DFGFX vs. DFAW

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about DFA Two Year Global Fixed Income Portfolio (DFGFX) and Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW).

DFGFX is managed by Dimensional. It was launched on Feb 8, 1996. DFAW is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Sep 26, 2023.

Performance

DFGFX vs. DFAW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in DFA Two Year Global Fixed Income Portfolio (DFGFX) and Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DFGFX vs. DFAW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
DFGFX DFA Two Year Global Fixed Income Portfolio	0.77%	2.89%	5.36%	1.43%
DFAW Dimensional World Equity ETF	-0.05%	20.62%	15.49%	11.57%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DFGFX achieves a 0.77% return, which is significantly higher than DFAW's -0.05% return.

DFGFX

• 1D: 0.05%
• 1M: 0.05%
• YTD: 0.77%
• 6M: 1.79%
• 1Y: 2.53%
• 3Y*: 4.23%
• 5Y*: 2.13%
• 10Y*: 1.75%

DFAW

• 1D: 2.97%
• 1M: -5.96%
• YTD: -0.05%
• 6M: 3.63%
• 1Y: 22.61%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

DFGFX vs. DFAW - Expense Ratio Comparison

DFGFX has a 0.16% expense ratio, which is lower than DFAW's 0.25% expense ratio. Despite the difference, 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

DFGFX

DFA Two Year Global Fixed Income Portfolio

Return for Risk

DFGFX vs. DFAW — Risk / Return Rank

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

DFGFX

DFGFX Risk / Return Rank: 80
DFGFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
DFGFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
DFGFX Omega Ratio Rank: 99
DFGFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
DFGFX Martin Ratio Rank: 60

DFAW

DFAW Risk / Return Rank: 79
DFAW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
DFAW Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
DFAW Omega Ratio Rank: 79
DFAW Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
DFAW Martin Ratio Rank: 84

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.

DFGFX vs. DFAW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for DFA Two Year Global Fixed Income Portfolio (DFGFX) and Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW). 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.

	DFGFX	DFAW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.71	1.32	+0.38
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.85	1.94	-0.09
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	2.61	1.29	+1.32
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.87	1.87	-0.01
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.76	9.04	-3.28
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DFGFX vs. DFAW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DFGFX Sharpe Ratio is 1.71, which is comparable to the DFAW Sharpe Ratio of 1.32. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DFGFX and DFAW, 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

	DFGFX	DFAW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.71	1.32	+0.38
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.19	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.29	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	2.27	1.33	+0.95

Correlation

The correlation between DFGFX and DFAW is 0.02, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

DFGFX vs. DFAW - Dividend Comparison

DFGFX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.12%, more than DFAW's 1.74% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DFGFX DFA Two Year Global Fixed Income Portfolio	3.12%	2.67%	4.77%	3.19%	1.17%	0.23%	0.57%	2.24%	2.21%	1.54%	0.65%	0.02%
DFAW Dimensional World Equity ETF	1.74%	1.71%	1.47%	0.42%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

DFGFX vs. DFAW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DFGFX drawdown since its inception was -4.00%, smaller than the maximum DFAW drawdown of -16.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFGFX and DFAW.

Drawdown Indicators

	DFGFX	DFAW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.00%	-16.93%	+12.93%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.41%	-12.24%	+10.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-4.00%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-4.00%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-6.17%	+6.17%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.23%	-1.75%	+1.52%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.46%	2.54%	-2.08%

Volatility

DFGFX vs. DFAW - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for DFA Two Year Global Fixed Income Portfolio (DFGFX) is 0.22%, while Dimensional World Equity ETF (DFAW) has a volatility of 5.75%. This indicates that DFGFX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFAW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DFGFX	DFAW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.22%	5.75%	-5.53%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.44%	9.45%	-9.01%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.56%	17.14%	-15.58%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.81%	14.57%	-12.76%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.36%	14.57%	-13.21%