DFALX vs. AGG
DFALX (DFA Large Cap International Portfolio) and AGG (iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF) are both funds - DFALX is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund managed by Dimensional, while AGG is a Total Bond Market fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Over the past 10 years, DFALX returned 10.35%/yr vs 1.57%/yr for AGG. At a correlation of -0.04, they often move in opposite directions. DFALX charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for AGG.
Performance
DFALX vs. AGG - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DFALX achieves a 10.02% return, which is significantly higher than AGG's 0.52% return. Over the past 10 years, DFALX has outperformed AGG with an annualized return of 10.35%, while AGG has yielded a comparatively lower 1.57% annualized return.
DFALX
- 1D
- 2.73%
- 1M
- 0.45%
- YTD
- 10.02%
- 6M
- 11.54%
- 1Y
- 25.05%
- 3Y*
- 18.07%
- 5Y*
- 9.39%
- 10Y*
- 10.35%
AGG
- 1D
- -0.12%
- 1M
- 0.46%
- YTD
- 0.52%
- 6M
- 0.93%
- 1Y
- 4.87%
- 3Y*
- 4.19%
- 5Y*
- 0.06%
- 10Y*
- 1.57%
DFALX vs. AGG - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFALX DFA Large Cap International Portfolio | 10.02% | 33.60% | 4.55% | 17.88% | -13.04% | 12.79% | 8.13% | 22.05% | -14.15% | 25.35% |
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 0.52% | 7.19% | 1.31% | 5.65% | -13.02% | -1.77% | 7.48% | 8.46% | 0.09% | 3.55% |
Correlation
The correlation between DFALX and AGG is 0.45, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.45 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.36 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.12 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 26, 2003 | -0.04 |
The correlation between DFALX and AGG shifts across timeframes, from -0.04 (all time) to 0.45 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
DFALX vs. AGG — Risk / Return Rank
DFALX
AGG
DFALX vs. AGG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for DFA Large Cap International Portfolio (DFALX) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| DFALX | AGG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.51 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.63 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.30 | 1.21 | +0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.32 | 1.63 | +0.69 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.96 | 4.82 | +4.15 |
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Drawdowns
DFALX vs. AGG - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DFALX drawdown since its inception was -59.76%, which is greater than AGG's maximum drawdown of -18.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFALX and AGG.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DFALX | AGG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -59.76% | -18.43% | -41.33% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -10.70% | -2.76% | -7.94% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -13.11% | -6.11% | -7.00% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -27.52% | -17.82% | -9.70% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -35.58% | -18.43% | -17.15% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.81% | -1.88% | +1.07% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -12.00% | -2.71% | -9.29% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.76% | 0.94% | +1.82% |
Volatility
DFALX vs. AGG - Volatility Comparison
DFA Large Cap International Portfolio (DFALX) has a higher volatility of 4.92% compared to iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) at 1.37%. This indicates that DFALX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AGG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DFALX | AGG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.92% | 1.37% | +3.55% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.05% | 2.81% | +9.24% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 14.60% | 3.82% | +10.78% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.77% | 6.09% | +9.68% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.19% | 5.41% | +10.78% |
DFALX vs. AGG - Expense Ratio Comparison
DFALX has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is higher than AGG's 0.03% 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%.
Dividends
DFALX vs. AGG - Dividend Comparison
DFALX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.75%, less than AGG's 3.98% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 3.98% | 3.89% | 3.74% | 3.13% | 2.39% | 1.77% | 2.14% | 2.70% | 2.72% | 2.32% | 2.39% | 2.45% |
DFALX DFA Large Cap International Portfolio | 2.75% | 2.89% | 3.18% | 3.24% | 2.86% | 3.00% | 1.88% | 2.88% | 3.07% | 2.55% | 2.89% | 2.94% |
Frequently Asked Questions
DFALX and AGG have a correlation of 0.45, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
DFALX has higher volatility (4.92%) compared to AGG (1.37%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DFALX dropped -59.76% vs AGG's -18.43%.
DFALX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.70 vs 1.19), 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.
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