International Fund
Quick Facts
Investor | Institutional | |
Ticker: | BUFIX | BUIIX |
Daily Pricing: | ||
As of 9/29/2023 | ||
NAV: | $19.15 | $19.18 |
$ Change: | $0.02 | $0.02 |
% Change: |
0.10% | 0.10% |
YTD: |
6.45% | 6.56% |
Inception Date: | 9/28/2007 | 7/1/2019 |
Expense Ratio: | 1.04% | 0.89% |
Total Net Assets: | $751.26 Million (6/30/23) | |
Morningstar Category: | Foreign Large Cap Growth | |
Benchmark Index: | FTSE All World Ex-US | |
Related Material: Fund Fact Sheet Q2 2023 PM Commentary Q2 2023 Portfolio Manager Q&A |
Fund Objective & Investment Philosophy
The investment objective of the Buffalo International Fund is long-term growth of capital. The International Fund invests primarily in equity securities of established companies that are economically tied to various countries throughout the world (excluding the U.S.).
For purposes of the International Fund’s investments, “foreign securities” means those securities issued by companies:
- Organized under the laws of, or with a principal office in, a country other than the U.S. and issue securities for which the principal trading market is in a country other than the U.S.; or
- That derive at least 50% of their revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services provided in a country other than the U.S., or have at least 50% of their assets in a country other than the U.S.
- Under normal circumstances, the International Fund does not expect its investments in emerging markets to exceed 35% of its net assets.
In selecting securities for the International Fund, the Fund managers use a bottom-up approach in choosing investments, seeking companies expected to experience growth based on the identification of long-term, measurable industry, technological, global or other trends. Companies are screened using in-depth, in-house research to identify those which the Fund managers believe have favorable attributes, including: attractive valuation, strong management, conservative debt, free cash flow, scalable business models, and competitive advantages.
In making portfolio selections the Fund managers will also consider the economic, political and market conditions of the various countries in which the Fund may invest.
Morningstar Ratings
Overall Morningstar Rating™ of BUFIX based on risk-adjusted returns among 410 Foreign Large Growth funds as of 8/31/23
Morningstar Sustainability Rating™ of BUFIX out of 7,907 Global Equity Large Cap funds as of 5/31/23, based on 97% of AUM
Carbon Metric Rating of BUFIX as of 5/31/23 in the Foreign Large Growth category, based on 97% of AUM; long positions only
%
Historical Sustainability Score Rank of BUFIX
PM Insights
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When it comes to investing internationally, we believe our approach to stock selection is distinct. We are focused on finding good companies and aren’t constrained by benchmark alignment to countries or industries.
Our approach is based on finding companies with sound business models, exposure to long-term secular growth trends, and attractive risk/return growth and valuation characteristics, which we can own for the long-term.
