DFIHX vs. MEAR
DFIHX (DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio) and MEAR (iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF) are both funds - DFIHX is a Ultrashort Bond fund managed by Dimensional, while MEAR is a Municipal Bonds fund actively managed by iShares. Over the past 10 years, DFIHX returned 1.98%/yr vs 1.78%/yr for MEAR. At a 0.06 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. DFIHX charges 0.13%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for MEAR.
Performance
DFIHX vs. MEAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DFIHX achieves a 1.62% return, which is significantly higher than MEAR's 1.18% return. Over the past 10 years, DFIHX has outperformed MEAR with an annualized return of 1.98%, while MEAR has yielded a comparatively lower 1.78% annualized return.
DFIHX
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- 0.30%
- YTD
- 1.62%
- 6M
- 1.72%
- 1Y
- 3.55%
- 3Y*
- 4.43%
- 5Y*
- 2.78%
- 10Y*
- 1.98%
MEAR
- 1D
- 0.06%
- 1M
- 0.39%
- YTD
- 1.18%
- 6M
- 1.24%
- 1Y
- 3.16%
- 3Y*
- 3.47%
- 5Y*
- 2.45%
- 10Y*
- 1.78%
DFIHX vs. MEAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFIHX DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio | 1.62% | 3.41% | 5.41% | 4.98% | -1.19% | -0.19% | 0.62% | 2.44% | 1.87% | 0.94% |
MEAR iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 1.18% | 3.76% | 3.40% | 3.93% | 0.10% | 0.05% | 1.18% | 1.91% | 1.63% | 1.12% |
Correlation
The correlation between DFIHX and MEAR is 0.00, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.00 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.02 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.08 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.06 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 5, 2015 | 0.06 |
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Return for Risk
DFIHX vs. MEAR — Risk / Return Rank
DFIHX
MEAR
DFIHX vs. MEAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio (DFIHX) and iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR). 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.
| DFIHX | MEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.17 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.30 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 5.69 | 1.86 | +3.83 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 9.23 | 6.80 | +2.43 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 55.72 | 27.85 | +27.87 |
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Drawdowns
DFIHX vs. MEAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DFIHX drawdown since its inception was -2.53%, smaller than the maximum MEAR drawdown of -2.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFIHX and MEAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DFIHX | MEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -2.53% | -2.68% | +0.15% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.39% | -0.47% | +0.08% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -0.49% | -0.86% | +0.37% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -2.26% | -1.12% | -1.14% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -2.26% | -2.68% | +0.42% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.15% | -0.19% | +0.04% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.06% | 0.11% | -0.05% |
Volatility
DFIHX vs. MEAR - Volatility Comparison
DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio (DFIHX) has a higher volatility of 0.26% compared to iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF (MEAR) at 0.21%. This indicates that DFIHX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MEAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DFIHX | MEAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.26% | 0.21% | +0.05% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.46% | 0.61% | -0.15% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.74% | 0.86% | -0.12% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 1.00% | 0.99% | +0.01% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 0.80% | 1.51% | -0.71% |
DFIHX vs. MEAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
DFIHX has a 0.13% expense ratio, which is lower than MEAR'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%.
Dividends
DFIHX vs. MEAR - Dividend Comparison
DFIHX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.58%, more than MEAR's 2.84% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFIHX DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio | 3.58% | 3.26% | 4.99% | 3.37% | 1.07% | 0.00% | 0.62% | 2.12% | 1.85% | 1.13% | 0.66% | 0.51% |
MEAR iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 2.84% | 2.95% | 3.44% | 3.30% | 0.88% | 0.30% | 0.90% | 1.57% | 1.36% | 1.01% | 0.81% | 0.53% |
Frequently Asked Questions
DFIHX and MEAR have a correlation of 0.00, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
DFIHX has higher volatility (0.26%) compared to MEAR (0.21%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DFIHX dropped -2.53% vs MEAR's -2.68%.
DFIHX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.88 vs 3.71), 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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