International equity U.S. mutual funds and diversification benefits

This study examines whether U.S. international equity mutual funds provide out-of-sample diversification benefits in the presence of no short selling constraints. Ignoring the economic state, international mutual funds do not provide out-of-sample diversification benefits. However international mutual funds do provide out-of-sample diversification benefits in certain economic states. The benefits are concentrated when the lag one-month U.S. Treasury Bill return is lower than normal.