DFSD vs. VGSH
Compare and contrast key facts about Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF (DFSD) and Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH).
DFSD and VGSH are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DFSD is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Nov 15, 2021. VGSH is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2009.
Performance
DFSD vs. VGSH - Performance Comparison
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DFSD vs. VGSH - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFSD Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF | 0.17% | 6.59% | 4.60% | 6.09% | -5.87% | -0.02% |
VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 0.28% | 5.07% | 4.00% | 4.31% | -3.86% | -0.15% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DFSD achieves a 0.17% return, which is significantly lower than VGSH's 0.28% return.
DFSD
- 1D
- 0.31%
- 1M
- -0.89%
- YTD
- 0.17%
- 6M
- 1.29%
- 1Y
- 4.79%
- 3Y*
- 5.25%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
VGSH
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- -0.49%
- YTD
- 0.28%
- 6M
- 1.37%
- 1Y
- 3.75%
- 3Y*
- 3.98%
- 5Y*
- 1.79%
- 10Y*
- 1.74%
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DFSD vs. VGSH - Expense Ratio Comparison
DFSD has a 0.16% expense ratio, which is higher than VGSH'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%.
Return for Risk
DFSD vs. VGSH — Risk / Return Rank
DFSD
VGSH
DFSD vs. VGSH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF (DFSD) and Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH). 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.
| DFSD | VGSH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.13 | 2.62 | -0.49 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 3.12 | 4.21 | -1.09 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.45 | 1.57 | -0.12 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.25 | 4.26 | -1.01 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 13.49 | 16.28 | -2.78 |
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
| DFSD | VGSH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.13 | 2.62 | -0.49 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 0.92 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 1.11 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.91 | 1.02 | -0.11 |
Correlation
The correlation between DFSD and VGSH is 0.79, 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
DFSD vs. VGSH - Dividend Comparison
DFSD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.94%, which matches VGSH's 3.95% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DFSD Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF | 3.94% | 4.12% | 4.81% | 3.89% | 2.12% | 0.11% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF | 3.95% | 4.00% | 4.18% | 3.31% | 1.15% | 0.66% | 1.74% | 2.28% | 1.79% | 1.10% | 0.84% | 0.69% |
Drawdowns
DFSD vs. VGSH - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DFSD drawdown since its inception was -8.45%, which is greater than VGSH's maximum drawdown of -5.70%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DFSD and VGSH.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DFSD | VGSH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -8.45% | -5.70% | -2.75% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.47% | -0.88% | -0.59% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -5.70% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -5.70% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.89% | -0.49% | -0.40% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.13% | -0.60% | -1.53% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.35% | 0.23% | +0.12% |
Volatility
DFSD vs. VGSH - Volatility Comparison
Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF (DFSD) has a higher volatility of 0.94% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) at 0.52%. This indicates that DFSD's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGSH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DFSD | VGSH | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.94% | 0.52% | +0.42% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.33% | 0.84% | +0.49% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.26% | 1.44% | +0.82% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.80% | 1.96% | +0.84% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.80% | 1.57% | +1.23% |