As sentiment for U.S. equities falters this year, advisors and investors increasingly look to opportunities overseas. The actively managed T. Rowe Price International Equity ETF (TOUS ) continues to draw investor interest while generating notable performance.
Ongoing tariff volatility continues to rock markets as the first half comes to a close. Threats by the current administration to cease Canadian trade talks at the end of June only underscored the unpredictable nature of U.S. economic policy. As challenges to U.S. exceptionalism rise on a number of fronts, international equities appear increasingly attractive for many investors.
TOUS has generated strong performance this year, despite declines during the April tariff-driven market crash. The fund is currently up more than 23.5% on a price returns basis as of June 30, 2025, with over $600 million in net flows YTD according to FactSet data.
As volatility continues, research-driven actively managed strategies appear well-positioned. TOUS’ portfolio is constructed using bottom-up research based on company fundamentals, while the fund managers also consider macro factors when constructing the portfolio. These include sector, industry, and individual country outlooks. Individual country allocations and weights are generally the result of the bottom-up stock selection. However, the manager may limit an individual country’s weight should its macro outlook appear less favorable.
TOUS focuses primarily on large-caps in developed markets but can invest across market caps. The fund managers evaluate a company’s fundamentals, earnings potential, and relative valuation to peers when constructing the portfolio. As such, the portfolio itself may offer value, growth or a combination of both characteristics at any given time.
The fund provides diversification at the country and sector level. Top countries included Japan (20.78%), the United Kingdom (18.65%), and France (12.59%) as of May 31, 2025. Meanwhile, top sectors included financials (23.54%), industrials (17.72%), and healthcare (11.17%) over the same period. As with country weights, the manager may limit sector/industry exposures depending on the macro environment and outlooks.
TOUS has a management fee of 0.50%, making it a competitive entry for those seeking active management when investing internationally.
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