Nicole Kornitzer, Portfolio Manager
Performance (%)
As of 8/31/23 | 3 MO | YTD | 1 YR | 3 YR | 5 YR | 10 YR | Since Inception |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL FUND - Investor | 0.65 | 12.45 | 19.13 | 5.36 | 6.44 | 7.86 | 5.32 |
BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL FUND - Institutional | 0.65 | 12.50 | 19.30 | 5.52 | 6.59 | 8.02 | 5.48 |
FTSE All World Ex-US Index | 4.08 | 9.14 | 12.39 | 4.81 | 4.05 | 5.09 | 2.63 |
Morningstar Global Markets ex-US Index | 4.16 | 8.75 | 11.64 | 4.23 | 3.46 | 4.84 | 2.48 |
Lipper International Fund Index | 3.43 | 10.77 | 16.45 | 5.32 | 4.34 | 5.24 | 2.71 |
Morningstar Foreign Large Growth Category | 1.18 | 9.38 | 11.97 | -0.04 | 3.80 | 5.61 | - |
As of 6/30/23 | 3 MO | YTD | 1 YR | 3 YR | 5 YR | 10 YR | Since Inception |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL FUND - Investor | 3.11 | 16.01 | 23.40 | 10.25 | 7.71 | 8.31 | 5.59 |
BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL FUND - Institutional | 3.16 | 16.06 | 23.57 | 10.41 | 7.87 | 8.47 | 5.75 |
FTSE All World Ex-US Index | 2.75 | 9.50 | 13.14 | 7.98 | 4.21 | 5.43 | 2.68 |
Morningstar Global Markets ex-US Index | 2.52 | 8.94 | 12.58 | 7.40 | 3.57 | 5.16 | 2.51 |
Lipper International Fund Index | 3.20 | 11.93 | 16.62 | 8.51 | 4.64 | 5.73 | 2.81 |
Morningstar Foreign Large Growth Category | 2.54 | 12.39 | 15.91 | 4.32 | 4.54 | 6.20 | - |
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL FUND - Investor | 19.29 | -2.04 | -0.45 | 3.19 | 29.33 | -8.85 | 28.02 | 19.10 | 18.21 | -21.79 |
BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL FUND - Institutional | 19.46 | -1.89 | -0.30 | 3.34 | 29.53 | -8.71 | 28.20 | 19.24 | 18.42 | -21.65 |
FTSE All World Ex-US Index | 15.62 | -3.04 | -4.46 | 5.12 | 27.47 | -13.87 | 22.20 | 11.52 | 8.66 | -15.22 |
Morningstar Global Markets ex-US Index | 15.71 | -3.62 | -3.65 | 5.45 | 27.37 | -14.17 | 21.57 | 11.17 | 8.41 | -16.15 |
3 Year Risk Metrics
BUFIX vs FTSE All World Ex-US Index (As of 6/30/23) | |
---|---|
Upside Capture | 124.77 |
Downside Capture | 108.33 |
Alpha | 1.97 |
Beta | 1.07 |
Sharpe Ratio | 0.46 |
Hypothetical Growth of $10,000
Portfolio
Portfolio Characteristics
(As of 6/30/23) | |
---|---|
# of Holdings | 85 |
Median Market Cap | $41.39 B |
Weighted Average Market Cap | $90.56 B |
3-Yr Annualized Turnover Ratio | 9.01% |
Active Share | 89.68% |
Market Capitalization
Top 10 Holdings
Name of Holding | Ticker | Country | Sector | % of Net Assets |
---|---|---|---|---|
Renesas Electronics Corporation | 6723 JP | Japan | Information Technology | 2.54 |
Linde plc | LIN | Switzerland | Materials | 2.39 |
Schneider Electric SE | SU FP | France | Industrials | 2.17 |
Ashtead Group plc | AHT LN | United Kingdom | Financials | 1.97 |
Aon Plc Class A | AON | United Kingdom | Financials | 1.86 |
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | SIE GR | Germany | Industrials | 1.82 |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Sponsored ADR | TSM | Taiwan | Information Technology | 1.75 |
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE | MC FP | France | Consumer Discretionary | 1.66 |
Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B | NVO | Denmark | Health Care | 1.65 |
Thales SA | HO FP | France | Industrials | 1.61 |
TOP 10 HOLDINGS TOTAL | 19.42% |
Sector Weighting
Countries
TOP 10 COUNTRIES | % of Portfolio Net Assets |
---|---|
France | 19.76% |
United Kingdom | 13.73% |
Germany | 13.69% |
Japan | 11.41% |
Switzerland | 10.24% |
Canada | 5.65% |
Ireland | 4.22% |
Netherlands | 3.90% |
Hong Kong | 2.95% |
Sweden | 2.51% |
TOP 10 TOTAL | 88.07% |
MARKET CLASSIFICATION | |
---|---|
Emerging Markets: | 6.51% |
Developed Markets: | 93.49% |
Management
Commentary
PERFORMANCE COMMENTARY
(As of 6/30/23) —
1) Would you please comment on the Fund’s performance in the
second quarter of 2023 as well as longer term periods?
