ETF Evaluator:
Dimensional World Equity ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Global Large-Stock Blend Over the Last Year
| 48.9% | Sarmaya Thematic ETF (LENS) |
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| 30.2% | AXS Knowledge Leaders ETF (KNO) |
| 29.8% | First Eagle Global Equity ETF (FEGE) |
| 28.9% | Invesco Global Equity Net Zero ETF (IQSZ) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
Dimensional World Equity ETF Overview
Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW) is an actively managed International Equity Global Large-Stock Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). Dimensional Fund Advisors launched the ETF in 2023.
The investment seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
The fund is a “fund of funds”, which means that the Portfolio generally allocates its assets among other funds managed by the Advisor, although it has the flexibility to invest directly in securities and derivatives.
About Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 2.85 years: Jed Fogdall (2023), Allen Pu (2023) and Ashish Bhagwanjee (2023). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: MSCI ACWI IMI NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Dimensional World Equity ETF has 5 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 100.0% 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.
Dimensional World Equity ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. Dimensional World Equity ETF has 27.9% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 72.2% There is 27.9% 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). Dimensional World Equity ETF has -0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $1 billion in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Global Large-Stock Blend 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.
DFAW 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 Dimensional World Equity ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Global Large-Stock Blend category. Dimensional World Equity ETF has an expense ratio of 0.24%, which is 51% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. 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. Dimensional World Equity ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 50% for the Global Large-Stock Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Dimensional World Equity ETF returned 0.1%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Global Large-Stock Blend category had an average return of 0.0%. 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.
Dimensional World Equity ETF has a trailing yield of 1.28%, which is below the 1.66% 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.
Dimensional World Equity ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 12.9%, 3.7 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 23.6% over the past year (grade of B).
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DFAW Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| DFAW Return (NAV) | 0.1% | 4.0% | 23.6% | na | na | na |
| DFAW Return (Price) | 0.2% | 4.0% | 23.7% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.121% | -0.035% | -0.012% | na | na | na |
| Global Large-Stock Blend Avg | 0.0% | 3.1% | 19.1% | 15.1% | 8.5% | 11.5% |
| DFAW Grade (NAV) | C | C | B | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 0.0% | 0.9% | 4.5% | na | na | na |
| DFAW Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.5% | na | na | na |
DFAW Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DFAW Return (NAV) | 12.9% | 20.3% | 15.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| DFAW Return (Price) | 12.9% | 20.2% | 15.5% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.001% | -0.003% | 0.005% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Global Large-Stock Blend Avg | 9.2% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 18.7% | -17.7% | 17.3% | 18.3% | 26.8% | -9.1% | 23.4% | 8.1% |
| DFAW Grade (NAV) | B | C | C | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 3.7% | -0.1% | 1.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 1.3% |
| Total Assets: | $ 1,584 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 1,584 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.24% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI ACWI IMI 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: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 2.9 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 2.9 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Fogdall Jed (2023), Pu Allen (2023), Bhagwanjee Ashish (2023) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 5 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 100.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 27.9% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 72.2% |
| Foreign Stock: | 27.9% |
| 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: | Dimensional Fund Advisors |
| Phone Number: | 512-306-7400 |
| Website: | https://www.dimensional.com |
| Inception Date: | September 26, 2023 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.24% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.49% |
