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Is Oppenheimer International Small -Mid Company A (OSMAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

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Having trouble finding a Non US - Equity fund? Well, Oppenheimer International Small -Mid Company A (OSMAX - Free Report) would not be a good potential starting point right now. OSMAX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

We classify OSMAX 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

Invesco is based in Kansas City, MO, and is the manager of OSMAX. The Oppenheimer International Small -Mid Company A made its debut in November of 1997 and OSMAX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.36 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, David Nadel, has been in charge of the fund since November of 2019.

Performance

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 14.6%, and is in the top 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 11.04%, 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. Over the past three years, OSMAX's standard deviation comes in at 18.72%, compared to the category average of 16.15%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 15.78% compared to the category average of 13.39%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. OSMAX has a 5-year beta of 0.91, which means it is likely to be less volatile than the market average. 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. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -0.67. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

Costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, OSMAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.34% compared to the category average of 1.18%. So, OSMAX is actually more expensive than its peers from a cost perspective.

This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $1,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $50.

Bottom Line

Overall, Oppenheimer International Small -Mid Company A ( OSMAX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a poor potential choice for investors right now.

Want even more information about OSMAX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike.


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