Fund Evaluator:
BNY Mellon International Equity C (NIECX)
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Best Performing in Foreign Large Blend Over the Last Year
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Fund Details
BNY Mellon International Equity C Overview
BNY Mellon International Equity C (NIECX) is an actively managed International Equity Foreign Large Blend fund. BNY Mellon launched the fund in 2008.
The investment seeks long-term growth of capital. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in common stocks or securities convertible into common stocks of foreign companies and depositary receipts evidencing ownership in such securities. At least 75% of its net assets will be invested in countries represented in the Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australasia and Far East (MSCI EAFE®) Index. The fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in stocks of companies located in countries (other than the United States) not represented in the MSCI EAFE Index.
About BNY Mellon International Equity C (NIECX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.76 years: Keith Howell Jr. (2025), Tim Lucas (2025). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: MSCI EAFE NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. BNY Mellon International Equity C has 94 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 23.6% 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.
BNY Mellon International Equity C is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity fund group. BNY Mellon International Equity C has 96.3% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 2.2%. There is 96.3% 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). BNY Mellon International Equity C has 1.6% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $857 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Foreign Large 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.
NIECX 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 BNY Mellon International Equity C expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Foreign Large Blend category. BNY Mellon International Equity C has an expense ratio of 1.79%, which is 90% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a F. 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. BNY Mellon International Equity C has a portfolio turnover rate of 230%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 62% for the Foreign Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, BNY Mellon International Equity C returned 0.5%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Foreign Large Blend category had an average return of 0.7%. 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.
BNY Mellon International Equity C has a trailing yield of 1.51%, which is below the 2.17% category average.
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.
BNY Mellon International Equity C Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 8.0%, 3.6 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 19.4% over the past year (grade of F), 15.5% over the past three years (grade of C) and 7.0% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 7.2% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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NIECX 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 |
|
| NIECX Return (NAV) | 0.5% | 2.8% | 19.4% | 15.5% | 7.0% | 7.2% |
| NIECX Grade | C | F | F | C | D | F |
| +/- Category | -0.2% | -1.7% | -4.8% | -0.3% | -1.4% | -1.9% |
| Foreign Large Blend Avg | 0.7% | 4.4% | 24.2% | 15.9% | 8.4% | 9.1% |
| NIECX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 5.2% | 5.3% | 3.5% | 1.9% |
NIECX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| NIECX Return (NAV) | 8.0% | 38.0% | 3.0% | 12.9% | -19.8% | 6.6% | 12.7% | 19.1% | -18.0% | 27.4% | -6.5% |
| NIECX Grade | F | A | D | F | F | F | B | F | F | B | F |
| +/- Category | -3.6% | 7.5% | -1.9% | -3.3% | -3.4% | -3.5% | 0.9% | -3.8% | -2.8% | 1.0% | -7.5% |
| Foreign Large Blend Avg | 11.6% | 30.5% | 4.9% | 16.2% | -16.4% | 10.2% | 11.8% | 22.9% | -15.2% | 26.4% | 1.0% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 13.8% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.13 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.07 - High |
| Category Risk Grade: | F (87% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.91 |
| R-Squared: | 82% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Large-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 1.5% |
| Dividend Distribution: | |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | |
| Total Assets: | $331 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 1 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | C |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 230% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Howell Jr. Keith (2025), Lucas Tim (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 94 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 23.6% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 96.3% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 2.2% |
| Foreign Stock: | 96.3% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.6% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | BNY Mellon |
| Phone Number: | 800-373-9387 |
| Website: | https://im.bnymellon.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | March 31, 2008 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 750 |
| True No-Load: | No |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 1.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | 0.75% |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.79% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.94% |
| Share Class: | BNY Mellon International Equity I |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 100 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
