DFAC vs. ESGU

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF (DFAC) and iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU).

DFAC and ESGU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DFAC is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Jun 14, 2021. ESGU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Focus Index. It was launched on Dec 1, 2016.

Performance

DFAC vs. ESGU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF (DFAC) and iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DFAC vs. ESGU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
DFAC Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF	-1.60%	15.66%	19.61%	21.96%	-14.93%	9.51%
ESGU iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF	-4.83%	16.90%	24.31%	25.79%	-20.27%	11.47%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DFAC achieves a -1.60% return, which is significantly higher than ESGU's -4.83% return.

DFAC

• 1D: 2.78%
• 1M: -4.86%
• YTD: -1.60%
• 6M: 1.24%
• 1Y: 19.05%
• 3Y*: 16.43%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

ESGU

• 1D: 2.93%
• 1M: -4.97%
• YTD: -4.83%
• 6M: -2.32%
• 1Y: 17.24%
• 3Y*: 17.48%
• 5Y*: 10.42%
• 10Y*: —

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

DFAC vs. ESGU - Expense Ratio Comparison

DFAC has a 0.19% expense ratio, which is higher than ESGU's 0.15% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

DFAC

Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF

ESGU

iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF

Return for Risk

DFAC vs. ESGU — Risk / Return Rank

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

DFAC

DFAC Risk / Return Rank: 66
DFAC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
DFAC Sortino Ratio Rank: 65
DFAC Omega Ratio Rank: 66
DFAC Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
DFAC Martin Ratio Rank: 74

ESGU

ESGU Risk / Return Rank: 61
ESGU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
ESGU Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
ESGU Omega Ratio Rank: 61
ESGU Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
ESGU Martin Ratio Rank: 70

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.

DFAC vs. ESGU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF (DFAC) and iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU). 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.

	DFAC	ESGU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.03	0.92	+0.11
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.56	1.42	+0.14
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.21	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.54	1.45	+0.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.28	6.77	+0.51
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DFAC vs. ESGU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DFAC Sharpe Ratio is 1.03, which is comparable to the ESGU Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DFAC and ESGU, 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

	DFAC	ESGU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.03	0.92	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.60	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.55	0.74	-0.19

Correlation

The correlation between DFAC and ESGU is 0.96, 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

DFAC vs. ESGU - Dividend Comparison

DFAC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.03%, less than ESGU's 1.07% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DFAC Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF	1.03%	0.97%	1.03%	1.20%	1.50%	0.88%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
ESGU iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF	1.07%	0.99%	1.18%	1.43%	1.58%	1.06%	1.27%	1.32%	1.73%	1.82%

Drawdowns

DFAC vs. ESGU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DFAC drawdown since its inception was -23.12%, smaller than the maximum ESGU drawdown of -33.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFAC and ESGU.

Drawdown Indicators

	DFAC	ESGU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-23.12%	-33.87%	+10.75%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.79%	-12.35%	-0.44%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-26.15%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.94%	-6.59%	+0.65%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.62%	-4.96%	-0.66%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.71%	2.65%	+0.06%

Volatility

DFAC vs. ESGU - Volatility Comparison

Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF (DFAC) and iShares ESG MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) have volatilities of 5.31% and 5.42%, 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

	DFAC	ESGU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.31%	5.42%	-0.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.59%	9.77%	-0.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.51%	18.75%	-0.24%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.30%	17.33%	-0.03%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.30%	18.70%	-1.40%