It’s been a huge last 12 months for international equities ETF performance, as U.S. investors flock to ex-U.S. diversification. Asset managers have responded, adding to the space with new funds. Neuberger Berman is the latest to make a move, launching NBIE, the International Core Equity ETF, a potential option for investors to consider as uncertainty continues to loom over a tech-heavy U.S. stock market.
See more: Active ETFs for Market Volatility in 2026
NBIE charges a 29 basis point fee for its services. The fund invests in international equities securities with an active approach, adding to the rapidly expanding active ETF landscape. The strategy looks for equities in markets primarily identified as developed markets in the MSCI World ex USA Index.
The international equities ETF’s managers lean on fundamental and quantitative research to identify standout firms. It assesses each relative to its peers, specifically looking to valuation, income, quality, momentum, sentiment, risk, and more. It does so with metrics like dividend yield, earnings before interest, capital discipline, price momentum, and more.
What’s more, the ETF also applies a disciplined selling strategy that embraces the active ETF wrapper’s flexibility. That could be a particularly helpful attribute as global volatility spikes due to conflict and geopolitical risk.
Where passive, index-based funds often lack the adaptability for events like war and the related price changes, including massive energy cost spikes, active funds can make moves to deliver returns to investors — even in volatile markets.
What’s more, international equities ETF offerings can also chase outperformance in normal times. Taken together, the new ETF offers an important, fundamentals-focused active strategy for investors to get exposure outside the U.S. Such funds can play longer-term roles than just “break glass in case of volatility” offerings. With a specific, targeted focus on developed markets, too, NBIE could provide a fund to watch.
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