DFAW vs. DFAI

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW) and Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF (DFAI).

DFAW and DFAI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DFAW is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Sep 26, 2023. DFAI is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Nov 17, 2020.

Performance

DFAW vs. DFAI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW) and Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF (DFAI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DFAW vs. DFAI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
DFAW Dimensional World Equity ETF	0.66%	20.62%	15.49%	11.57%
DFAI Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF	4.03%	34.04%	4.68%	10.83%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DFAW achieves a 0.66% return, which is significantly lower than DFAI's 4.03% return.

DFAW

• 1D: 0.70%
• 1M: -4.68%
• YTD: 0.66%
• 6M: 4.05%
• 1Y: 23.11%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DFAI

• 1D: 1.49%
• 1M: -4.63%
• YTD: 4.03%
• 6M: 9.10%
• 1Y: 29.81%
• 3Y*: 16.70%
• 5Y*: 9.76%
• 10Y*: —

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

DFAW vs. DFAI - Expense Ratio Comparison

DFAW has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than DFAI's 0.18% 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%.

DFAW

Dimensional World Equity ETF

DFAI

Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF

Return for Risk

DFAW vs. DFAI — Risk / Return Rank

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

DFAW

DFAW Risk / Return Rank: 75
DFAW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 73
DFAW Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
DFAW Omega Ratio Rank: 76
DFAW Calmar Ratio Rank: 72
DFAW Martin Ratio Rank: 80

DFAI

DFAI Risk / Return Rank: 87
DFAI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
DFAI Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
DFAI Omega Ratio Rank: 87
DFAI Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
DFAI 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.

DFAW vs. DFAI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW) and Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF (DFAI). 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.

	DFAW	DFAI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.35	1.79	-0.44
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.98	2.44	-0.46
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.37	-0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.92	2.74	-0.82
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.17	10.73	-1.56
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DFAW vs. DFAI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DFAW Sharpe Ratio is 1.35, which is comparable to the DFAI Sharpe Ratio of 1.79. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DFAW and DFAI, 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

	DFAW	DFAI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.35	1.79	-0.44
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.62	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.35	0.75	+0.60

Correlation

The correlation between DFAW and DFAI is 0.84, 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

DFAW vs. DFAI - Dividend Comparison

DFAW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.73%, less than DFAI's 2.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
DFAW Dimensional World Equity ETF	1.73%	1.71%	1.47%	0.42%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
DFAI Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF	2.37%	2.45%	2.72%	2.64%	2.72%	2.06%	0.09%

Drawdowns

DFAW vs. DFAI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DFAW drawdown since its inception was -16.93%, smaller than the maximum DFAI drawdown of -27.44%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFAW and DFAI.

Drawdown Indicators

	DFAW	DFAI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-16.93%	-27.44%	+10.51%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.24%	-10.95%	-1.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-27.44%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.51%	-6.23%	+0.72%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.76%	-5.21%	+3.45%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.56%	2.79%	-0.23%

Volatility

DFAW vs. DFAI - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW) is 5.67%, while Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF (DFAI) has a volatility of 6.97%. This indicates that DFAW experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFAI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DFAW	DFAI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.67%	6.97%	-1.30%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.47%	10.65%	-1.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.15%	16.73%	+0.42%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.57%	15.81%	-1.24%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.57%	15.66%	-1.09%