Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Fidelity International Small Cap (FISMX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Mutual Fund Equity Report fund seekers should consider taking a look at Fidelity International Small Cap (FISMX - Free Report) . FISMX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

History of Fund/Manager

FISMX finds itself in the Fidelity family, based out of Boston, MA. Fidelity International Small Cap made its debut in September of 2002, and since then, FISMX has accumulated about $1.41 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Sam Chamovitz, has been in charge of the fund since March of 2014.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. FISMX has a 5-year annualized total return of 3.4% 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 6.93%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.

It is important to note that the product's returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund's [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower.

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 FISMX over the past three years is 17.42% compared to the category average of 15.08%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 18.84% compared to the category average of 16.15%. 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 0.87, so it is likely going to be less volatile than 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. With a negative alpha of -4.78, 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, FISMX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.11% compared to the category average of 1.13%. So, FISMX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.

Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.

Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.

Bottom Line

Overall, Fidelity International Small Cap ( FISMX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Fidelity International Small Cap ( FISMX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

Don't stop here for your research on Mutual Fund Equity Report funds. We also have plenty more on our site in order to help you find the best possible fund for your portfolio. Make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for more information about the world of funds, and feel free to compare FISMX to its peers as well for additional information. If you want to check out our stock reports as well, make sure to go to Zacks.com to see all of the great tools we have to offer, including our time-tested Zacks Rank.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


FIDELITY INTL SMALL CAP (FISMX) - free report >>

Published in