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 $9.25 billion in assets under management and a share price of $37.74, the fund demonstrates significant investor adoption within its sector. It currently holds an overall rank of #160 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories, earning an ETFValuer grade of B with a score of 66.2 out of 100. The fund charges an expense ratio of 0.39% and offers a dividend yield of 1.85%. This cost structure and income profile position the ETF among the 10 funds tracked in the Emerging Markets category. The substantial asset base suggests established liquidity and market presence relative to smaller peers in the same classification.

Recent performance data shows a sharp decline over the last day with a return of -1.69%, followed by a marginal weekly drop of -0.08%. The one-month return reflects further weakness at -5.63%, yet the fund recovered to post a slight gain of +0.18% over the three-month period. Momentum accelerated significantly in the second half of the year, delivering a +7.74% return over six months and a robust +12.33% year-to-date. The one-year return reached +25.51%, while the three-year cumulative return stands at +59.73%. This trajectory indicates a divergence between short-term volatility and strong long-term growth trends. The fund's returns have shown a clear upward acceleration from the one-month trough through the three-year horizon.

The fund carries a High volatility label and a beta of 1.06, indicating that its price movements tend to be slightly more pronounced than the broader market. A Sharpe ratio of 0.93 suggests the fund has generated a moderate amount of excess return for each unit of risk taken over the measured period. The maximum drawdown of -18.09% highlights the potential for significant temporary losses during market downturns. This combination of high volatility and a beta above 1.0 implies the fund is sensitive to market swings, amplifying both gains and losses. The Sharpe ratio of 0.93 indicates that despite the elevated risk profile and the -18.09% drawdown, the fund has historically compensated investors reasonably well for the volatility experienced. Investors should expect a return pattern that mirrors market direction but with increased amplitude.

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: 4.71% (as of 2026-07-23) — 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): 18.70 (as of 2026-07-23) — 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: 120.53 (as of 2026-07-17) — 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 0.03% and average daily volume is 968K/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