ETF Evaluator:
WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF (DGS)
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(as of Jul 31)
Best Performing in Diversified Emerging Mkts Over the Last Year
| 137.8% | Nomura Focused Emerging Mrkts Eq ETF (EMEQ) |
| 92.9% | FT EM Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) |
| 82.9% | Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM) |
| 75.3% | First Trust Bloomberg Emr Mkt Dem ETF (EMDM) |
| 70.8% | Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (STXE) |
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ETF Details
WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF Overview
WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF (DGS) is a passively managed International Equity Diversified Emerging Mkts exchange-traded fund (ETF). WisdomTree launched the ETF in 2007.
The investment seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Index.
Under normal circumstances, at least 95% of the fund's total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) will be invested in constituent securities of the index and investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of such constituent securities. The index is a fundamentally weighted index that is comprised of small cap common stocks selected from the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Dividend Index. The fund is non-diversified.
About WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF (DGS)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 5.14 years: Marlene Walker-Smith (2020), David France (2021), Todd Frysinger (2021), Vlasta Sheremeta (2021) and Michael Stoll (2021). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI EM NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and WisdomTree EM SmallCap Dividend TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF has 1008 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 11.4% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF has 100.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 100.0% 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). WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $1 billion in total assets, which is below the $3 billion average for the Diversified Emerging Mkts 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.
DGS 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 WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Diversified Emerging Mkts category. WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF has an expense ratio of 0.58%, which is 12% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. 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. WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 37%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 44% for the Diversified Emerging Mkts category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF returned -1.2%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Diversified Emerging Mkts category had an average return of -1.0%. 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.
WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF has a trailing yield of 3.75%, which is above the 2.36% 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.
WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmCp Div ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 14.2%, 6.9 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 21.5% over the past year (grade of F), 15.8% over the past three years (grade of F) and 7.8% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 9.6% per year over the past 10 years (grade of B).
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DGS Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| DGS Return (NAV) | -1.2% | 11.4% | 21.5% | 15.8% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| DGS Return (Price) | -0.4% | 9.1% | 22.0% | 15.8% | 7.9% | 9.5% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.759% | 2.306% | -0.521% | 0.027% | -0.093% | 0.031% |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | -1.0% | 19.4% | 37.6% | 19.9% | 6.5% | 8.4% |
| DGS Grade (NAV) | C | D | F | F | B | B |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.2% | -8.0% | -16.1% | -4.1% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| DGS Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
DGS Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DGS Return (NAV) | 14.2% | 20.4% | 2.1% | 18.9% | -12.1% | 15.6% | 4.1% | 17.3% | -15.4% | 35.5% | 14.9% |
| DGS Return (Price) | 14.9% | 21.2% | 1.2% | 19.1% | -12.3% | 15.3% | 4.1% | 18.9% | -16.5% | 37.5% | 15.4% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.051% | 0.039% | -0.456% | 0.009% | 0.017% | -0.018% | -0.012% | 9.4% | 7.2% | 5.6% | 3.0% |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | 21.1% | 29.2% | 6.7% | 12.8% | -18.8% | 2.3% | 12.7% | 18.2% | -14.6% | 33.7% | 10.9% |
| DGS Grade (NAV) | D | F | F | A | A | A | D | C | C | B | B |
| +/- Category | -6.9% | -8.8% | -4.5% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 13.3% | -8.6% | -0.9% | -0.8% | 1.8% | 4.0% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.92 |
| R-Squared: | 85% |
| Standard Deviation: | 14.0% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.87 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.15 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 3.8% |
| Total Assets: | $ 1,785 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 1,785 Mil |
| Turnover: | 37.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.58% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI EM NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 5 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 5.7 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 5.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Walker-Smith Marlene (2020), France David (2021), Frysinger Todd (2021), Sheremeta Vlasta (2021), Stoll Michael (2021) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 1008 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 11.4% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 100.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 100.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | WisdomTree |
| Phone Number: | 866-909-9473 |
| Website: | www.wisdomtree.com |
| Inception Date: | October 30, 2007 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.58% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.52% |
