ETF Evaluator:
Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Diversified Emerging Mkts Over the Last Year
| 114.0% | Nomura Focused Emerging Mrkts Eq ETF (EMEQ) |
| 81.0% | FT EM Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) |
| 68.7% | First Trust Bloomberg Emr Mkt Dem ETF (EMDM) |
| 67.8% | Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM) |
| 59.4% | Pacific NoS Global EM Equity Active ETF (GEME) |
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ETF Details
Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF Overview
Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF (DFSE) is an actively managed International Equity Diversified Emerging Mkts exchange-traded fund (ETF). Dimensional Fund Advisors launched the ETF in 2022.
The investment seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
The Portfolio is designed to purchase a broad and diverse group of securities associated with emerging markets. The Portfolio invests in companies of all sizes, with increased exposure to smaller capitalization, lower relative price, and higher profitability companies as compared to their representation in the Emerging Markets Universe, while adjusting the composition of the Portfolio based on sustainability impact considerations.
About Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF (DFSE)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 3.75 years: Jed Fogdall (2022), Mary Phillips (2022) and William Collins-Dean (2022). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: MSCI EM IMI NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF has 3678 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 23.9% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF has 99.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.9% There is 99.4% 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 Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF has -0.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $602 million 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.
DFSE 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 Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Diversified Emerging Mkts category. Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF has an expense ratio of 0.41%, which is 21% 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. Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 13%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 44% for the Diversified Emerging Mkts category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Dimensional Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF returned -3.3%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Diversified Emerging Mkts category had an average return of -3.0%. 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 Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF has a trailing yield of 1.96%, which is below the 2.41% 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 Emerging Mrkts Sstby Cr 1ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 13.2%, 3.9 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 23.6% over the past year (grade of D) and 15.6% over the past three years (grade of D).
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DFSE 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 |
|
| DFSE Return (NAV) | -3.3% | 0.6% | 23.6% | 15.6% | na | na |
| DFSE Return (Price) | -5.7% | -2.6% | 23.5% | 15.1% | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 2.351% | 3.231% | 0.138% | 0.540% | na | na |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | -3.0% | 3.0% | 31.9% | 16.6% | 7.1% | 7.8% |
| DFSE Grade (NAV) | C | D | D | D | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.3% | -2.4% | -8.3% | -1.0% | na | na |
| DFSE Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.8% | 0.7% | na | na |
DFSE Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DFSE Return (NAV) | 13.2% | 27.7% | 7.2% | 14.5% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| DFSE Return (Price) | 11.9% | 28.2% | 6.9% | 14.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.099% | 0.018% | -0.040% | 0.011% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | 17.1% | 29.2% | 6.7% | 12.8% | -18.8% | 2.3% | 12.7% | 18.2% | -14.6% | 33.7% | 10.9% |
| DFSE Grade (NAV) | D | C | C | B | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -3.9% | -1.5% | 0.5% | 1.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.08 |
| R-Squared: | 82% |
| Standard Deviation: | 16.5% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.02 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.35 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 2.0% |
| Total Assets: | $ 602 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 602 Mil |
| Turnover: | 13.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.41% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI EM IMI NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | Yes |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 3.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 3.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Fogdall Jed (2022), Phillips Mary (2022), Collins-Dean William (2022) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 3678 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 23.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 99.4% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.9% |
| Foreign Stock: | 99.4% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.1% |
| Cash: | -0.4% |
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: | November 1, 2022 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.41% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.52% |
