking for Non US - Equity funds, it would not be wise to start your search with American Century International Opportunity Institutional (ACIOX). ACIOX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveWe classify ACIOX in the Non US - Equity category, which is an area rife with potential choices. Investing in companies outside the United States is how Non US - Equity funds set themselves apart, since global funds tend to keep a good portion of their portfolio stateside. Many of these funds like to allocate across emerging and developed markets, and will often focus on all cap levels.History of Fund/ManagerAmerican Century is based in Kansas City, MO, and is the manager of ACIOX. American Century International Opportunity Institutional made its debut in January of 2003, and since then, ACIOX has accumulated about $125.34 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.PerformanceInvestors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 5.01%, and is in the bottom third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of -6.87%, which places it in the bottom third during this time-frame.It is important to note that the product's returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund's [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower.When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of ACIOX over the past three years is 19.41% compared to the category average of 15.58%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 20.59% compared to the category average of 16.34%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsInvestors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.03, so it is likely going to be as volatile as the market at large. Another factor to consider is alpha, as it reflects a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark-in this case, the S&P 500. ACIOX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -9.5, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.ExpensesAs competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, ACIOX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.36% compared to the category average of 1%. ACIOX is actually more expensive than its peers when you consider factors like cost.This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $5 million, and each subsequent investment should be at least $50.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, American Century International Opportunity Institutional ( ACIOX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, American Century International Opportunity Institutional ( ACIOX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now.For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Non US - Equity, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2024. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +143.0%, +175.9%, +498.3% and +673.0%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (ACIOX): Fund Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks