If you're looking for a Non US - Equity fund category, then a potential option is Artisan International Value Investor (ARTKX Quick QuoteARTKX - Free Report) . ARTKX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

We classify ARTKX 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/Manager

ARTKX finds itself in the Artisan Funds family, based out of Boston, MA. The Artisan International Value Investor made its debut in September of 2002 and ARTKX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.98 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 10.64%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 6.58%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.

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 ARTKX over the past three years is 20.77% compared to the category average of 16.06%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 17.01% compared to the category average of 13.52%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.98, so it is likely going to be as volatile as the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. ARTKX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -4.77, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

As 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, ARTKX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.19% compared to the category average of 1.19%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, ARTKX is actually on par with its peers.

Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.

Bottom Line

Overall, Artisan International Value Investor ( ARTKX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and on par fees, this fund looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.

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