AAXJ vs. DGRO

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF (AAXJ) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO).

AAXJ and DGRO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AAXJ is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan Index. It was launched on Aug 13, 2008. DGRO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. It was launched on Jun 10, 2014. Both AAXJ and DGRO are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

AAXJ vs. DGRO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF (AAXJ) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AAXJ vs. DGRO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AAXJ iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF	4.37%	31.53%	10.41%	4.79%	-20.35%	-5.73%	23.35%	17.93%	-15.04%	41.76%
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	1.60%	15.69%	16.62%	10.47%	-7.91%	26.64%	9.50%	29.87%	-2.38%	23.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AAXJ achieves a 4.37% return, which is significantly higher than DGRO's 1.60% return. Over the past 10 years, AAXJ has underperformed DGRO with an annualized return of 7.96%, while DGRO has yielded a comparatively higher 12.81% annualized return.

AAXJ

• 1D: 0.93%
• 1M: -7.35%
• YTD: 4.37%
• 6M: 6.72%
• 1Y: 33.29%
• 3Y*: 14.88%
• 5Y*: 2.66%
• 10Y*: 7.96%

DGRO

• 1D: 0.03%
• 1M: -4.46%
• YTD: 1.60%
• 6M: 3.88%
• 1Y: 16.44%
• 3Y*: 14.60%
• 5Y*: 10.14%
• 10Y*: 12.81%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AAXJ vs. DGRO - Expense Ratio Comparison

AAXJ has a 0.68% expense ratio, which is higher than DGRO's 0.08% expense ratio.

AAXJ

iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF

DGRO

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF

Return for Risk

AAXJ vs. DGRO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AAXJ

AAXJ Risk / Return Rank: 81
AAXJ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
AAXJ Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
AAXJ Omega Ratio Rank: 80
AAXJ Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
AAXJ Martin Ratio Rank: 81

DGRO

DGRO Risk / Return Rank: 63
DGRO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
DGRO Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
DGRO Omega Ratio Rank: 66
DGRO Calmar Ratio Rank: 56
DGRO Martin Ratio Rank: 65

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AAXJ vs. DGRO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF (AAXJ) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AAXJ	DGRO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.61	1.14	+0.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.22	1.66	+0.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.25	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.48	1.48	+1.01
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.35	6.80	+2.55
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AAXJ vs. DGRO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AAXJ Sharpe Ratio is 1.61, which is higher than the DGRO Sharpe Ratio of 1.14. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AAXJ and DGRO, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AAXJ	DGRO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.61	1.14	+0.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.14	0.74	-0.60
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.77	-0.37
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.23	0.73	-0.50

Correlation

The correlation between AAXJ and DGRO is 0.60, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

AAXJ vs. DGRO - Dividend Comparison

AAXJ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.73%, less than DGRO's 2.10% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AAXJ iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF	1.73%	1.81%	1.86%	1.95%	1.74%	2.21%	1.06%	1.83%	2.10%	1.99%	1.77%	2.44%
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	2.10%	2.09%	2.26%	2.45%	2.34%	1.93%	2.30%	2.21%	2.44%	2.03%	2.27%	2.52%

Drawdowns

AAXJ vs. DGRO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AAXJ drawdown since its inception was -49.37%, which is greater than DGRO's maximum drawdown of -35.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AAXJ and DGRO.

Drawdown Indicators

	AAXJ	DGRO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-49.37%	-35.10%	-14.27%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.66%	-10.92%	-2.74%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-41.04%	-19.31%	-21.73%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.52%	-35.10%	-9.42%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.76%	-4.70%	-5.06%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.14%	-3.48%	-10.66%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.62%	2.37%	+1.25%

Volatility

AAXJ vs. DGRO - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex-Japan ETF (AAXJ) has a higher volatility of 9.10% compared to iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) at 3.57%. This indicates that AAXJ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DGRO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AAXJ	DGRO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.10%	3.57%	+5.53%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.06%	7.21%	+7.85%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.72%	14.47%	+6.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.42%	13.84%	+5.58%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.00%	16.63%	+3.37%