Fund Evaluator:
WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl (WCMSX)Best Performing in Foreign Small/Mid Growth Over the Last Year
| 47.5% | Hood River International Opportunity Inv (HRIIX) |
| 30.0% | American Beacon IMC Int Small Cap Inv (TIVFX) |
| 21.3% | T. Rowe Price International Discovery Z (TRZKX) |
| 20.3% | American Century International Opps Inv (AIOIX) |
| 19.8% | T. Rowe Price International Discovery (PRIDX) |
Fund Details
WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl Overview
WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl (WCMSX) is an actively managed International Equity Foreign Small/Mid Growth fund. WCM Investment Management launched the fund in 2015.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities or depository receipts of small capitalization companies domiciled outside of the United States, including in emerging and frontier market countries. The fund invests in the securities of companies located in different countries and in at least three different countries.
About WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl (WCMSX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 10.76 years: Gregory Ise (2015), Sanjay Ayer (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%. WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl has 88 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 26.7% 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.
WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity fund group. WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl has 98.1% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 1.0%. There is 98.1% 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). WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl has 0.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $188 million in total assets, which is below the $325 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.
WCMSX 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 WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Foreign Small/Mid Growth category. WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl has an expense ratio of 1.26%, which is 3% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a D. 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. WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl has a portfolio turnover rate of 116%, 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 August 2026, WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl returned 4.0%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Foreign Small/Mid Growth category had an average return of 4.3%. 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.
WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl has a trailing yield of 0.75%, which is below the 1.38% 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.
WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 8.5%, 2.8 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 1.5% over the past year (grade of F), 13.7% over the past three years (grade of C) and -2.0% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 11.7% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
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 WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
WCMSX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 8/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| WCMSX Return (NAV) | 4.0% | -7.8% | 1.5% | 13.7% | -2.0% | 11.7% |
| WCMSX Grade | C | F | F | C | D | A |
| +/- Category | -0.3% | -7.7% | -10.3% | 0.8% | -2.5% | 4.5% |
| Foreign Small/Mid Growth Avg | 4.3% | -0.1% | 11.8% | 12.9% | 0.5% | 7.2% |
| WCMSX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
WCMSX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 8/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| WCMSX Return (NAV) | 8.5% | 18.1% | 4.3% | 22.3% | -42.1% | 16.6% | 55.3% | 44.0% | -8.8% | 42.3% | -0.3% |
| WCMSX Grade | D | C | B | A | F | A | A | A | A | A | C |
| +/- Category | -2.8% | -2.7% | 3.4% | 8.8% | -13.5% | 6.7% | 30.0% | 16.2% | 7.4% | 7.1% | 0.4% |
| Foreign Small/Mid Growth Avg | 11.3% | 20.8% | 0.9% | 13.4% | -28.6% | 9.9% | 25.4% | 27.8% | -16.2% | 35.3% | -0.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 19.8% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.63 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.18 - High |
| Category Risk Grade: | F (91% Rank) |
| Beta: | 1.19 |
| R-Squared: | 65% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Mid-Cap Growth |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.8% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $188 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 189 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 116% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 10.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 10.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Ise Gregory (2015), Ayer Sanjay (2015) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 88 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 26.7% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 98.1% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 1.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 98.1% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.6% |
| Cash: | 0.2% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | WCM Investment Management |
| Phone Number: | 888-988-9801 |
| Website: | http://www.lsthetafund.com/ |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | November 30, 2015 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $100,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $100,000 |
| 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 (%): | 1.26% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.23% |
| Share Class: | WCM International Small Cap Growth Instl |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $5,000 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $5,000 |