AVEM vs. DFAE

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF (AVEM) and Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF (DFAE).

AVEM and DFAE are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AVEM is a passively managed fund by American Century that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. It was launched on Sep 17, 2019. DFAE is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Dec 2, 2020.

Performance

AVEM vs. DFAE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF (AVEM) and Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF (DFAE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AVEM vs. DFAE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
AVEM Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF	4.70%	34.48%	7.49%	15.30%	-18.15%	5.16%	5.58%
DFAE Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF	4.12%	31.48%	7.68%	12.63%	-17.52%	3.53%	4.85%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AVEM achieves a 4.70% return, which is significantly higher than DFAE's 4.12% return.

AVEM

• 1D: 3.60%
• 1M: -9.09%
• YTD: 4.70%
• 6M: 9.02%
• 1Y: 37.57%
• 3Y*: 18.51%
• 5Y*: 6.97%
• 10Y*: —

DFAE

• 1D: 3.52%
• 1M: -8.86%
• YTD: 4.12%
• 6M: 8.25%
• 1Y: 33.86%
• 3Y*: 16.49%
• 5Y*: 6.10%
• 10Y*: —

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

AVEM vs. DFAE - Expense Ratio Comparison

AVEM has a 0.33% expense ratio, which is lower than DFAE's 0.35% expense ratio.

DFAE

Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF

AVEM

Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF

Return for Risk

AVEM vs. DFAE — Risk / Return Rank

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

AVEM

AVEM Risk / Return Rank: 90
AVEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
AVEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
AVEM Omega Ratio Rank: 90
AVEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
AVEM Martin Ratio Rank: 90

DFAE

DFAE Risk / Return Rank: 87
DFAE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
DFAE Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
DFAE Omega Ratio Rank: 88
DFAE Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
DFAE Martin Ratio Rank: 87

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.

AVEM vs. DFAE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF (AVEM) and Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF (DFAE). 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.

	AVEM	DFAE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.89	1.76	+0.13
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.48	2.35	+0.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.35	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.82	2.61	+0.21
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.10	10.09	+1.02
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AVEM vs. DFAE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AVEM Sharpe Ratio is 1.89, which is comparable to the DFAE Sharpe Ratio of 1.76. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AVEM and DFAE, 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

	AVEM	DFAE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.89	1.76	+0.13
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.39	0.35	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.44	+0.07

Correlation

The correlation between AVEM and DFAE is 0.99, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

AVEM vs. DFAE - Dividend Comparison

AVEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.41%, more than DFAE's 2.11% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
AVEM Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF	2.41%	2.45%	3.17%	3.06%	2.77%	2.61%	1.60%	0.35%
DFAE Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF	2.11%	2.20%	2.35%	2.43%	2.85%	1.63%	0.01%	0.00%

Drawdowns

AVEM vs. DFAE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AVEM drawdown since its inception was -36.05%, which is greater than DFAE's maximum drawdown of -32.21%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AVEM and DFAE.

Drawdown Indicators

	AVEM	DFAE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.05%	-32.21%	-3.84%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.13%	-12.80%	-0.33%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-34.00%	-32.21%	-1.79%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.00%	-9.73%	-0.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.30%	-10.59%	+0.29%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.34%	3.31%	+0.03%

Volatility

AVEM vs. DFAE - Volatility Comparison

Avantis Emerging Markets Equity ETF (AVEM) and Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF (DFAE) have volatilities of 10.36% and 10.23%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AVEM	DFAE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.36%	10.23%	+0.13%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.72%	14.31%	+0.41%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.03%	19.37%	+0.66%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.87%	17.36%	+0.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.37%	17.50%	+2.87%