ETF Evaluator:
WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Japan Stock Over the Last Year
| 56.1% | WisdomTree Japan Opportunities ETF (OPPJ) |
| 48.3% | WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity ETF (DXJ) |
| 44.1% | Xtrackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF (DBJP) |
| 43.6% | Franklin FTSE Japan Hedged ETF (FLJH) |
| 42.7% | iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF (HEWJ) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF Overview
WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF (DFJ) is a passively managed International Equity Japan Stock exchange-traded fund (ETF). WisdomTree launched the ETF in 2006.
The investment seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Japan 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 dividend-paying small capitalization companies in Japan. The fund is non-diversified.
About WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF (DFJ)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 5.22 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 Japan NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and WisdomTree Japan SC Dividend TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF has 795 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 5.8% 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 Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF has 99.9% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 99.9% 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). WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF has 0.1% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $383 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Japan Stock 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.
DFJ 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 Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Japan Stock category. WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF has an expense ratio of 0.58%, which is 15% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a D. 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 Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 31%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 35% for the Japan Stock category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, WisdomTree Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF returned 2.6%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Japan Stock category had an average return of 0.3%. 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 Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF has a trailing yield of 2.59%, which is below the 2.67% 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 Japan SmallCap Dividend ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 13.8%, 2.9 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 27.7% over the past year (grade of F), 18.5% over the past three years (grade of C) and 10.6% per year over the past five years (grade of C) and 8.6% per year over the past 10 years (grade of D).
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DFJ 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 |
|
| DFJ Return (NAV) | 2.6% | 4.1% | 27.7% | 18.5% | 10.6% | 8.6% |
| DFJ Return (Price) | 1.6% | 3.6% | 26.4% | 18.0% | 10.2% | 8.6% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 1.005% | 0.414% | 1.294% | 0.559% | 0.362% | 0.025% |
| Japan Stock Avg | 0.3% | 4.6% | 33.2% | 21.7% | 15.1% | 11.8% |
| DFJ Grade (NAV) | A | C | F | C | C | D |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 2.3% | -0.6% | -5.4% | -3.1% | -4.5% | -3.2% |
| DFJ Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
DFJ Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DFJ Return (NAV) | 13.8% | 30.9% | 3.2% | 21.6% | -8.6% | 0.5% | -0.1% | 17.0% | -17.6% | 31.6% | 11.0% |
| DFJ Return (Price) | 12.4% | 31.9% | 2.8% | 21.8% | -9.0% | 0.4% | 1.3% | 17.0% | -18.5% | 32.1% | 11.5% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.102% | 0.034% | -0.142% | 0.009% | 0.043% | -0.264% | -22.531% | -0.2% | 5.1% | 1.7% | 4.0% |
| Japan Stock Avg | 16.7% | 28.3% | 13.9% | 25.8% | -8.2% | 5.5% | 7.6% | 18.3% | -15.2% | 25.5% | 3.3% |
| DFJ Grade (NAV) | F | B | F | C | C | D | F | F | D | A | A |
| +/- Category | -2.8% | 2.5% | -10.6% | -4.2% | -0.5% | -5.0% | -7.6% | -1.3% | -2.5% | 6.1% | 7.8% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.82 |
| R-Squared: | 59% |
| Standard Deviation: | 14.8% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.07 |
| Category Risk Rating: | High |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.21 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 2.6% |
| Total Assets: | $ 384 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 384 Mil |
| Turnover: | 31.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.58% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI Japan 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: 5.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 5.2 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Walker-Smith Marlene (2020), France David (2021), Frysinger Todd (2021), Sheremeta Vlasta (2021), Stoll Michael (2021) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 795 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 5.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 99.9% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 99.9% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.1% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | WisdomTree |
| Phone Number: | 866-909-9473 |
| Website: | www.wisdomtree.com |
| Inception Date: | June 16, 2006 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.58% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.50% |
