Fund Evaluator:
AB International Strat Eqs Z (STEZX)
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Best Performing in Foreign Large Blend Over the Last Year
| 38.7% | AB International Strat Eqs Z (STEZX) |
| 31.6% | Vanguard International Core Stock Adm (VZICX) |
| 31.4% | Vanguard International Core Stock Inv (VWICX) |
| 31.3% | Vaughan Nelson International Investor Cl (ADVJX) |
| 31.0% | NYLI WMC International Research Eq Cl I (MYIIX) |
Fund Details
AB International Strat Eqs Z Overview
AB International Strat Eqs Z (STEZX) is an actively managed International Equity Foreign Large 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 or other securities or instruments with similar economic characteristics, including derivatives related to equity securities. The Manager invests the assets of the Portfolio primarily (under normal circumstances, at least 65% of net assets) in equity securities of issuers in countries that make up the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index, which includes both developed and emerging market countries.
About AB International Strat Eqs Z (STEZX)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 3.44 years: Vivian Chen (2023). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: MSCI ACWI Ex USA NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. AB International Strat Eqs Z has 82 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 32.1% 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 Strat Eqs Z is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity fund group. AB International Strat Eqs Z has 96.5% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 1.3%. There is 96.5% 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 Strat Eqs Z has 1.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $859 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.
STEZX 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 Strat Eqs Z expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Foreign Large Blend category. AB International Strat Eqs Z has an expense ratio of 0.71%, which is 24% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. 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 Strat Eqs Z has a portfolio turnover rate of 94%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 61% for the Foreign Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, AB International Strat Eqs Z returned -0.3%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Foreign Large Blend category had an average return of 0.5%. 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.
AB International Strat Eqs Z has a trailing yield of 2.31%, which is above the 2.19% 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 Strat Eqs Z Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 20.4%, 9.5 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 38.7% over the past year (grade of A), 26.4% over the past three years (grade of A) and 13.1% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 11.2% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
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STEZX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| STEZX Return (NAV) | -0.3% | 13.8% | 38.7% | 26.4% | 13.1% | 11.2% |
| STEZX Grade | D | A | A | A | A | A |
| +/- Category | -0.7% | 3.1% | 17.4% | 9.7% | 4.9% | 1.7% |
| Foreign Large Blend Avg | 0.5% | 10.6% | 21.3% | 16.7% | 8.2% | 9.5% |
| STEZX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.3% |
STEZX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| STEZX Return (NAV) | 20.4% | 43.0% | 12.7% | 13.6% | -17.6% | 10.3% | 4.4% | 19.9% | -15.0% | 30.0% | 2.5% |
| STEZX Grade | A | A | A | F | D | C | F | F | C | A | B |
| +/- Category | 9.5% | 12.4% | 7.9% | -2.7% | -1.2% | 0.2% | -7.4% | -3.0% | 0.2% | 3.6% | 1.5% |
| Foreign Large Blend Avg | 10.9% | 30.5% | 4.9% | 16.2% | -16.4% | 10.2% | 11.8% | 22.9% | -15.2% | 26.4% | 1.0% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 13.9% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.14 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.08 - High |
| Category Risk Grade: | F (91% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.95 |
| R-Squared: | 89% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Large-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 2.3% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $11551 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 859 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 94% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 3.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 3.4 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Chen Vivian (2023) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 5/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 82 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 32.1% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 96.5% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 1.3% |
| Foreign Stock: | 96.5% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.9% |
| Cash: | 1.4% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | AllianceBernstein |
| Phone Number: | 800-227-4618 |
| Website: | www.bernstein.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | December 21, 2015 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $ 0 |
| 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 (%): | 0.71% ( Rating : Above Avg ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.94% |
| Share Class: | AB International Strat Eqs Adv |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
