DFCF vs. SLQD
DFCF (Dimensional Core Fixed Income ETF) and SLQD (iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - DFCF is a Intermediate Core Bond fund actively managed by Dimensional, while SLQD is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade 0-5 Index. DFCF is actively managed, while SLQD is passively managed. Over the past 3 years, DFCF returned 4.72%/yr vs 5.41%/yr for SLQD. Their correlation of 0.87 suggests significant overlap in exposure. DFCF charges 0.17%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for SLQD.
Performance
DFCF vs. SLQD - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DFCF achieves a -0.06% return, which is significantly lower than SLQD's 0.73% return.
DFCF
- 1D
- -0.07%
- 1M
- -0.75%
- YTD
- -0.06%
- 6M
- 0.27%
- 1Y
- 5.55%
- 3Y*
- 4.72%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
SLQD
- 1D
- 0.05%
- 1M
- -0.12%
- YTD
- 0.73%
- 6M
- 1.17%
- 1Y
- 4.49%
- 3Y*
- 5.41%
- 5Y*
- 2.48%
- 10Y*
- 2.63%
DFCF vs. SLQD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFCF Dimensional Core Fixed Income ETF | -0.06% | 7.89% | 1.86% | 6.94% | -14.48% | 0.23% |
SLQD iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.73% | 6.27% | 4.94% | 5.98% | -4.38% | 0.05% |
Correlation
The correlation between DFCF and SLQD is 0.87, 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 | 0.87 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.87 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 17, 2021 | 0.87 |
The correlation between DFCF and SLQD has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.87 to 0.87 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
DFCF vs. SLQD — Risk / Return Rank
DFCF
SLQD
DFCF vs. SLQD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dimensional Core Fixed Income ETF (DFCF) and iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (SLQD). 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.
| DFCF | SLQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.62 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.79 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.63 | -0.38 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.00 | 4.25 | -2.25 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.98 | 19.25 | -13.27 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| DFCF | SLQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.42 | 3.04 | -1.62 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 1.02 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.84 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.02 | 0.84 | -0.82 |
Drawdowns
DFCF vs. SLQD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DFCF drawdown since its inception was -19.56%, which is greater than SLQD's maximum drawdown of -12.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFCF and SLQD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DFCF | SLQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -19.56% | -12.69% | -6.87% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.79% | -1.06% | -1.73% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -5.05% | -1.06% | -3.99% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -7.63% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -12.69% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.88% | -0.24% | -1.64% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -8.02% | -0.87% | -7.15% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.93% | 0.23% | +0.70% |
Volatility
DFCF vs. SLQD - Volatility Comparison
Dimensional Core Fixed Income ETF (DFCF) has a higher volatility of 1.34% compared to iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (SLQD) at 0.51%. This indicates that DFCF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SLQD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DFCF | SLQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.34% | 0.51% | +0.83% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 2.94% | 1.12% | +1.82% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.94% | 1.49% | +2.45% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.46% | 2.44% | +4.02% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 6.46% | 3.14% | +3.32% |
DFCF vs. SLQD - Expense Ratio Comparison
DFCF has a 0.17% expense ratio, which is higher than SLQD's 0.06% 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
DFCF vs. SLQD - Dividend Comparison
DFCF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.33%, which matches SLQD's 4.33% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFCF Dimensional Core Fixed Income ETF | 4.33% | 4.48% | 4.61% | 4.51% | 3.27% | 0.16% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SLQD iShares 0-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 4.33% | 4.15% | 3.71% | 2.99% | 2.00% | 1.67% | 2.34% | 2.89% | 2.55% | 1.98% | 1.81% | 1.43% |
Frequently Asked Questions
DFCF and SLQD have a correlation of 0.87, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
DFCF has higher volatility (1.34%) compared to SLQD (0.51%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DFCF dropped -19.56% vs SLQD's -12.69%.
On 3-year performance, SLQD leads with 5.41% vs 4.72% for DFCF. On fees, SLQD is cheaper at 0.06% per year. On volatility, SLQD has been the lower-risk option at 0.51%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, SLQD has performed better with a 5.41% return vs 4.72%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SLQD is cheaper with a 0.06% expense ratio, compared with 0.17% for DFCF.
DFCF and SLQD have nearly identical dividend yields, around 4.33%.
DFCF is categorized as Intermediate Core Bond, while SLQD is Corporate Bonds. They also come from different issuers: Dimensional and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.17% for DFCF and 0.06% for SLQD.
SLQD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.04 vs 1.42), 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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