Fund Evaluator:
AB International Small Cap Adv (IRCYX)
Follow This Fund
Best Performing in Foreign Small/Mid Blend Over the Last Year
| 28.5% | Goldman Sachs Intl Sm Cp Insghts Inv (GIRLX) |
| 22.6% | Nuveen Quant Intl Small Cap Eq I (TAISX) |
| 16.0% | Vanguard FTSE All-Wld ex-US SmCp Idx Adm (VFSAX) |
| 12.5% | Fidelity Advisor Intl Small Cap Z (FIQIX) |
| 12.4% | Fidelity International Small Cap (FISMX) |
Fund Details
AB International Small Cap Adv Overview
AB International Small Cap Adv (IRCYX) is an actively managed International Equity Foreign Small/Mid Blend fund. AllianceBernstein launched the fund in 2015.
The investment seeks to provide long-term growth of capital. The Portfolio invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small-capitalization companies or other securities or instruments with similar economic characteristics, including derivatives related to equity securities. The Manager invests the assets of the Portfolio primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities of small-capitalization companies located outside of the United States. At least 65% of the Portfolio's net assets are invested in companies located outside of the United States.
About AB International Small Cap Adv (IRCYX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 10.62 years: Andrew Birse (2015), Peter Chocian (2015). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI ACWI Ex USA NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and MSCI ACWI Ex USA Small NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. AB International Small Cap Adv has 287 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 15.1% 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.
AB International Small Cap Adv is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity fund group. AB International Small Cap Adv has 95.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 1.0%. There is 95.6% 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). AB International Small Cap Adv has 3.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $1 billion in total assets, which is above the $540 million average for the Foreign Small/Mid Blend 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.
IRCYX 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 AB International Small Cap Adv expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Foreign Small/Mid Blend category. AB International Small Cap Adv has an expense ratio of 1.09%, which is 4% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. 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. AB International Small Cap Adv has a portfolio turnover rate of 57%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 63% for the Foreign Small/Mid Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, AB International Small Cap Adv returned -1.4%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Foreign Small/Mid Blend category had an average return of -1.3%. 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.
AB International Small Cap Adv has a trailing yield of 2.18%, which is below the 2.74% category average. The fund normally distributes its income 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.
AB International Small Cap Adv Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 10.3%, 0.7 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 20.0% over the past year (grade of C), 16.8% over the past three years (grade of B) and 7.2% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 8.2% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
For more mutual fund grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about AB International Small Cap Adv, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
IRCYX 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 |
|
| IRCYX Return (NAV) | -1.4% | -2.2% | 20.0% | 16.8% | 7.2% | 8.2% |
| IRCYX Grade | C | D | C | B | B | C |
| +/- Category | -0.1% | -2.4% | 2.3% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.1% |
| Foreign Small/Mid Blend Avg | -1.3% | 0.2% | 17.8% | 14.2% | 5.8% | 8.1% |
| IRCYX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 4.2% | 2.2% | 1.6% | 1.4% |
IRCYX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| IRCYX Return (NAV) | 10.3% | 34.9% | 7.7% | 13.1% | -20.9% | 12.6% | 8.1% | 19.5% | -17.8% | 32.1% | 2.9% |
| IRCYX Grade | C | B | A | F | D | C | D | F | B | D | B |
| +/- Category | 0.7% | 4.9% | 5.4% | -1.9% | -1.7% | 0.4% | -2.6% | -2.7% | 1.5% | -1.5% | 0.5% |
| Foreign Small/Mid Blend Avg | 9.6% | 30.0% | 2.3% | 15.0% | -19.1% | 12.2% | 10.8% | 22.2% | -19.4% | 33.6% | 2.4% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 14.6% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.19 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.97 - Below Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | B (35% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.98 |
| R-Squared: | 86% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Mid-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 2.2% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $1266 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $1,056 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Adv |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 57% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 10.6 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 10.6 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Birse Andrew (2015), Chocian Peter (2015) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 287 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 15.1% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 95.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 1.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 95.6% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 3.4% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | AllianceBernstein |
| Phone Number: | 212-486-5800 |
| Website: | www.bernstein.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | December 21, 2015 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $5,000 |
| 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: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.09% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.14% |
| Share Class: | AB International Small Cap Z |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
