DFEM — Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF

DFEM Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in DFEM over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.

DFEM Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: DFEM's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.

Overview

The Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF, trading under the ticker DFEM, is an Emerging Markets fund issued by Dimensional Fund Advisors. With assets under management totaling $9.25 billion and a share price of $37.10, the fund demonstrates significant investor adoption within its sector. It currently holds an overall rank of #173 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories, receiving an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 64.8 out of 100. The fund carries an expense ratio of 0.39% and offers a dividend yield of 1.85%. This combination of substantial assets and a mid-tier ranking suggests a well-established presence among the 10 ETFs ETFValuer tracks in the Emerging Markets category. The pricing and yield profile reflect a standard cost structure for a fund of this size and scope.

Recent performance data reveals a distinct divergence between short-term declines and long-term gains for the Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF. Over the most recent trading day, the fund fell 1.98%, while the one-week return extended that loss to -4.06%. The one-month period saw a further decline of -6.83%, followed by a slight recovery to -3.08% over three months. However, the trend reversed positively over the six-month horizon with a gain of +4.84%, accelerating to a year-to-date return of +10.42%. This upward momentum continued strongly over the past year with a return of +24.27% and extended significantly over the three-year period to +62.85%. The data indicates a pattern where short-term volatility has been overshadowed by substantial multi-year appreciation.

The fund is classified with a High volatility label and exhibits a beta of 1.06, indicating that its price movements tend to be slightly more sensitive than the broader market. A Sharpe ratio of 0.87 suggests the fund has generated a moderate amount of excess return relative to the risk taken during the measured period. This risk profile is further illustrated by a maximum drawdown of -18.09%, which represents the largest peak-to-trough decline experienced by the fund. The combination of high volatility and a beta above 1.0 implies that the fund is likely to experience amplified swings in both up and down markets compared to a benchmark. Despite these elevated risk metrics, the fund has managed to deliver positive returns over longer timeframes, balancing the potential for sharp declines with significant growth periods.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

DFEM Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-04-30 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 22.9% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how DFEM's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With DFEM

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with DFEM's top 10 — ESGE overlaps most, holding 7 of the same companies as DFEM's top 10 (20.3% of DFEM's assets).

Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.65% (as of 2026-07-27) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 18.67 (as of 2026-07-27) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

Trade-Weighted US Dollar Index: 120.71 (as of 2026-07-24) — Measures the US dollar’s strength against major trading-partner currencies — dollar moves directly affect the US-dollar value of this fund’s international holdings.

DFEM Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is — and average daily volume is 981K/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $9.25B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: DFEM is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.

DFEM Performance History

How DFEM Compares to Other Emerging Markets ETFs