DFA U.S. Small Cap Portfolio (DFSTX) belongs to the Small Cap Blend Equities category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with DFSTX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to DFSTX
DFSTX charges 0.27% annually. There are 20 mutual funds in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Small Cap Index Fund | 0.03% | — | Sep 2011 | DFSTX vs FSSNX | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Plus S... | 0.03% | — | Dec 2010 | DFSTX vs VSCPX | |
| Schwab Small-Cap Index Fund-Select Shares | 0.04% | 7.51B | May 1997 | DFSTX vs SWSSX | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Institutional Shares | 0.04% | 177.40B | Jul 1997 | DFSTX vs VSCIX | |
| Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 177.40B | Nov 2000 | DFSTX vs VSMAX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to DFSTX
DFSTX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 51. There are 100 mutual funds in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 91.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MainStay WMC Small Companies Fund | 91 | — | Jan 1987 | DFSTX vs MOPIX | |
| Auer Growth Fund | 90 | — | Dec 2007 | DFSTX vs AUERX | |
| River Oak Discovery Fund | 90 | — | Jun 2005 | DFSTX vs RIVSX | |
| TETON Westwood SmallCap Equity Fund | 89 | — | Apr 1997 | DFSTX vs WESCX | |
| Royce Micro Cap Series Fund | 89 | — | Dec 1991 | DFSTX vs RYOTX |
Top Performing DFSTX Alternatives (YTD)
DFSTX is at 14.69% YTD. There are 118 mutual funds in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 37.74%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royce Micro Cap Series Fund | 37.74% | — | Dec 1991 | DFSTX vs RYOTX | |
| River Oak Discovery Fund | 32.82% | — | Jun 2005 | DFSTX vs RIVSX | |
| Paradigm Micro-cap Fund | 32.57% | — | Dec 2007 | DFSTX vs PVIVX | |
| Hodges Small Cap Fund | 31.07% | — | Dec 2007 | DFSTX vs HDPSX | |
| MainStay WMC Small Companies Fund | 27.70% | — | Jan 1987 | DFSTX vs MOPIX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to DFSTX
DFSTX has 16.76% 1-year volatility. There are 30 mutual funds in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 12.96%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund | 12.96% | — | Nov 1996 | DFSTX vs HFCGX | |
| DFA International Small Company Portfolio | 13.77% | — | Sep 1996 | DFSTX vs DFISX | |
| DWS Small Cap Core Fund | 14.28% | — | Jul 2000 | DFSTX vs SSLCX | |
| Copeland SMID Cap Dividend Growth Fund | 14.46% | — | Feb 2017 | DFSTX vs CSMDX | |
| Boston Trust Small Cap Fund | 15.10% | — | — | DFSTX vs BOSOX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to DFSTX
DFSTX has a 1-year max drawdown of -9.16%. There are 35 mutual funds in the Small Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -7.63%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voya Index Plus SmallCap Portfolio | -7.63% | — | Dec 1997 | DFSTX vs IPSIX | |
| Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund | -7.82% | — | Nov 1996 | DFSTX vs HFCGX | |
| Vanguard Strategic Small-Cap Equity Fund | -8.08% | 2.80B | Apr 2006 | DFSTX vs VSTCX | |
| DFA U.S. Micro Cap Portfolio | -8.17% | — | Dec 1981 | DFSTX vs DFSCX | |
| Brown Advisory Small-Cap Fundamental Value Fund | -8.22% | — | Dec 2008 | DFSTX vs BIAUX |
Other Mutual Funds from Dimensional
The 10 most viewed Dimensional mutual funds shown here include DFSVX, DFIVX, DGEIX and span 6 categories.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I | Small Cap Value Equities | 61 | 16.32% | — | Mar 1993 | DFSTX vs DFSVX | |
| DFA International Value Portfolio | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 78 | 13.29% | — | Feb 1994 | DFSTX vs DFIVX | |
| DFA Global Equity Portfolio Institutional Class | Global Equities | 77 | 13.03% | — | Dec 2003 | DFSTX vs DGEIX | |
| DFA U.S. Large Company Portfolio | Large Cap Blend Equities | 77 | 11.70% | — | Sep 1999 | DFSTX vs DFUSX | |
| DFA International Small Cap Value Portfolio | Foreign Small & Mid Cap Equities | 60 | 10.61% | — | Dec 1994 | DFSTX vs DISVX | |
| DFA U.S. Targeted Value Portfolio | Small Cap Value Equities | 56 | 14.56% | — | Feb 2000 | DFSTX vs DFFVX | |
| DFA International Core Equity Portfolio I | Foreign Large Cap Equities, Large Cap Blend Equities | 45 | 11.05% | — | Sep 2005 | DFSTX vs DFIEX | |
| DFA US Core Equity 1 Portfolio I | Large Cap Blend Equities | 79 | 12.32% | — | Sep 2005 | DFSTX vs DFEOX | |
| DFA U.S. Large Cap Value Portfolio | Large Cap Value Equities | 92 | 16.01% | — | Feb 1993 | DFSTX vs DFLVX | |
| DFA US Core Equity 2 Portfolio I | Large Cap Blend Equities | 78 | 12.21% | — | — | DFSTX vs DFQTX |
Often Compared With DFSTX
Investors most often compare DFSTX with DFAS, IWM, VB. These 20 comparison targets span 11 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare DFSTX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare DFSTX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair DFSTX with funds that move differently
DFA U.S. Small Cap Portfolio alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to DFSTX.
Explore DFSTX Diversifiers