The Fund rose 3.11% for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, outperforming the
Morningstar Foreign Large Growth Funds category’s average 2.54% return. We
believe the Fund’s relative outperformance is primarily due to our approach
of investing in high-quality companies that are beneficiaries of secular
global growth trends, are less subject to cyclical volatility, and have attractive
valuations. This consistent investment approach has also led to outperformance
over longer time periods with less volatility.
In fact, the Fund is the only fund out of 238 funds in the Morningstar Foreign
Large Growth Funds category that has top decile (10% or better) performance
for each of the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year periods, with Morningstar’s “Average”,
“Below Average” or “Low” Risk Rating as of June 30, 2023.
One of the secular global growth trends that you follow is Digitalization.
2) Would you please provide some examples of portfolio companies
benefiting from this trend?
The Fund owns a position in Nintendo, which has benefited from the
company’s recent expansion of two popular franchises. The company released
the successful Super Mario Brothers movie and a new Zelda game, with plans
for a Zelda movie as well. Adding movies and other content vehicles beyond
video games has allowed the company to monetize its intellectual property
in multiple channels. At the same time, Nintendo’s core gaming business
model is well positioned for growth. The company can roll out new content
and upgrades using software downloads, reducing the need for replacementhardware such as gaming consoles. This primarily digital environment enables the company’s margins
to improve, with less cyclical volatility, which we see as supportive for growth over time.
Another company that has been a strong performer is Disco Corporation. Disco is a market leader in cutting, grinding and polishing wafers used in semiconductors. As semiconductors are packed closely together to increase computing power, very precise cutting techniques and tools are needed. Disco makes state-of-the-art cutting machines and enjoys a majority market share in this specialized area. We believe the company has a long tailwind for future growth.
OUTLOOK
(As of 6/30/23) —
3) Would you please share an example of a country where you are finding growth opportunities?
We find compelling opportunities in many countries, but Japan has been an interesting growth story in the second quarter. Japan has a strong multi-year positive nominal GDP outlook for the first time in 30 years, due to a modest positive inflationary environment post the deflationary period that plagued the economy. The country has benefited from structural reforms that have slowly transformed its economy for the better, and it has low interest rates compared to many other developed countries. Among Japanese companies, there has been a movement toward better corporate management and free cash flow generation, which have served to improve profitability for shareholders.
International Fund News
Kiplinger: Top-Performing Mutual Funds Copy
Kiplinger recognized the Buffalo Flexible Income and International Funds as “Top-Performing Mutual Funds” in their recent fund analysis.
Buffalo Funds named to IBD Best Mutual Funds 2022
BUFIX and BUFHX were named to the Investor’s Business Daily Best Mutual Funds 2022 list in the International Stock Fund and U.S. Taxable Bond Funds categories, respectively.
Kiplinger: Top-Performing Mutual Funds
Kiplinger recognized the Buffalo Flexible Income and International Funds as “Top-Performing Mutual Funds” in their recent fund analysis.
Kiplinger: Top-Performing Mutual Funds
Kiplinger recognized the Buffalo Flexible Income and International Funds as “Top-Performing Mutual Funds” in their recent fund analysis.
