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Is Oberweis Int'l Opportunities (OBIOX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
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If you're looking for a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund category, then a potential option is Oberweis Int'l Opportunities (OBIOX - Free Report) . OBIOX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
History of Fund/Manager
OBIOX is a part of the Oberweis family of funds, a company based out of Lisle, IL. The Oberweis Int'l Opportunities made its debut in February of 2007 and OBIOX has managed to accumulate roughly $145.32 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Ralf A. Scherschmidt, has been in charge of the fund since February of 2007.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of -0.76%, and it sits in the bottom third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 1.34%, 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, OBIOX's standard deviation comes in at 29.16%, compared to the category average of 20.79%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 24.96% compared to the category average of 17.92%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
With a 5-year beta of 1.17, the fund is likely to be more 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. OBIOX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -9.62, 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, OBIOX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.60% compared to the category average of 1.15%. From a cost perspective, OBIOX is actually more expensive than its peers.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $100.
Bottom Line
Overall, Oberweis Int'l Opportunities ( OBIOX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, worse downside risk, and higher fees, Oberweis Int'l Opportunities ( OBIOX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.
Want even more information about OBIOX? 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. 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.
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Is Oberweis Int'l Opportunities (OBIOX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
If you're looking for a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund category, then a potential option is Oberweis Int'l Opportunities (OBIOX - Free Report) . OBIOX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
History of Fund/Manager
OBIOX is a part of the Oberweis family of funds, a company based out of Lisle, IL. The Oberweis Int'l Opportunities made its debut in February of 2007 and OBIOX has managed to accumulate roughly $145.32 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Ralf A. Scherschmidt, has been in charge of the fund since February of 2007.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of -0.76%, and it sits in the bottom third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 1.34%, 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, OBIOX's standard deviation comes in at 29.16%, compared to the category average of 20.79%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 24.96% compared to the category average of 17.92%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
With a 5-year beta of 1.17, the fund is likely to be more 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. OBIOX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -9.62, 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, OBIOX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.60% compared to the category average of 1.15%. From a cost perspective, OBIOX is actually more expensive than its peers.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $100.
Bottom Line
Overall, Oberweis Int'l Opportunities ( OBIOX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, worse downside risk, and higher fees, Oberweis Int'l Opportunities ( OBIOX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.
Want even more information about OBIOX? 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. 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.