ETF Evaluator: Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF () Follow This ETF

Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF Overview

Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF (FNDC) is a passively managed International Equity Foreign Small/Mid Value exchange-traded fund (ETF). Schwab ETFs launched the ETF in 2013.

The investment seeks to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of RAFI Fundamental High Liquidity Developed ex U.S. Small Index. The fund will invest at least 90% of its net assets in stocks included in the index. The index measures the performance of the small company size segment by fundamental overall company scores, which are created using as the universe the developed ex U.S. companies in the RAFI Global Equity Investable Universe (the parent universe).

About Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF (FNDC)

There are 4 members of the management team with an average tenure of 5.69 years: Christopher Bliss (2017), David Rios (2017), Joselle Duncan (2024) and Mariela Jobson (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.

The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI EAFE NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and RAFI Fund Hi Liq Dev ex US Small NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF has 1591 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 2.5% 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.

Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF has 97.2% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 2.5% There is 97.2% 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). Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF has 0.2% of the portfolio in cash.

Assets Under Management

The fund has $3 billion in total assets, which is above the $2 billion average for the Foreign Small/Mid 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.

FNDC 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 Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Foreign Small/Mid Value category. Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF has an expense ratio of 0.39%, which is 28% 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. Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 16%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 49% for the Foreign Small/Mid Value category.

Recently, in the month of July 2026, Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF returned 1.9%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Foreign Small/Mid Value category had an average return of 2.7%. 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.

Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF has a trailing yield of 3.65%, which is above the 3.23% category average. The fund normally distributes its income semi-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.

Schwab Fundamental International SmEqETF Grades

Year to date, the ETF has returned 11.0%, 0.8 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 22.0% over the past year (grade of D), 16.3% over the past three years (grade of D) and 7.9% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 8.5% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).

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