Recent Recognition
- Investor’s Business Daily “Best Mutual Funds List” – April 21, 2022
- Kiplinger’s “Top Performing Mutual Funds” – April 18, 2022
- Kiplinger’s “Top Performing Mutual Funds” – March 10, 2022
- Kiplinger’s “Top Performing Mutual Funds” – January 24, 2022
- Kiplinger’s “Top Performing Mutual Funds” – December 21, 2021
- Kiplinger’s “Top Performing Mutual Funds” – November 18, 2021
- Kiplinger’s “Top Performing Mutual Funds” – August 18, 2021
- Investor’s Business Daily “Best Mutual Funds List” – March 22, 2021
- Investor’s Business Daily “Best Mutual Funds List” – March 23, 2020
- Citywire “Top 20 Female Portfolio Managers in the U.S.” – December 20, 2019
- Kiplinger Top-Performing Mutual Fund (5 Years) – November 15, 2019
- US News & World Reports – Best Mutual Funds – August 15, 2019
- Zacks “4 Non-U.S. Mutual Funds to Buy Now” – July 3, 2019
- Zacks “3 Non-U.S. Mutual Funds Worth Taking a Look” – May 3, 2019
- Morningstar 5-star Overall Rating – March 31, 2019 – out of 373 Foreign Large Growth funds*
- Morningstar 5-star Overall Rating – December 31, 2018 – out of 364 Foreign Large Growth funds*
- Zacks “Consider These Non-U.S. Mutual Funds for Excellent Returns” – October 25, 2018
- Morningstar 5-star Overall Rating – September 30, 2018 – out of 347 Foreign Large Growth funds*
- Citywire “Winning Women – Top 20 Female Portfolio Managers in the U.S.” – August 31, 2018
- Citywire “International Stars to Watch” – August 10, 2018
- Morningstar 5-star Overall Rating – September 30, 2017 – out of 325 Foreign Large Growth funds*
- Zacks “Four #1 Non-U.S. Mutual Funds” – September 22, 2017
- Citywire “Alpha Female 2017 – The Top Female Fund Managers in 7 Major Markets” – August 8, 2017
- Zacks “3 Strong Buy Non-U.S. Mutual Funds” – June 7, 2017
*Overall Morningstar Rating derived from a weighted average of the fund’s 3-, 5-, and 10-year risk adjusted return.
Literature
Buffalo International Fund Documents | Last Updated |
---|---|
Fact Sheet | 6/30/23 |
Quarterly Q&A | 6/30/23 |
Full Fund Holdings | 3/31/23 |
Prospectus | 7/28/23 |
Statement of Additional Information | 7/28/23 |
Annual Report | 3/31/23 |
Semi-Annual Report | 9/30/22 |
Tax Guide - 2022 | 1/8/23 |
Fundamental Approach
We get to know the companies we invest in and learn how they run their business.
Top-Down & Bottom-Up
We identify Top-Down broad, secular growth trends and search for companies from the Bottom-Up.
Proprietary Philosophy
We construct our portfolios based on our own proprietary investment strategy.
Disciplined Investing
Sticking to our disciplined investment strategy ensures we maintain a consistent, balanced approach.
Morningstar Rating™
The Morningstar Rating™ for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The Morningstar Rating does not include any adjustment for sales loads. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating™ for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating™ metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.
©2022 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
The Buffalo International Fund (BUFIX) received 5 stars among 410 for the 3-year, 4 stars among 354 for the 5-year, and 5 stars among 245 Foreign Large Growth funds for the 10-year period ending 8/31/23. Other share classes may have different performance characteristics based on risk-adjusted returns.
