Fund Evaluator:
DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl (DGCFX)
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Best Performing in Global Bond-USD Hedged Over the Last Year
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| 2.6% | Nuveen International Bond I (TIBNX) |
| 2.6% | Janus Henderson Developed World Bond D (HFADX) |
| 2.5% | Goldman Sachs Global Core Fxd Inc Inv (GBIRX) |
Fund Details
DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl Overview
DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl (DGCFX) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Global Bond-USD Hedged fund. Dimensional Fund Advisors launched the fund in 2018.
The investment seeks to maximize total returns from the universe of fixed income securities in which the Portfolio invests. The Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a universe of U.S. and foreign fixed income securities. It may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. and foreign governments, their agencies and instrumentalities, including mortgage-backed securities, corporate debt obligations, bank obligations, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, money market funds, securities of domestic or foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars but not trading in the US, and obligations of supranational organizations.
About DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl (DGCFX)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 8.18 years: David Plecha (2018), Lovell Shao (2019), Joseph Kolerich (2018). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg Global Aggregate TR Hdg USD index with a weighting of 100%. DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl has 703 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 21.0% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond fund group. DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl has 42.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0%. There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 88.2% (45.6% domestic bond, 42.6% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl has 11.8% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $2 billion in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Global Bond-USD Hedged 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.
DGCFX 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 DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Global Bond-USD Hedged category. DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl has an expense ratio of 0.23%, which is 68% 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. DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl has a portfolio turnover rate of 44%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 195% for the Global Bond-USD Hedged category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl returned -1.5%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Global Bond-USD Hedged category had an average return of -1.1%. 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 funds in that category.
DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl has a trailing yield of 4.79%, which is above the 3.99% category average. The fund normally distributes its income quarterly.
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.
DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 0.4%, 0.3 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 2.8% over the past year (grade of B), 5.2% over the past three years (grade of A) and 0.1% per year over the past five years (grade of D).
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DGCFX 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 |
|
| DGCFX Return (NAV) | -1.5% | 0.1% | 2.8% | 5.2% | 0.1% | na |
| DGCFX Grade | F | D | B | A | D | na |
| +/- Category | -0.5% | -0.1% | 0.5% | 0.8% | -0.3% | na |
| Global Bond-USD Hedged Avg | -1.1% | 0.2% | 2.3% | 4.4% | 0.4% | 1.8% |
| DGCFX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.5% | na |
DGCFX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| DGCFX Return (NAV) | 0.4% | 6.1% | 3.6% | 10.0% | -15.9% | -2.0% | 8.5% | 11.6% | na | na | na |
| DGCFX Grade | B | B | C | A | F | C | B | A | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 0.3% | 0.9% | 0.2% | 2.1% | -3.9% | -0.3% | 1.8% | 3.0% | na | na | na |
| Global Bond-USD Hedged Avg | 0.1% | 5.2% | 3.4% | 7.9% | -12.0% | -1.7% | 6.7% | 8.6% | 0.1% | 4.3% | 4.5% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 5.3% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.43 - Low |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.18 - High |
| Category Risk Grade: | F (83% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.90 |
| R-Squared: | 93% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | na |
| Bond Investment Style: | High Quality Moderate Sensitivity |
| Yield: | 4.8% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Quarterly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | |
| Total Assets: | $2968 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $2,968 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 44% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 8.6 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 8.2 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Plecha David (2018), Kolerich Joseph (2018), Shao Lovell (2019) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 5/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 703 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 21.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 42.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 45.6% |
| Foreign Bond: | 42.6% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 11.8% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Dimensional Fund Advisors |
| Phone Number: | 888-576-1167 |
| Website: | www.dimensional.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | January 11, 2018 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.23% ( Rating : Below Avg ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.73% |
| Share Class: | DFA Global Core Plus Fixed Income Instl |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
