Fund Evaluator:
Columbia Acorn International Inst (ACINX)
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Best Performing in Foreign Small/Mid Growth Over the Last Year
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Fund Details
Columbia Acorn International Inst Overview
Columbia Acorn International Inst (ACINX) is an actively managed International Equity Foreign Small/Mid Growth fund. Columbia Threadneedle launched the fund in 1992.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests a majority of its net assets in the common stock of small- and mid-sized companies with market capitalizations generally in the range of market capitalizations in the MSCI ACWI ex USA SMID Cap Growth Index (Net), the fund's primary benchmark, (the index) at the time of purchase.
About Columbia Acorn International Inst (ACINX)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 2.73 years: Simon Haines (2023), Charlotte Friedrichs (2023), Nitisha Bosamia (2023). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI EAFE NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and MSCI EAFE SMID Growth NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Columbia Acorn International Inst has 72 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 25.2% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Columbia Acorn International Inst is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity fund group. Columbia Acorn International Inst has 94.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 3.5%. There is 94.6% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Columbia Acorn International Inst has 1.9% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $505 million in total assets, which is above the $319 million average for the Foreign Small/Mid Growth category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
ACINX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Columbia Acorn International Inst expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Foreign Small/Mid Growth category. Columbia Acorn International Inst has an expense ratio of 0.97%, which is 21% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Columbia Acorn International Inst has a portfolio turnover rate of 25%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 65% for the Foreign Small/Mid Growth category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Columbia Acorn International Inst returned -1.7%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Foreign Small/Mid Growth category had an average return of -1.5%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all funds in that category.
Columbia Acorn International Inst has a trailing yield of 1.85%, which is above the 1.43% category average. The fund normally distributes its income semi-annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Columbia Acorn International Inst Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 4.8%, 1.9 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 4.3% over the past year (grade of F), 4.8% over the past three years (grade of F) and -2.1% per year over the past five years (grade of F) and 4.6% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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ACINX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| ACINX Return (NAV) | -1.7% | -0.8% | 4.3% | 4.8% | -2.1% | 4.6% |
| ACINX Grade | D | C | F | F | F | F |
| +/- Category | -0.2% | 0.5% | -5.9% | -5.2% | -2.4% | -2.1% |
| Foreign Small/Mid Growth Avg | -1.5% | -1.2% | 10.3% | 10.1% | 0.4% | 6.8% |
| ACINX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.3% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 2.4% |
ACINX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| ACINX Return (NAV) | 4.8% | 12.4% | -4.8% | 19.6% | -33.6% | 12.9% | 15.0% | 29.9% | -15.9% | 32.2% | -2.3% |
| ACINX Grade | F | F | D | A | F | B | D | B | C | D | D |
| +/- Category | -1.9% | -8.5% | -5.7% | 6.1% | -5.0% | 3.0% | -10.4% | 2.1% | 0.3% | -3.0% | -1.6% |
| Foreign Small/Mid Growth Avg | 6.7% | 20.8% | 0.9% | 13.4% | -28.6% | 9.9% | 25.4% | 27.8% | -16.2% | 35.3% | -0.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 18.0% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.47 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.07 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | D (78% Rank) |
| Beta: | 1.19 |
| R-Squared: | 84% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Mid-Cap Growth |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 1.9% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Semi-Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $779 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 505 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 25% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 2.7 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 2.7 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Haines Simon (2023), Friedrichs Charlotte (2023), Bosamia Nitisha (2023) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 72 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 25.2% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 94.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 3.5% |
| Foreign Stock: | 94.6% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.9% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Columbia Threadneedle |
| Phone Number: | 800-345-6611 |
| Website: | www.columbiathreadneedleus.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | September 23, 1992 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $2,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | 0.00% |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.97% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.23% |
| Share Class: | Columbia Acorn International Inst |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
