AVES vs. DEMGX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

AVES (Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF) and DEMGX (DFA Emerging Markets Targeted Value Portfolio) are both funds - AVES is a Emerging Markets Equities fund actively managed by American Century, while DEMGX is a Emerging Markets Diversified fund managed by Dimensional. Over the past 3 years, AVES returned 20.73%/yr vs 18.74%/yr for DEMGX. Their correlation of 0.87 suggests significant overlap in exposure. AVES charges 0.36%/yr vs 0.66%/yr for DEMGX.

Performance

AVES vs. DEMGX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF (AVES) and DFA Emerging Markets Targeted Value Portfolio (DEMGX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with AVES having a 16.79% return and DEMGX slightly higher at 17.01%.

AVES

• 1D: -1.23%
• 1M: 4.98%
• YTD: 16.79%
• 6M: 19.15%
• 1Y: 37.50%
• 3Y*: 20.73%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DEMGX

• 1D: 0.93%
• 1M: 4.11%
• YTD: 17.01%
• 6M: 18.89%
• 1Y: 34.97%
• 3Y*: 18.74%
• 5Y*: 8.01%
• 10Y*: —

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

AVES vs. DEMGX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
AVES Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF	16.79%	30.49%	4.50%	16.79%	-16.04%	1.32%
DEMGX DFA Emerging Markets Targeted Value Portfolio	17.01%	24.27%	4.62%	17.19%	-12.98%	-0.48%

Correlation

The correlation between AVES and DEMGX is 0.80, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.80
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.85
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 1, 2021	0.87

The correlation between AVES and DEMGX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.80 to 0.87 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

AVES vs. DEMGX — Risk / Return Rank

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

AVES

AVES Risk / Return Rank: 61
AVES Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
AVES Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
AVES Omega Ratio Rank: 65
AVES Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
AVES Martin Ratio Rank: 60

DEMGX

DEMGX Risk / Return Rank: 70
DEMGX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
DEMGX Sortino Ratio Rank: 70
DEMGX Omega Ratio Rank: 74
DEMGX Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
DEMGX Martin Ratio Rank: 57

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.

AVES vs. DEMGX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF (AVES) and DFA Emerging Markets Targeted Value Portfolio (DEMGX). 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.

	AVES	DEMGX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.19	2.61	-0.42
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.90	3.49	-0.59
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	1.49	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.92	3.18	-0.26
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.84	11.63	-0.79
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AVES vs. DEMGX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AVES Sharpe Ratio is 2.19, which is comparable to the DEMGX Sharpe Ratio of 2.61. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AVES and DEMGX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AVES	DEMGX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.19	2.61	-0.42
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.60	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.61	0.68	-0.07

Drawdowns

AVES vs. DEMGX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AVES drawdown since its inception was -27.40%, smaller than the maximum DEMGX drawdown of -42.40%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AVES and DEMGX.

Drawdown Indicators

	AVES	DEMGX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.40%	-42.40%	+15.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.90%	-11.10%	-1.80%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-18.50%	-17.68%	-0.82%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-26.19%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.36%	0.00%	-1.36%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.73%	-7.59%	-0.14%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.47%	3.04%	+0.43%

Volatility

AVES vs. DEMGX - Volatility Comparison

Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF (AVES) has a higher volatility of 6.93% compared to DFA Emerging Markets Targeted Value Portfolio (DEMGX) at 4.92%. This indicates that AVES's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DEMGX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AVES	DEMGX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.93%	4.92%	+2.01%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.44%	11.30%	+3.14%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.19%	13.77%	+3.42%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.98%	13.46%	+3.52%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.98%	15.77%	+1.21%

AVES vs. DEMGX - Expense Ratio Comparison

AVES has a 0.36% expense ratio, which is lower than DEMGX's 0.66% expense ratio.

Dividends

AVES vs. DEMGX - Dividend Comparison

AVES's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.81%, less than DEMGX's 4.25% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
AVES Avantis Emerging Markets Value ETF	2.81%	3.17%	4.09%	3.96%	3.70%	0.62%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
DEMGX DFA Emerging Markets Targeted Value Portfolio	4.25%	4.98%	4.60%	5.21%	4.28%	10.93%	2.23%	3.17%	0.08%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both AVES and DEMGX in my portfolio?

AVES and DEMGX have a correlation of 0.80, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, AVES or DEMGX?

AVES has higher volatility (6.93%) compared to DEMGX (4.92%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AVES dropped -27.40% vs DEMGX's -42.40%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DEMGX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.61 vs 2.19), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.