If you have been looking for Non US - Equity funds, a place to start could be Oakmark International Investor (OAKIX Quick QuoteOAKIX - Free Report) . OAKIX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

We classify OAKIX 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

Oakmark is based in Kansas City, MO, and is the manager of OAKIX. Since Oakmark International Investor made its debut in September of 1992, OAKIX has garnered more than $8.99 billion in assets. The fund's current manager, David G. Herro, has been in charge of the fund since September of 1992.

Performance

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. OAKIX has a 5-year annualized total return of 8.58% and is in the bottom third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of -2.79%, which places it in the bottom 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. OAKIX's standard deviation over the past three years is 29.67% compared to the category average of 16.02%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 24.32% compared to the category average of 13.47%. 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 1.35, which means it is hypothetically more volatile than 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. With a negative alpha of -9.71, 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, OAKIX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1% compared to the category average of 1.19%. So, OAKIX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Bottom Line

Overall, Oakmark International Investor ( OAKIX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, Oakmark International Investor ( OAKIX ) looks like a great potential choice for investors right now.

This could just be the start of your research on OAKIXin the Non US - Equity category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. Want to learn even more? We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are.