T. Rowe Price Overseas Stock Fund (TROSX) N-CSRS Certified semi-annual shareholder report (management investment company)

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
 
 

Investment Company Act File Number: 811-02958

T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

(Address of principal executive offices)

David Oestreicher

100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (410) 345-2000
 
 
Date of fiscal year end: October 31
 
 
Date of reporting period: April 30, 2022

Item 1. Reports to Shareholders

(a) Report pursuant to Rule 30e-1.

International Stock Fund April 30, 2022

PRITX	Investor Class
PAITX	Advisor Class
RRITX	R Class
PRIUX	I Class
TRNZX	Z Class

T. ROWE PRICE International Stock Fund

HIGHLIGHTS

■ The International Stock Fund declined and underperformed its benchmark, the MSCI All Country World Index ex USA Net, but outperformed its Lipper peer group average in the six months ended April 30, 2022.

■ Stock choices and our overweight allocation in the consumer discretionary sector detracted from relative performance. Stock picks in health care also hurt relative returns. Conversely, strong stock selection in industrials and business services contributed to relative performance.

■ We continue to focus on identifying quality growth companies whose valuations have come down considerably, yet whose earnings support remains intact.

■ Looking ahead, we think it is likely that economic growth moderates further, and although we believe the growth outlook has worsened, we think that most regions of the world will avoid a recession.

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Market Commentary

Dear Shareholder

Global stock markets produced negative returns during the first half of your fund’s fiscal year, the six-month period ended April 30, 2022, while rising bond yields weighed on returns for fixed income investors. Fears concerning new coronavirus variants, rising interest rates, and soaring inflation caused bouts of volatility throughout the period. These concerns were compounded by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, sending markets around the world into correction territory.

All major global and regional equity benchmarks receded during the period. Value shares extended their recent outperformance of growth stocks as equity investors turned risk averse. Although most sectors finished in the red, energy stocks registered exceptional returns as oil prices jumped in response to Russia’s invasion and the ensuing commodity supply crunch. A strong U.S. dollar weighed on returns for U.S. investors in most international markets. Across the style spectrum, developed markets held up better than emerging markets.

In November 2021, the emergence of the omicron variant of the coronavirus prompted worries about the economic outlook and the potential that a resurgence in cases could lead to further supply chain disruptions. While omicron variant trends and restrictions eased in most regions early in 2022, China continued to pursue a “zero-COVID” policy, resulting in large-scale lockdowns and industrial production disruptions.

In February 2022, markets were caught further by surprise when Russia launched a large-scale military offensive into Ukraine. The strong sanctions on Russia that followed raised concerns about supply chains that were already stressed by the coronavirus pandemic. On March 8, the White House announced that the U.S. was cutting off all oil imports from Russia. In response, oil prices surged to their highest level in a decade.

Concerns over inflation intensified over much of the period, driven in part by events in Ukraine and China. Along with supply chain problems, the release of pent-up demand for travel, recreation, and other services also pushed prices higher. In the U.S., consumer prices rose 8.5% in March versus the year before—the highest annual reading since December 1981—driven by accelerating energy and food prices.

Elevated inflation caused global monetary policy to take a hawkish turn. In the U.S., Federal Reserve officials began tapering the central bank’s monthly purchases of Treasuries and agency mortgage-backed securities in November. In March, the Fed approved its first interest rate hike in more than three years and signaled an accelerating pace of rate increases ahead. In Europe, the Bank of England raised its key interest rate three times in a row between December and March, while the European Central Bank indicated in March that it could end its asset purchase program as soon as the third quarter of 2022.

Bond indexes were broadly negative as yields rose across the Treasury yield curve amid surging inflation and expectations of aggressive monetary tightening. (Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.) Investment-grade corporate bonds experienced significant losses, while municipal bonds suffered through their worst quarter in more than 40 years at the start of 2022 and finished the period lower. Late in the period, multiple portions of the Treasury yield curve inverted briefly, raising fears of a looming recession.

The challenges global markets face are complex and could drive market volatility for some time. Investors will be closely monitoring the Fed’s actions as the central bank attempts to use interest rate hikes to tame inflation without stifling economic growth. Meanwhile, the ongoing geopolitical and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues to disrupt supply chains, increase inflationary pressures, and dampen consumer confidence.

During challenging times like these, I am heartened by our firm’s long-term focus and time-tested investment approach. I also recognize that market volatility and sector rotation historically have presented very good opportunities for active investors. I remain confident in the ability of our global research organization to uncover compelling investment ideas that can help deliver superior long-term risk-adjusted performance as market conditions normalize.

Thank you for your continued confidence in T. Rowe Price.

Sincerely,

Robert Sharps
CEO and President

Management’s Discussion of Fund Performance

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The fund seeks long-term growth of capital through investments primarily in the common stocks of established, non-U.S. companies.

FUND COMMENTARY

How did the fund perform in the past six months?

The International Stock Fund returned -15.40% in the six months ended April 30, 2022. The fund underperformed the MSCI All Country World Index ex USA Net benchmark but outperformed the Lipper International Multi-Cap Growth Funds Average. (Returns for the Advisor, R, I, and Z Class shares varied, reflecting their different fee structures. Past performance cannot guarantee future results.)

What factors influenced the fund’s performance?

Stock choices and our overweight allocation in the consumer discretionary sector detracted from relative performance, as the sector was pressured by rising inflation and energy costs, decelerating corporate earnings amid tough year-over-year comparisons, and fears about slowing consumer spending. Shares of several holdings with exposure to China, including Netherlands-based emerging markets consumer tech conglomerate Prosus and leading Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba Group Holding, pulled back sharply on ongoing pandemic lockdowns, increased regulatory scrutiny, and renewed concerns about Chinese ADR delistings in the U.S. We think the sharpness of the pullback was not warranted, and our long-term view of the companies remains positive. (Please refer to the portfolio of investments for a complete list of holdings and the amount each represents in the portfolio.)

Stock selection in health care detracted, but the negative impact was partially offset by a positive contribution from our significant overweight allocation. The health care sector broadly sold off but held up better than the overall market. Dutch global health care and consumer company Koninklijke Philips pulled back after announcing the voluntary recall of millions of Dream Machine CPAP devices used to treat sleep apnea, along with soft business results due to ongoing supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures. We think the market reaction to the recall was overdone and believe the near-term issues are overshadowing the potential of Philips’ focused consumer health care business and its durable organic growth. Evotec is Europe’s largest contract research organization (CRO) that serves as a one-stop shop for outsourcing all preclinical activities for the pharmaceuticals industry. The stock pulled back after fiscal year results showed strong sales growth but disappointing earnings, and the company reported a failed trial in one of its therapies. We think Evotec is well positioned to benefit from secular tailwinds and deeper customer penetration in the CRO business, which should drive innovation and pipeline successes in the Evotec Innovate biotech division.

Conversely, good stock selection in the industrials and business services sector contributed to relative performance. Our France-based aerospace and defense names, Thales and Dassault Aviation, led the way, buoyed by strong results and expectations that defense spending in Europe and North America would increase due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thales designs and builds electrical systems and provides services to the aerospace, defense, and security and transport markets, while Dassault Aviation produces military fighter aircraft and high-end business jets. Shares rallied strongly after the firms reported very encouraging earnings in March. We continue to believe that the growth outlook remains solid, with strength and momentum in the defense segment and aerospace showing signs of inflection.

How is the fund positioned?

The International Stock Fund’s sector positioning is predominantly the result of bottom-up stock selection, though we may occasionally have a qualitative macroeconomic view that modestly influences sector and industry weightings. Our stock selection process has proven to be extremely durable and style consistent.

Our regional allocations were mostly unchanged over the past six months. Developed Europe remained our largest absolute and overweight regional exposure with 44% of portfolio assets at the end of April 2022. Holdings in the Pacific ex Japan region represented 25% of assets, and Japan composed 14%. Although we were underweight the region, we maintained significant exposure to emerging markets because we are finding solid growth companies trading at reasonable valuations. Countries represented included China, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, and Brazil, among others. Additionally, we have emerging markets exposure through developed market-domiciled holdings that generate a portion of their revenues and income from operations in developing markets.

Our portfolio positioning is relatively defensive, so our task has been to decide how much and where to add cyclicality. One area of interest is quality growth companies whose valuations have come down considerably, yet whose earnings support remains intact.

Financials represented our largest absolute sector allocation at the end of the reporting period. Periods of weakness in the sector offered an opportunity to buy an attractive cyclical stock with a durable growth algorithm. Partners Group Holding, a Switzerland-based global specialty asset manager and equity investment shop focused on private markets, was one of the largest purchases of the period. We think Partners Group is well positioned to benefit from the long-term institutional shift toward increasing allocations to alternative asset managers—especially private markets, where return potential can be quite attractive. As more institutions seek to gain exposure to this area, we think Partners Group should be able to capture a large portion of that business given its sound management and good track record.

Within industrials and business services, the relative outperformance of our holdings, combined with buying activity, put the portfolio into an overweight position. The largest purchase of the period was Spain-based Fluidra, a global leader in the attractive, fast-growing market for pool equipment. After delivering robust business results in 2021 despite supply chain challenges and price hikes, we believe that Fluidra is well positioned to take advantage of its recent acquisitions and solid installed customer base to continue its strong growth trends and business momentum, given that a high percentage of its revenues are related to aftermarket sales of ongoing servicing equipment. We trimmed French aerospace name Thales to take profits and manage position size after a sharp runup sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the release of a positive earnings report. Thales remains a top-25 position within the portfolio, as shown in the table on page 9.

What is portfolio management’s outlook?

After several years of high growth dominating the international growth universe, the last few months brought a stark reversal. The combination of rising inflation, moderating economic growth, supply chain issues, and war have shaken investors’ earnings and growth expectations. This created opportunities for valuation-sensitive investors like us to buy quality growth companies at more reasonable prices. Looking ahead, we think it is likely that economic growth will moderate further, and although we believe the growth outlook has worsened, we think that most regions of the world can avoid a recession. Europe remains at the highest risk for a recession, however, given its susceptibility to high energy and food prices.

Russia’s willingness to diverge from the limited confrontational policies of its recent past by invading Ukraine was surprising. In addition to the terrible human cost of the war, we think it could prove negative for European economic growth over the near to medium term given the meaningful economic links between the European Union and Russia. European companies, like consumers, are dependent on Russian natural gas to run their factories and offices, and there are no immediate solutions to the political push to cut European gas imports. Therefore, it is likely that the recent inflationary impulses may persist in Europe for some time. On a more positive note, we remain optimistic that, as the year progresses, China can contain the latest COVID-19 outbreaks and move past its zero-COVID policies that have shut down some of its largest cities, which could lead to a positive inflection in Chinese growth in the second half of 2022. Additionally, a depreciating Japanese yen, fewer economic links to Russia, and a reopening domestic economy could be a tailwind for Japanese corporates.

In this unpredictable, complex environment, stock picking is even more important, as simple top-down calls carry a higher risk of failure than usual. In our view, idiosyncratic stock ideas are preferable, as they can reduce systematic risk within the portfolio. As always, we are building this portfolio from the bottom up, picking the stocks we think offer the most compelling upside potential. While we take the macroenvironment into account, our philosophy and process remain squarely centered on fundamental stock selection.

The views expressed reflect the opinions of T. Rowe Price as of the date of this report and are subject to change based on changes in market, economic, or other conditions. These views are not intended to be a forecast of future events and are no guarantee of future results.

RISKS OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTING

Funds that invest overseas generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. assets. Risks can result from varying stages of economic and political development; differing regulatory environments, trading days, and accounting standards; and higher transaction costs of non-U.S. markets. Non-U.S. investments are also subject to currency risk, or a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that currency. These risks are generally greater for investments in emerging markets.

BENCHMARK INFORMATION

Note: Portions of the mutual fund information contained in this report were supplied by Lipper, a Refinitiv Company, subject to the following: Copyright 2022 © Refinitiv. All rights reserved. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Lipper content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Lipper. Lipper shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Note: MSCI and its affiliates and third party sources and providers (collectively, “MSCI”) makes no express or implied warranties or representations and shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to any MSCI data contained herein. The MSCI data may not be further redistributed or used as a basis for other indices or any securities or financial products. This report is not approved, reviewed, or produced by MSCI. Historical MSCI data and analysis should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of any future performance analysis, forecast or prediction. None of the MSCI data is intended to constitute investment advice or a recommendation to make (or refrain from making) any kind of investment decision and may not be relied on as such.

GROWTH OF $10,000

This chart shows the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in the fund over the past 10 fiscal year periods or since inception (for funds lacking 10-year records). The result is compared with benchmarks, which include a broad-based market index and may also include a peer group average or index. Market indexes do not include expenses, which are deducted from fund returns as well as mutual fund averages and indexes.

AVERAGE ANNUAL COMPOUND TOTAL RETURN

EXPENSE RATIO

FUND EXPENSE EXAMPLE

As a mutual fund shareholder, you may incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, and other fund expenses. The following example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds. The example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the most recent six-month period and held for the entire period.

Please note that the fund has five share classes: The original share class (Investor Class) charges no distribution and service (12b-1) fee, Advisor Class shares are offered only through unaffiliated brokers and other financial intermediaries and charge a 0.25% 12b-1 fee, R Class shares are available to retirement plans serviced by intermediaries and charge a 0.50% 12b-1 fee, I Class shares are available to institutionally oriented clients and impose no 12b-1 or administrative fee payment, and Z Class shares are offered only to funds advised by T. Rowe Price and other advisory clients of T. Rowe Price or its affiliates that are subject to a contractual fee for investment management services and impose no 12b-1 fee or administrative fee payment. Each share class is presented separately in the table.

Actual Expenses

The first line of the following table (Actual) provides information about actual account values and expenses based on the fund’s actual returns. You may use the information on this line, together with your account balance, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number on the first line under the heading “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes

The information on the second line of the table (Hypothetical) is based on hypothetical account values and expenses derived from the fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed 5% per year rate of return before expenses (not the fund’s actual return). You may compare the ongoing costs of investing in the fund with other funds by contrasting this 5% hypothetical example and the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds. The hypothetical account values and expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period.

Note: T. Rowe Price charges an annual account service fee of $20, generally for accounts with less than $10,000. The fee is waived for any investor whose T. Rowe Price mutual fund accounts total $50,000 or more; accounts electing to receive electronic delivery of account statements, transaction confirmations, prospectuses, and shareholder reports; or accounts of an investor who is a T. Rowe Price Personal Services or Enhanced Personal Services client (enrollment in these programs generally requires T. Rowe Price assets of at least $250,000). This fee is not included in the accompanying table. If you are subject to the fee, keep it in mind when you are estimating the ongoing expenses of investing in the fund and when comparing the expenses of this fund with other funds.

You should also be aware that the expenses shown in the table highlight only your ongoing costs and do not reflect any transaction costs, such as redemption fees or sales loads. Therefore, the second line of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. To the extent a fund charges transaction costs, however, the total cost of owning that fund is higher.

QUARTER-END RETURNS

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

April 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

April 30, 2022 (Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Unaudited

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Unaudited

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc. (the corporation) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). The International Stock Fund (the fund) is a diversified, open-end management investment company established by the corporation. The fund seeks long-term growth of capital through investments primarily in the common stocks of established, non-U.S. companies. The fund has five classes of shares: the International Stock Fund (Investor Class), the International Stock Fund–Advisor Class (Advisor Class), the International Stock Fund–R Class (R Class), the International Stock Fund–I Class (I Class) and the International Stock Fund–Z Class (Z Class). Advisor Class shares are sold only through various brokers and other financial intermediaries, and R Class shares are available through financial intermediaries for employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement plans and certain other retirement accounts. I Class shares require a $500,000 initial investment minimum, although the minimum generally is waived or reduced for financial intermediaries, eligible retirement plans, and certain other accounts. Prior to November 15, 2021, the initial investment minimum was $1 million and was generally waived for financial intermediaries, eligible retirement plans, and other certain accounts. As a result of the reduction in the I Class minimum, certain assets transferred from the Investor Class to the I Class. This transfer of shares from Investor Class to I Class is reflected in the Statement of Changes in Net Assets within the Capital shares transactions as Shares redeemed and Shares sold, respectively. The Z Class is only available to funds advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and its affiliates and other clients that are subject to a contractual fee for investment management services. The Advisor Class and R Class each operate under separate Board-approved Rule 12b-1 plans, pursuant to which each class compensates financial intermediaries for distribution, shareholder servicing, and/or certain administrative services; the Investor, I and Z Classes do not pay Rule 12b-1 fees. Each class has exclusive voting rights on matters related solely to that class; separate voting rights on matters that relate to all classes; and, in all other respects, the same rights and obligations as the other classes.

NOTE 1 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Preparation The fund is an investment company and follows accounting and reporting guidance in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 (ASC 946). The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), including, but not limited to, ASC 946. GAAP requires the use of estimates made by management. Management believes that estimates and valuations are appropriate; however, actual results may differ from those estimates, and the valuations reflected in the accompanying financial statements may differ from the value ultimately realized upon sale or maturity.

Investment Transactions, Investment Income, and Distributions Investment transactions are accounted for on the trade date basis. Income and expenses are recorded on the accrual basis. Realized gains and losses are reported on the identified cost basis. Income tax-related interest and penalties, if incurred, are recorded as income tax expense. Dividends received from mutual fund investments are reflected as dividend income; capital gain distributions are reflected as realized gain/loss. Dividend income and capital gain distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair market value of the asset received. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income distributions, if any, are declared and paid by each class annually. A capital gain distribution may also be declared and paid by the fund annually.

Currency Translation Assets, including investments, and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollar values each day at the prevailing exchange rate, using the mean of the bid and asked prices of such currencies against U.S. dollars as provided by an outside pricing service. Purchases and sales of securities, income, and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the respective date of such transaction. The effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on realized and unrealized security gains and losses is not bifurcated from the portion attributable to changes in market prices.

Class Accounting Shareholder servicing, prospectus, and shareholder report expenses incurred by each class are charged directly to the class to which they relate. Expenses common to all classes, investment income, and realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated to the classes based upon the relative daily net assets of each class. The Advisor Class and R Class each pay Rule 12b-1 fees, in an amount not exceeding 0.25% and 0.50%, respectively, of the class’s average daily net assets.

In-Kind Redemptions In accordance with guidelines described in the fund’s prospectus, and when considered to be in the best interest of all shareholders, the fund may distribute portfolio securities rather than cash as payment for a redemption of fund shares (in-kind redemption). Gains and losses realized on in-kind redemptions are not recognized for tax purposes and are reclassified from undistributed realized gain (loss) to paid-in capital. During the six months ended April 30, 2022, the fund realized $59,507,000 of net gain on $174,915,000 of in-kind redemptions.

Capital Transactions Each investor’s interest in the net assets of the fund is represented by fund shares. The fund’s net asset value (NAV) per share is computed at the close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), normally 4 p.m. ET, each day the NYSE is open for business. However, the NAV per share may be calculated at a time other than the normal close of the NYSE if trading on the NYSE is restricted, if the NYSE closes earlier, or as may be permitted by the SEC. Purchases and redemptions of fund shares are transacted at the next-computed NAV per share, after receipt of the transaction order by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., or its agents.

Indemnification In the normal course of business, the fund may provide indemnification in connection with its officers and directors, service providers, and/or private company investments. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown; however, the risk of material loss is currently considered to be remote.

NOTE 2 - VALUATION

Fair Value The fund’s financial instruments are valued at the close of the NYSE and are reported at fair value, which GAAP defines as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The T. Rowe Price Valuation Committee (the Valuation Committee) is an internal committee that has been delegated certain responsibilities by the fund’s Board of Directors (the Board) to ensure that financial instruments are appropriately priced at fair value in accordance with GAAP and the 1940 Act. Subject to oversight by the Board, the Valuation Committee develops and oversees pricing-related policies and procedures and approves all fair value determinations. Specifically, the Valuation Committee establishes policies and procedures used in valuing financial instruments, including those which cannot be valued in accordance with normal procedures or using pricing vendors; determines pricing techniques, sources, and persons eligible to effect fair value pricing actions; evaluates the services and performance of the pricing vendors; oversees the pricing process to ensure policies and procedures are being followed; and provides guidance on internal controls and valuation-related matters. The Valuation Committee provides periodic reporting to the Board on valuation matters.

Various valuation techniques and inputs are used to determine the fair value of financial instruments. GAAP establishes the following fair value hierarchy that categorizes the inputs used to measure fair value:

Level 1 – quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical financial instruments that the fund can access at the reporting date

Level 2 – inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices that are observable, either directly or indirectly (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar financial instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar financial instruments in inactive markets, interest rates and yield curves, implied volatilities, and credit spreads)

Level 3 – unobservable inputs (including the fund’s own assumptions in determining fair value)

Observable inputs are developed using market data, such as publicly available information about actual events or transactions, and reflect the assumptions that market participants would use to price the financial instrument. Unobservable inputs are those for which market data are not available and are developed using the best information available about the assumptions that market participants would use to price the financial instrument. GAAP requires valuation techniques to maximize the use of relevant observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. When multiple inputs are used to derive fair value, the financial instrument is assigned to the level within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest-level input that is significant to the fair value of the financial instrument. Input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level but rather the degree of judgment used in determining those values.

Valuation Techniques Equity securities, including exchange-traded funds, listed or regularly traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) market are valued at the last quoted sale price or, for certain markets, the official closing price at the time the valuations are made. OTC Bulletin Board securities are valued at the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. A security that is listed or traded on more than one exchange is valued at the quotation on the exchange determined to be the primary market for such security. Listed securities not traded on a particular day are valued at the mean of the closing bid and asked prices for domestic securities and the last quoted sale or closing price for international securities.

The last quoted prices of non-U.S. equity securities may be adjusted to reflect the fair value of such securities at the close of the NYSE, if the fund determines that developments between the close of a foreign market and the close of the NYSE will affect the value of some or all of its portfolio securities. Each business day, the fund uses information from outside pricing services to evaluate and, if appropriate, decide whether it is necessary to adjust quoted prices to reflect fair value by reviewing a variety of factors, including developments in foreign markets, the performance of U.S. securities markets, and the performance of instruments trading in U.S. markets that represent foreign securities and baskets of foreign securities. The fund uses outside pricing services to provide it with quoted prices and information to evaluate or adjust those prices. The fund cannot predict how often it will use quoted prices and how often it will determine it necessary to adjust those prices to reflect fair value.

Investments in mutual funds are valued at the mutual fund’s closing NAV per share on the day of valuation. Listed options, and OTC options with a listed equivalent, are valued at the mean of the closing bid and asked prices and exchange-traded options on futures contracts are valued at closing settlement prices. Assets and liabilities other than financial instruments, including short-term receivables and payables, are carried at cost, or estimated realizable value, if less, which approximates fair value.

Investments for which market quotations or market-based valuations are not readily available or deemed unreliable are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Committee, in accordance with fair valuation policies and procedures. The objective of any fair value pricing determination is to arrive at a price that could reasonably be expected from a current sale. Financial instruments fair valued by the Valuation Committee are primarily private placements, restricted securities, warrants, rights, and other securities that are not publicly traded. Factors used in determining fair value vary by type of investment and may include market or investment specific considerations. The Valuation Committee typically will afford greatest weight to actual prices in arm’s length transactions, to the extent they represent orderly transactions between market participants, transaction information can be reliably obtained, and prices are deemed representative of fair value. However, the Valuation Committee may also consider other valuation methods such as market-based valuation multiples; a discount or premium from market value of a similar, freely traded security of the same issuer; discounted cash flows; yield to maturity; or some combination. Fair value determinations are reviewed on a regular basis and updated as information becomes available, including actual purchase and sale transactions of the investment. Because any fair value determination involves a significant amount of judgment, there is a degree of subjectivity inherent in such pricing decisions, and fair value prices determined by the Valuation Committee could differ from those of other market participants.

Valuation Inputs The following table summarizes the fund’s financial instruments, based on the inputs used to determine their fair values on April 30, 2022 (for further detail by category, please refer to the accompanying Portfolio of Investments):

NOTE 3 - DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

During the six months ended April 30, 2022, the fund invested in derivative instruments. As defined by GAAP, a derivative is a financial instrument whose value is derived from an underlying security price, foreign exchange rate, interest rate, index of prices or rates, or other variable; it requires little or no initial investment and permits or requires net settlement. The fund invests in derivatives only if the expected risks and rewards are consistent with its investment objectives, policies, and overall risk profile, as described in its prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. The fund may use derivatives for a variety of purposes and may use them to establish both long and short positions within the fund’s portfolio. Potential uses include to hedge against declines in principal value, increase yield, invest in an asset with greater efficiency and at a lower cost than is possible through direct investment, to enhance return, or to adjust credit exposure. The risks associated with the use of derivatives are different from, and potentially much greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the instruments on which the derivatives are based. The fund at all times maintains sufficient cash reserves, liquid assets, or other SEC-permitted asset types to cover its settlement obligations under open derivative contracts.

The fund values its derivatives at fair value and recognizes changes in fair value currently in its results of operations. Accordingly, the fund does not follow hedge accounting, even for derivatives employed as economic hedges. Generally, the fund accounts for its derivatives on a gross basis. It does not offset the fair value of derivative liabilities against the fair value of derivative assets on its financial statements, nor does it offset the fair value of derivative instruments against the right to reclaim or obligation to return collateral. The following table summarizes the fair value of the fund’s derivative instruments held as of April 30, 2022, and the related location on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities, presented by primary underlying risk exposure:

Additionally, the amount of gains and losses on derivative instruments recognized in fund earnings during the six months ended April 30, 2022, and the related location on the accompanying Statement of Operations is summarized in the following table by primary underlying risk exposure:

Counterparty Risk and Collateral The fund invests in derivatives, such as bilateral swaps, forward currency exchange contracts, and/or OTC options, that are transacted and settle directly with a counterparty (bilateral derivatives), and thereby may expose the fund to counterparty risk. To mitigate this risk, the fund has entered into master netting arrangements (MNAs) with certain counterparties that permit net settlement under specified conditions and, for certain counterparties, also require the exchange of collateral to cover mark-to-market exposure. MNAs may be in the form of International Swaps and Derivatives Association master agreements (ISDAs) or foreign exchange letter agreements (FX letters).

MNAs govern the ability to offset amounts the fund owes a counterparty against amounts the counterparty owes the fund (net settlement). Both ISDAs and FX letters generally allow termination of transactions and net settlement upon the occurrence of contractually specified events, such as failure to pay or bankruptcy. In addition, ISDAs specify other events, the occurrence of which would allow one of the parties to terminate. For example, a downgrade in credit rating of a counterparty below a specified rating would allow the fund to terminate, while a decline in the fund’s net assets of more than a specified percentage would allow the counterparty to terminate. Upon termination, all transactions with that counterparty would be liquidated and a net termination amount determined. ISDAs typically include collateral agreements whereas FX letters do not. Collateral requirements are determined daily based on the net aggregate unrealized gain or loss on all bilateral derivatives with each counterparty, subject to minimum transfer amounts that typically range from $100,000 to $250,000. Any additional collateral required due to changes in security values is typically transferred the next business day.

Collateral may be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. government or related agencies, although other securities may be used depending on the terms outlined in the applicable MNA. Cash posted by the fund is reflected as cash deposits in the accompanying financial statements and generally is restricted from withdrawal by the fund; securities posted by the fund are so noted in the accompanying Portfolio of Investments; both remain in the fund’s assets. Collateral pledged by counterparties is not included in the fund’s assets because the fund does not obtain effective control over those assets. For bilateral derivatives, collateral posted or received by the fund is held in a segregated account at the fund’s custodian. While typically not sold in the same manner as equity or fixed income securities, OTC and bilateral derivatives may be unwound with counterparties or transactions assigned to other counterparties to allow the fund to exit the transaction. This ability is subject to the liquidity of underlying positions. As of April 30, 2022, no collateral was pledged by either the fund or counterparties for bilateral derivatives.

Options The fund is subject to equity price risk in the normal course of pursuing its investment objectives and uses options to help manage such risk. The fund may use options to manage exposure to security prices, interest rates, foreign currencies, and credit quality; as an efficient means of adjusting exposure to all or a part of a target market; to enhance income; as a cash management tool; or to adjust credit exposure. Options are included in net assets at fair value, options purchased are included in Investments in Securities, and Options written are separately reflected as a liability on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Premiums on unexercised, expired options are recorded as realized gains or losses; premiums on exercised options are recorded as an adjustment to the proceeds from the sale or cost of the purchase. The difference between the premium and the amount received or paid in a closing transaction is also treated as realized gain or loss. In return for a premium paid, call and put options give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to purchase or sell, respectively, a security at a specified exercise price. Risks related to the use of options include possible illiquidity of the options markets; trading restrictions imposed by an exchange or counterparty; possible failure of counterparties to meet the terms of the agreements; movements in the underlying asset values and, for options written, the potential for losses to exceed any premium received by the fund. During the six months ended April 30, 2022, the volume of the fund’s activity in options, based on underlying notional amounts, was generally between 0% and 1% of net assets.

NOTE 4 - OTHER INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS

Consistent with its investment objective, the fund engages in the following practices to manage exposure to certain risks and/or to enhance performance. The investment objective, policies, program, and risk factors of the fund are described more fully in the fund’s prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.

Emerging and Frontier Markets The fund invests, either directly or through investments in other T. Rowe Price funds, in securities of companies located in, issued by governments of, or denominated in or linked to the currencies of emerging and frontier market countries. Emerging markets, and to a greater extent frontier markets, generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than developed countries. These markets may be subject to greater political, economic, and social uncertainty and differing regulatory environments that may potentially impact the fund’s ability to buy or sell certain securities or repatriate proceeds to U.S. dollars. Such securities are often subject to greater price volatility, less liquidity, and higher rates of inflation than U.S. securities. Investing in frontier markets is significantly riskier than investing in other countries, including emerging markets.

Private Investments Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies
Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) are shell companies that have no operations but are formed to raise capital with the intention of merging with or acquiring a company with the proceeds of the SPAC’s initial public offering (IPO). The fund may enter into a contingent commitment with a SPAC to purchase private investments in public equity (PIPE) if and when the SPAC completes its merger or acquisition. The fund maintains liquid assets sufficient to settle its commitment to purchase the PIPE. However, if the commitment expires, then no shares are purchased. Purchased PIPE shares will be restricted from trading until the registration statement for the shares is declared effective. Upon registration, the shares can be freely sold; however, in certain circumstances, the issuer may have the right to temporarily suspend trading of the shares in the first year after the merger or acquisition. The securities issued by a SPAC may be considered illiquid, more difficult to value, and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.

Restricted Securities The fund invests in securities that are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Prompt sale of such securities at an acceptable price may be difficult and may involve substantial delays and additional costs.

Securities Lending The fund may lend its securities to approved borrowers to earn additional income. Its securities lending activities are administered by a lending agent in accordance with a securities lending agreement. Security loans generally do not have stated maturity dates, and the fund may recall a security at any time. The fund receives collateral in the form of cash or U.S. government securities. Collateral is maintained over the life of the loan in an amount not less than the value of loaned securities; any additional collateral required due to changes in security values is delivered to the fund the next business day. Cash collateral is invested in accordance with investment guidelines approved by fund management. Additionally, the lending agent indemnifies the fund against losses resulting from borrower default. Although risk is mitigated by the collateral and indemnification, the fund could experience a delay in recovering its securities and a possible loss of income or value if the borrower fails to return the securities, collateral investments decline in value, and the lending agent fails to perform. Securities lending revenue consists of earnings on invested collateral and borrowing fees, net of any rebates to the borrower, compensation to the lending agent, and other administrative costs. In accordance with GAAP, investments made with cash collateral are reflected in the accompanying financial statements, but collateral received in the form of securities is not. At April 30, 2022, the value of loaned securities was $262,820,000; the value of cash collateral and related investments was $276,779,000.

Other Purchases and sales of portfolio securities other than short-term securities aggregated $2,373,825,000 and $2,422,488,000, respectively, for the six months ended April 30, 2022.

NOTE 5 - FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

No provision for federal income taxes is required since the fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code and distribute to shareholders all of its taxable income and gains. Distributions determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations may differ in amount or character from net investment income and realized gains for financial reporting purposes. Financial reporting records are adjusted for permanent book/tax differences to reflect tax character but are not adjusted for temporary differences. The amount and character of tax-basis distributions and composition of net assets are finalized at fiscal year-end; accordingly, tax-basis balances have not been determined as of the date of this report.

At April 30, 2022, the cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was $11,438,903,000. Net unrealized gain aggregated $1,851,995,000 at period-end, of which $3,084,901,000 related to appreciated investments and $1,232,906,000 related to depreciated investments.

NOTE 6 - FOREIGN TAXES

The fund is subject to foreign income taxes imposed by certain countries in which it invests. Additionally, capital gains realized upon disposition of securities issued in or by certain foreign countries are subject to capital gains tax imposed by those countries. All taxes are computed in accordance with the applicable foreign tax law, and, to the extent permitted, capital losses are used to offset capital gains. Taxes attributable to income are accrued by the fund as a reduction of income. Current and deferred tax expense attributable to capital gains is reflected as a component of realized or change in unrealized gain/loss on securities in the accompanying financial statements. To the extent that the fund has country specific capital loss carryforwards, such carryforwards are applied against net unrealized gains when determining the deferred tax liability. Any deferred tax liability incurred by the fund is included in either Other liabilities or Deferred tax liability on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

NOTE 7 - RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The fund is managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (Price Associates), a wholly owned subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (Price Group). Price Associates has entered into a sub-advisory agreement(s) with one or more of its wholly owned subsidiaries, to provide investment advisory services to the fund. The investment management agreement between the fund and Price Associates provides for an annual investment management fee, which is computed daily and paid monthly. The fee consists of an individual fund fee, equal to 0.35% of the fund’s average daily net assets, and a group fee. The group fee rate is calculated based on the combined net assets of certain mutual funds sponsored by Price Associates (the group) applied to a graduated fee schedule, with rates ranging from 0.48% for the first $1 billion of assets to 0.260% for assets in excess of $845 billion. The fund’s group fee is determined by applying the group fee rate to the fund’s average daily net assets. The fee is computed daily and paid monthly. At April 30, 2022, the effective annual group fee rate was 0.28%. Effective September 1, 2020, Price Associates agreed to permanently waive a portion of the fund’s annual investment management fee in order to limit the fund’s management fees to 0.70% of the fund’s average daily net assets. This agreement can only be modified or terminated with approval by the fund’s shareholders. The fund has no obligation to repay fees waived under this arrangement. No management fees were waived under this arrangement for the six months ended April 30, 2022.

The R Class is subject to a contractual expense limitation through the expense limitation date indicated in the table below. During the limitation period, Price Associates is required to waive its management fee or pay any expenses (excluding interest; expenses related to borrowings, taxes, and brokerage; and other non-recurring expenses permitted by the investment management agreement) that would otherwise cause the class’s ratio of annualized total expenses to average net assets (net expense ratio) to exceed its expense limitation. The class is required to repay Price Associates for expenses previously waived/paid to the extent the class’s net assets grow or expenses decline sufficiently to allow repayment without causing the class’s net expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of: (1) the expense limitation in place at the time such amounts were waived; or (2) the class’s current expense limitation. However, no repayment will be made more than three years after the date of a payment or waiver.

The I Class is also subject to an operating expense limitation (I Class Limit) pursuant to which Price Associates is contractually required to pay all operating expenses of the I Class, excluding management fees; interest; expenses related to borrowings, taxes, and brokerage; and other non-recurring expenses permitted by the investment management agreement, to the extent such operating expenses, on an annualized basis, exceed the I Class Limit. This agreement will continue through the expense limitation date indicated in the table below, and may be renewed, revised, or revoked only with approval of the fund’s Board. The I Class is required to repay Price Associates for expenses previously paid to the extent the class’s net assets grow or expenses decline sufficiently to allow repayment without causing the class’s operating expenses (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of: (1) the I Class Limit in place at the time such amounts were paid; or (2) the current I Class Limit. However, no repayment will be made more than three years after the date of a payment or waiver.

Effective September 1, 2020, the I Class was also subject to a contractual expense limitation through February 28, 2022. During the limitation period, Price Associates was required to waive its management fee or pay any expenses (excluding interest; expenses related to borrowings, taxes, and brokerage; and other non-recurring expenses permitted by the investment management agreement) that would otherwise cause the class’s ratio of annualized total expenses to average net assets (net expense ratio) to exceed 0.75%. The I Class is required to repay Price Associates for expenses previously waived/paid to the extent the class’s net assets grow or expenses decline sufficiently to allow repayment without causing the class’s net expense ratio (after the repayment is taken into account) to exceed the lesser of: (1) the expense limitation in place at the time such amounts were waived; or (2) the class’s current expense limitation. However, no repayment will be made more than three years after the date of a payment or waiver. No management fees were waived or any expenses paid under this particular arrangement during the six months ended April 30, 2022.

The Z Class is also subject to a contractual expense limitation agreement whereby Price Associates has agreed to waive and/or bear all of the Z Class’ expenses (excluding interest; expenses related to borrowings, taxes, and brokerage; and nonrecurring expenses) in their entirety. This fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement is expected to remain in place indefinitely, and the agreement may only be amended or terminated with approval by the fund’s Board. Expenses of the fund waived/paid by the manager are not subject to later repayment by the fund.

Pursuant to these agreements, expenses were waived/paid by and/or repaid to Price Associates during the six months ended April 30, 2022 as indicated in the table below and remain subject to repayment by the fund. Including these amounts, expenses previously waived/paid by Price Associates in the amount of $6,000 remain subject to repayment by the fund at April 30, 2022. Any repayment of expenses previously waived/paid by Price Associates during the period would be included in the net investment income and expense ratios presented on the accompanying Financial Highlights.

In addition, the fund has entered into service agreements with Price Associates and two wholly owned subsidiaries of Price Associates, each an affiliate of the fund (collectively, Price). Price Associates provides certain accounting and administrative services to the fund. T. Rowe Price Services, Inc. provides shareholder and administrative services in its capacity as the fund’s transfer and dividend-disbursing agent. T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. provides subaccounting and recordkeeping services for certain retirement accounts invested in the Investor Class, R Class and Advisor Class. For the six months ended April 30, 2022, expenses incurred pursuant to these service agreements were $53,000 for Price Associates; $1,106,000 for T. Rowe Price Services, Inc.; and $144,000 for T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. All amounts due to and due from Price, exclusive of investment management fees payable, are presented net on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

Additionally, the fund is one of several mutual funds in which certain college savings plans managed by Price Associates may invest. As approved by the fund’s Board of Directors, shareholder servicing costs associated with each college savings plan are borne by the fund in proportion to the average daily value of its shares owned by the college savings plan. Price has agreed to waive/reimburse shareholder servicing costs in excess of 0.05% of the fund’s average daily value of its shares owned by the college savings plan. Any amounts waived/paid by Price under this voluntary agreement are not subject to repayment by the fund. Price may amend or terminate this voluntary arrangement at any time without prior notice. For the six months ended April 30, 2022, the fund was charged $103,000 for shareholder servicing costs related to the college savings plans, of which $64,000 was for services provided by Price. All amounts due to and due from Price, exclusive of investment management fees payable, are presented net on the accompanying Statement of Assets and Liabilities. At April 30, 2022, approximately 16% of the outstanding shares of the I Class were held by college savings plans.

Mutual funds, trusts, and other accounts managed by Price Associates or its affiliates (collectively, Price Funds and accounts) may invest in the fund. No Price fund or account may invest for the purpose of exercising management or control over the fund. At April 30, 2022, approximately 100% of the Z Class’s outstanding shares were held by Price Funds and accounts.

The fund may invest its cash reserves in certain open-end management investment companies managed by Price Associates and considered affiliates of the fund: the T. Rowe Price Government Reserve Fund or the T. Rowe Price Treasury Reserve Fund, organized as money market funds, or the T. Rowe Price Short-Term Fund, a short-term bond fund (collectively, the Price Reserve Funds). The Price Reserve Funds are offered as short-term investment options to mutual funds, trusts, and other accounts managed by Price Associates or its affiliates and are not available for direct purchase by members of the public. Cash collateral from securities lending, if any, is invested in the T. Rowe Price Government Reserve Fund; prior to December 13, 2021, the cash collateral from securities lending was invested in the T. Rowe Price Short-Term Fund. The Price Reserve Funds pay no investment management fees.

The fund may participate in securities purchase and sale transactions with other funds or accounts advised by Price Associates (cross trades), in accordance with procedures adopted by the fund’s Board and Securities and Exchange Commission rules, which require, among other things, that such purchase and sale cross trades be effected at the independent current market price of the security. During the six months ended April 30, 2022, the fund had no purchases or sales cross trades with other funds or accounts advised by Price Associates.

Price Associates has voluntarily agreed to reimburse the fund from its own resources on a monthly basis for the cost of investment research embedded in the cost of the fund’s securities trades. This agreement may be rescinded at any time. For the six months ended April 30, 2022, this reimbursement amounted to $126,000, which is included in Net realized gain (loss) on Securities in the Statement of Operations.

NOTE 8 - INTERFUND LENDING PROGRAM

Price Associates has developed and manages an interfund lending program that provides temporary liquidity to the T. Rowe Price-sponsored mutual funds. The program permits the borrowing and lending of cash between the fund and other T. Rowe Price-sponsored mutual funds at rates beneficial to both the borrowing and lending funds. Pursuant to program guidelines, the fund may lend up to 15% of its net assets, and no more than 5% of its net assets may be lent to any one borrower. Loans totaling 10% or more of a borrowing fund’s total assets require collateralization at 102% of the value of the loan; loans of less than 10% are unsecured. During the six months ended April 30, 2022, the fund earned $1,000 in interest income related to loans made to other funds on five days in the average amount of $5,980,000 and at an average annual rate of 1.66%. At April 30, 2022, there were no loans outstanding.

NOTE 9 - OTHER MATTERS

Unpredictable events such as environmental or natural disasters, war, terrorism, pandemics, outbreaks of infectious diseases, and similar public health threats may significantly affect the economy and the markets and issuers in which a fund invests. Certain events may cause instability across global markets, including reduced liquidity and disruptions in trading markets, while some events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors, and industries more significantly than others, and exacerbate other pre-existing political, social, and economic risks. Since 2020, a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in disruptions to global business activity and caused significant volatility and declines in global financial markets. In February 2022, Russian forces entered Ukraine and commenced an armed conflict. Economic sanctions have since been imposed on Russia and certain of its citizens, including the exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT global payments network. As a result, Russian-related stocks and debt have since suffered significant declines in value. The duration of the coronavirus outbreak and the Russian-Ukraine conflict, and their effects on the financial markets, cannot be determined with certainty. The fund’s performance could be negatively impacted if the value of a portfolio holding were harmed by these and such other events. Management is actively monitoring these events.

INFORMATION ON PROXY VOTING POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND RECORDS

A description of the policies and procedures used by T. Rowe Price funds to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available in each fund’s Statement of Additional Information. You may request this document by calling 1-800-225-5132 or by accessing the SEC’s website, sec.gov.

The description of our proxy voting policies and procedures is also available on our corporate website. To access it, please visit the following Web page:

https://www.troweprice.com/corporate/en/utility/policies.html

Scroll down to the section near the bottom of the page that says, “Proxy Voting Policies.” Click on the Proxy Voting Policies link in the shaded box.

Each fund’s most recent annual proxy voting record is available on our website and through the SEC’s website. To access it through T. Rowe Price, visit the website location shown above, and scroll down to the section near the bottom of the page that says, “Proxy Voting Records.” Click on the Proxy Voting Records link in the shaded box.

HOW TO OBTAIN QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The fund files a complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The fund’s reports on Form N-PORT are available electronically on the SEC’s website (sec.gov). In addition, most T. Rowe Price funds disclose their first and third fiscal quarter-end holdings on troweprice.com.

APPROVAL OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

Each year, the fund’s Board of Directors (Board) considers the continuation of the investment management agreement (Advisory Contract) between the fund and its investment adviser, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (Adviser). In that regard, at a meeting held on March 7–8, 2022 (Meeting), the Board, including all of the fund’s independent directors, approved the continuation of the fund’s Advisory Contract. At the Meeting, the Board considered the factors and reached the conclusions described below relating to the selection of the Adviser and the approval of the Advisory Contract. The independent directors were assisted in their evaluation of the Advisory Contract by independent legal counsel from whom they received separate legal advice and with whom they met separately.

In providing information to the Board, the Adviser was guided by a detailed set of requests for information submitted by independent legal counsel on behalf of the independent directors. In considering and approving the Advisory Contract, the Board considered the information it believed was relevant, including, but not limited to, the information discussed below. The Board considered not only the specific information presented in connection with the Meeting but also the knowledge gained over time through interaction with the Adviser about various topics. The Board meets regularly and, at each of its meetings, covers an extensive agenda of topics and materials and considers factors that are relevant to its annual consideration of the renewal of the T. Rowe Price funds’ advisory contracts, including performance and the services and support provided to the funds and their shareholders.

Services Provided by the Adviser

The Board considered the nature, quality, and extent of the services provided to the fund by the Adviser. These services included, but were not limited to, directing the fund’s investments in accordance with its investment program and the overall management of the fund’s portfolio, as well as a variety of related activities such as financial, investment operations, and administrative services; compliance; maintaining the fund’s records and registrations; and shareholder communications. The Board also reviewed the background and experience of the Adviser’s senior management team and investment personnel involved in the management of the fund, as well as the Adviser’s compliance record. The Board concluded that it was satisfied with the nature, quality, and extent of the services provided by the Adviser.

Investment Performance of the Fund

The Board took into account discussions with the Adviser and reports that it receives throughout the year relating to fund performance. In connection with the Meeting, the Board reviewed the fund’s total returns for various periods through December 31, 2021, and compared these returns with the performance of a peer group of funds with similar investment programs and a wide variety of other previously agreed-upon comparable performance measures and market data, including relative performance information as of September 30, 2021, supplied by Broadridge, which is an independent provider of mutual fund data.

This information, combined with the Board’s ongoing review of investment results and factoring in the relative market conditions during certain of the performance periods, led to the Board’s determination that the fund’s performance for certain time periods was less than satisfactory. The Adviser provided its assessment of the fund’s investment results and outlook, and the Board concluded that it was satisfied with the Adviser’s response.

Costs, Benefits, Profits, and Economies of Scale

The Board reviewed detailed information regarding the revenues received by the Adviser under the Advisory Contract and other direct and indirect benefits that the Adviser (and its affiliates) may have realized from its relationship with the fund. In considering soft-dollar arrangements pursuant to which research may be received from broker-dealers that execute the fund’s portfolio transactions, the Board noted that the Adviser bears the cost of research services for all client accounts that it advises, including the T. Rowe Price funds. The Board received information on the estimated costs incurred and profits realized by the Adviser from managing the T. Rowe Price funds. The Board also reviewed estimates of the profits realized from managing the fund in particular, and the Board concluded that the Adviser’s profits were reasonable in light of the services provided to the fund.

The Board also considered whether the fund benefits under the fee levels set forth in the Advisory Contract or otherwise from any economies of scale realized by the Adviser. Under the Advisory Contract, the fund pays a fee to the Adviser for investment management services composed of two components—a group fee rate based on the combined average net assets of most of the T. Rowe Price funds (including the fund) that declines at certain asset levels and an individual fund fee rate based on the fund’s average daily net assets—and the fund pays its own expenses of operations. The Board concluded that the advisory fee structure for the fund continued to provide for a reasonable sharing of benefits from any economies of scale with the fund’s investors.

Fees and Expenses

The Board was provided with information regarding industry trends in management fees and expenses. Among other things, the Board reviewed data for peer groups that were compiled by Broadridge, which compared: (i) contractual management fees, actual management fees, nonmanagement expenses, and total expenses of the Investor Class of the fund with a group of competitor funds selected by Broadridge (Investor Class Expense Group); (ii) actual management fees and total expenses of the Advisor Class of the fund with a group of competitor funds selected by Broadridge (Advisor Class Expense Group); and (iii) actual management fees, nonmanagement expenses, and total expenses of the Investor Class of the fund with a broader set of funds within the Lipper investment classification (Expense Universe). The Board considered the fund’s contractual management fee rate, actual management fee rate (which reflects the management fees actually received from the fund by the Adviser after any applicable waivers, reductions, or reimbursements), operating expenses, and total expenses (which reflect the net total expense ratio of the fund after any waivers, reductions, or reimbursements) in comparison with the information for the Broadridge peer groups.

Broadridge generally constructed the peer groups by seeking the most comparable funds based on similar investment classifications and objectives, expense structure, asset size, and operating components and attributes and ranked funds into quintiles, with the first quintile representing the funds with the lowest relative expenses and the fifth quintile representing the funds with the highest relative expenses. The information provided to the Board indicated that the fund’s contractual management fee ranked in the first quintile (Investor Class Expense Group), the fund’s actual management fee rate ranked in the second quintile (Investor Class Expense Group and Advisor Class Expense Group) and third quintile (Expense Universe), and the fund’s total expenses ranked in the first quintile (Investor Class Expense Group, Advisor Class Expense Group, and Expense Universe).

The Board also reviewed the fee schedules for other investment portfolios with similar mandates that are advised or subadvised by the Adviser and its affiliates, including separately managed accounts for institutional and individual investors; subadvised funds; and other sponsored investment portfolios, including collective investment trusts and pooled vehicles organized and offered to investors outside the United States. Management provided the Board with information about the Adviser’s responsibilities and services provided to subadvisory and other institutional account clients, including information about how the requirements and economics of the institutional business are fundamentally different from those of the proprietary mutual fund business. The Board considered information showing that the Adviser’s mutual fund business is generally more complex from a business and compliance perspective than its institutional account business and considered various relevant factors, such as the broader scope of operations and oversight, more extensive shareholder communication infrastructure, greater asset flows, heightened business risks, and differences in applicable laws and regulations associated with the Adviser’s proprietary mutual fund business. In assessing the reasonableness of the fund’s management fee rate, the Board considered the differences in the nature of the services required for the Adviser to manage its mutual fund business versus managing a discrete pool of assets as a subadviser to another institution’s mutual fund or for an institutional account and that the Adviser generally performs significant additional services and assumes greater risk in managing the fund and other T. Rowe Price funds than it does for institutional account clients, including subadvised funds.

On the basis of the information provided and the factors considered, the Board concluded that the fees paid by the fund under the Advisory Contract are reasonable.

Approval of the Advisory Contract

As noted, the Board approved the continuation of the Advisory Contract. No single factor was considered in isolation or to be determinative to the decision. Rather, the Board concluded, in light of a weighting and balancing of all factors considered, that it was in the best interests of the fund and its shareholders for the Board to approve the continuation of the Advisory Contract (including the fees to be charged for services thereunder).

Item 1. (b) Notice pursuant to Rule 30e-3.

Not applicable.

Item 2. Code of Ethics.

A code of ethics, as defined in Item 2 of Form N-CSR, applicable to its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions is filed as an exhibit to the registrant’s annual Form N-CSR. No substantive amendments were approved or waivers were granted to this code of ethics during the registrant’s most recent fiscal half-year.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

Disclosure required in registrant’s annual Form N-CSR.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Disclosure required in registrant’s annual Form N-CSR.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Investments.

(a) Not applicable. The complete schedule of investments is included in Item 1 of this Form N-CSR.

(b) Not applicable.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

Not applicable.

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There has been no change to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of directors.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

(a) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have evaluated the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures within 90 days of this filing and have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective, as of that date, in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the registrant in this Form N-CSR was recorded, processed, summarized, and reported timely.

(b) The registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer are aware of no change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 12. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 13. Exhibits.

(a)(1) The registrant’s code of ethics pursuant to Item 2 of Form N-CSR is filed with the registrant’s annual Form N-CSR.

(2) Separate certifications by the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are attached.

(3) Written solicitation to repurchase securities issued by closed-end companies: not applicable.

(b) A certification by the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, is attached.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

T. Rowe Price International Funds, Inc.

		By	/s/ David Oestreicher
			David Oestreicher
			Principal Executive Officer
Date	June 16, 2022

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

		By	/s/ David Oestreicher
			David Oestreicher
			Principal Executive Officer
Date	June 16, 2022
		By	/s/ Alan S. Dupski
			Alan S. Dupski
			Principal Financial Officer
Date	June 16, 2022