Morningstar Sustainability Rating™
The Morningstar Sustainability Rating™ is intended to measure how well the issuing companies of the securities within a fund’s portfolio holdings are managing their financially material environmental, social and governance, or ESG, risks relative to the fund’s Morningstar Global Category peers. The Morningstar Sustainability Rating calculation is a five -step process. First, each fund with at least 67% of assets covered by a company-level ESG Risk Score from Sustainalytics receives a Morningstar Portfolio Sustainability Score. The Morningstar Portfolio Sustainability Score is an asset weighted average of company-level ESG Risk Scores. The Portfolio Sustainability Score ranges between 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating that a fund has, on average, more of its assets invested in companies with high ESG Risk. Second, the Historical Sustainability Score is an exponential weighted moving average of the Portfolio Sustainability Scores over the past 12 months. The process rescales the current Portfolio Sustainability Score to reflect the consistency of the scores. The Historical Sustainability Score ranges between 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating that a fund has, on average, more of its assets invested in companies with high ESG Risk, on a consistent historical basis. Third, the Morningstar Sustainability Rating is then assigned to all scored funds within Morningstar Global Categories in which at least thirty (30) funds receive a Historical Sustainability Score and is determined by each fund’s Morningstar Sustainability Rating Score rank within the following distribution: High (highest 10%), Above Average (next 22.5%), Average (next 35%), Below Average (next 22.5%), and Low (lowest 10%). Fourth, Morningstar applies a 1% rating buffer from the previous month to increase rating stability. This means a fund must move 1% beyond the rating breakpoint to change ratings. Fifth, they adjust downward positive Sustainability Ratings to funds with high ESG Risk scores. The logic is as follows: If Portfolio Sustainability score is above 40, then the fund receives a Low Sustainability Rating. If Portfolio Sustainability score is above 35 and preliminary rating is Average or better, then the fund is downgraded to Below Average. If the Portfolio Sustainability score is above 30 and preliminary rating is Above Average, then the fund is downgraded to Average. If the Portfolio Sustainability score is below 30, then no adjustment is made. The Morningstar Sustainability Rating is depicted by globe icons where High equals 5 globes and Low equals 1 globe. Since a Sustainability Rating is assigned to all funds that meet the above criteria, the rating it is not limited to funds with explicit sustainable or responsible investment mandates. Morningstar updates its Sustainability Ratings monthly. The Portfolio Sustainability Score is calculated when Morningstar receives a new portfolio. Then, the Historical Sustainability Score and the Sustainability Rating is calculated one month and six business days after the reported as-of date of the most recent portfolio. As part of the evaluation process, Morningstar uses Sustainalytics’ ESG scores from the same month as the portfolio as-of date. Please click on http://corporate1.morningstar.com/SustainableInvesting/ for more detailed information about the Morningstar Sustainability Rating methodology and calculation frequency. Sustainalytics is an independent ESG and corporate governance research, ratings, and analysis firm. Morningstar, Inc. holds a non-controlling ownership interest in Sustainalytics.
Morningstar Low Carbon Designation™
The Morningstar® Low Carbon Designation™ is intended to allow investors to easily identify low-carbon funds across the global universe. The designation is an indicator that the companies held in a portfolio are in general alignment with the transition to a low-carbon economy. The designation is given to portfolios that have low carbon-risk scores and low levels of exposure to fossil fuels. To determine carbon-risk scores and fossil fuel involvement, Morningstar uses Sustainalytics' company-level data. The Morningstar® Portfolio Carbon Risk Score™ measures the risk that companies in a portfolio face from the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Morningstar® Portfolio Fossil Fuel Involvement™ percentage assesses the degree to which a portfolio is exposed to thermal coal extraction and power generation as well as oil and gas production, power generation, and products & services. To receive a Morningstar Portfolio Carbon Risk Score, at least 67% of portfolio assets must have a carbon-risk rating from Sustainalytics. The percentage of assets covered is rescaled to 100% before calculating the score. To receive the designation, a portfolio must meet two criteria: 1) a 12-month trailing average Morningstar Portfolio Carbon Risk Score below 10 and 2) a 12-month trailing average exposure to fossil fuels less than 7% of assets, which is approximately a 33% underweighting to the global equity universe. Funds receive the Low Carbon designation based on the most recent quarterly calculations of their 12- month trailing average Morningstar Portfolio Carbon Risk Scores and Morningstar Portfolio Fossil Fuel Involvement. Funds holding the Low Carbon designation that no longer meet the criteria will not receive the designation for the subsequent quarter. All Morningstar Portfolio Carbon Metrics, including the Morningstar Portfolio Carbon Risk Score, Morningstar Portfolio Fossil Fuel Involvement, and the Morningstar Low Carbon Designation, are calculated quarterly. Please visit http://corporate1.morningstar.com/SustainableInvesting/ for more detail information about the Morningstar Low Carbon Designation and its calculation. Sustainalytics is an independent ESG and corporate governance research, ratings, and analysis firm. Morningstar, Inc. holds a non-controlling ownership interest in Sustainalytics.