Is T. Rowe Price International Discovery (PRIDX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Non US - Equity fund seekers may want to consider taking a look at T. Rowe Price International Discovery (PRIDX). PRIDX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveWe classify PRIDX 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/ManagerT. Rowe Price is based in Baltimore, MD, and is the manager of PRIDX. The T. Rowe Price International Discovery made its debut in December of 1988 and PRIDX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.78 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 4.78%, and is in the middle 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 8.29%, which places it in the middle 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 PRIDX over the past three years is 16.9% compared to the category average of 15.67%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 17.33% compared to the category average of 15.18%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsInvestors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. PRIDX has a 5-year beta of 0.86, which means it is likely to be less volatile than the market average. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. PRIDX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -7.82, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.ExpensesFor investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, PRIDX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.24% compared to the category average of 1.04%. PRIDX is actually more expensive than its peers when you consider factors like cost.Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $2,500; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $100.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, even with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, T. Rowe Price International Discovery ( PRIDX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and therefore looks a somewhat average choice for investors right now.Want even more information about PRIDX? 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. And don't forget, Zacks has all of your needs covered on the equity side too! 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Click to get this free report Get Your Free (PRIDX): Fund Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks