ETF Evaluator:
DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs (DFSV)
Follow This ETF
(as of Oct 07)
Best Performing in Small Value Over the Last Year
| 28.9% | VictoryShares Small Cap Fr CA Flw ETF (SFLO) |
| 26.2% | iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL) |
| 26.1% | Research Affiliates Deletions ETF (NIXT) |
| 25.7% | Harbor SMID Cap Value ETF (EPSV) |
| 25.2% | EA Bridgeway Omni Small-Cap Value ETF (BSVO) |
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ETF Details
DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs Overview
DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs (DFSV) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Small Value exchange-traded fund (ETF). Dimensional Fund Advisors launched the ETF in 2026.
The investment seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
The fund normally will invest at least 80% of its net assets in securities of small cap U.S. companies. It may purchase or sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, to increase or decrease equity market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Portfolio.
About DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs (DFSV)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 10.80 years: Jed Fogdall (2012), Joel Schneider (2015) and Marc Leblond (2020). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: Russell 3000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and Russell 2000 Value TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs has 1031 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 8.4% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs has 2.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 96.9% There is 2.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs has 1.1% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $7 billion in total assets, which is above the $2 billion average for the Small Value category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
DFSV Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Small Value category. DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs has an expense ratio of 0.31%, which is 34% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs has a portfolio turnover rate of 12%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 60% for the Small Value category.
Recently, in the month of September 2026, DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs returned -5.2%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Small Value category had an average return of -5.6%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 1.82% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
DFA U.S. Small Cap Value PtflETFClsShrs Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 15.3%, 1.8 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 19.2% over the past year (grade of B), 16.3% over the past three years (grade of B) and 11.0% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 10.8% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
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DFSV Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 9/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| DFSV Return (NAV) | -5.2% | -2.8% | 19.2% | 16.3% | 11.0% | 10.8% |
| DFSV Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Small Value Avg | -5.6% | -4.1% | 15.6% | 14.2% | 7.6% | 9.4% |
| DFSV Grade (NAV) | B | B | B | B | A | A |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 0.4% | 1.3% | 3.6% | 2.1% | 3.4% | 1.3% |
| DFSV Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
DFSV Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 9/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DFSV Return (NAV) | 15.3% | 8.4% | 9.6% | 18.9% | -3.5% | 39.8% | 2.2% | 18.1% | -15.1% | 7.2% | 28.3% |
| DFSV Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Small Value Avg | 13.5% | 7.0% | 7.7% | 17.1% | -10.7% | 33.2% | 4.1% | 21.1% | -12.3% | 9.7% | 29.3% |
| DFSV Grade (NAV) | C | B | B | B | A | B | D | D | D | D | D |
| +/- Category | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 7.2% | 6.6% | -1.8% | -3.0% | -2.8% | -2.5% | -1.1% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.97 |
| R-Squared: | 44% |
| Standard Deviation: | 18.2% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.99 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.50 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 26,492 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 7,980 Mil |
| Turnover: | 12.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.31% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | Russell 3000 TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 14.6 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 10.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Fogdall Jed (2012), Schneider Joel (2015), Leblond Marc (2020) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 8/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 1031 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 8.4% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 2.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 96.9% |
| Foreign Stock: | 2.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.1% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Dimensional Fund Advisors |
| Phone Number: | 888-576-1167 |
| Website: | www.dimensional.com |
| Inception Date: | September 25, 2026 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.31% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.47% |
