Top Non-U.S. Equity Funds

Today we are featuring top-performing "Non-U.S." equity mutual funds. These funds typically have the objective of investing at least 50% of assets in non-U.S. companies.

Investors can find such funds by checking out the entire list of the Zacks #1 Rank Non-U.S. Equity Funds.

3 Solid Samples

Dreyfus International Stock A (DISAX) was incepted in December 2006 and seeks long-term total return by investing at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies of any market capitalization.

The fund normally invests primarily in foreign companies located in the developed markets, such as Canada, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Western Europe. It ordinarily invests in at least three foreign countries, and, at times, may invest a substantial portion of its assets in a single foreign country.

Fanuc Ltd., Woodside Petroleum Ltd. and BG Group Plc are among the fund's top holdings.

Sextant International (SSIFX) seeks long-term capital growth. The fund diversifies its investments among many countries, favoring those with mature markets like Europe and Canada.

The fund currently limits its investments to those securities of foreign issuers that trade and settle in the U.S. (such as American Depositary Receipts) and diversifies its investments across companies in various sectors. It has outperformed the total returns of its benchmark index in the last 1-, 3- and 5-year periods.

The fund's key holdings include Total SA (TOT - Analyst Report), Pearson Plc (PSO - Snapshot Report) and Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD - Snapshot Report).

First Eagle Overseas A (SGOVX) seeks long-term growth of capital by investing primarily in equities issued by non-U.S. corporations. The fund focuses on undervalued securities that trade in established foreign markets, but can have assets in developing countries.

The fund is widely diversified and has exhibited lower volatility than most other foreign stock funds. It invests in securities regardless of market capitalization, sector or asset class. The fund distributes dividends and capital gains, if any, annually.

Unit holders have to make a minimum initial investment of $2,500 to enter this Zacks#1 Rank ("Strong Buy") fund. Japanese companies Secom, Shimano Inc. and SMC Corp. feature among the fund's top holdings.

Discover Many More Funds

Learn more about the new Zacks Mutual Fund Rank and discover some of the best market-beating mutual funds by browsing our new mutual funds section. This part of Zacks.com offers a variety of tools, including mutual fund research, a new mutual fund screener/>, helpful answers to frequently asked questions and quick access to prospectuses and other information.

By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also expected to outperform going forward.