DGS vs. EMDM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund (DGS) and First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM).

DGS and EMDM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DGS is a passively managed fund by WisdomTree that tracks the performance of the WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Index. It was launched on Oct 30, 2007. EMDM is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies Index - Benchmark TR Net. It was launched on Mar 2, 2023. Both DGS and EMDM are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

DGS vs. EMDM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund (DGS) and First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DGS vs. EMDM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
DGS WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund	5.34%	21.18%	1.13%	12.63%
EMDM First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF	11.89%	59.68%	-4.93%	14.21%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DGS achieves a 5.34% return, which is significantly lower than EMDM's 11.89% return.

DGS

• 1D: 2.72%
• 1M: -6.99%
• YTD: 5.34%
• 6M: 6.67%
• 1Y: 29.07%
• 3Y*: 13.78%
• 5Y*: 7.49%
• 10Y*: 8.94%

EMDM

• 1D: 5.02%
• 1M: -11.39%
• YTD: 11.89%
• 6M: 27.11%
• 1Y: 68.49%
• 3Y*: 24.85%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

DGS vs. EMDM - Expense Ratio Comparison

DGS has a 0.58% expense ratio, which is lower than EMDM's 0.75% expense ratio.

EMDM

First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF

DGS

WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund

Return for Risk

DGS vs. EMDM — Risk / Return Rank

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

DGS

DGS Risk / Return Rank: 87
DGS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
DGS Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
DGS Omega Ratio Rank: 87
DGS Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
DGS Martin Ratio Rank: 86

EMDM

EMDM Risk / Return Rank: 97
EMDM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
EMDM Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
EMDM Omega Ratio Rank: 97
EMDM Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
EMDM Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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.

DGS vs. EMDM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund (DGS) and First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM). 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.

	DGS	EMDM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.76	2.93	-1.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.37	3.54	-1.17
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.54	-0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.56	4.31	-1.74
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.49	18.18	-8.69
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DGS vs. EMDM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DGS Sharpe Ratio is 1.76, which is lower than the EMDM Sharpe Ratio of 2.93. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DGS and EMDM, 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

	DGS	EMDM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.76	2.93	-1.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.51	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.21	1.27	-1.07

Correlation

The correlation between DGS and EMDM is 0.87, 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

DGS vs. EMDM - Dividend Comparison

DGS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.49%, more than EMDM's 3.19% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DGS WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund	3.49%	3.45%	3.36%	4.55%	5.34%	3.98%	3.69%	3.95%	4.24%	2.81%	3.42%	3.28%
EMDM First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF	3.19%	3.57%	5.87%	2.16%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

DGS vs. EMDM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DGS drawdown since its inception was -61.83%, which is greater than EMDM's maximum drawdown of -18.81%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DGS and EMDM.

Drawdown Indicators

	DGS	EMDM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-61.83%	-18.81%	-43.02%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.99%	-15.65%	+4.66%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.86%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.08%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.62%	-11.42%	+3.80%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.68%	-4.16%	-8.52%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.96%	3.71%	-0.75%

Volatility

DGS vs. EMDM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund (DGS) is 8.48%, while First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM) has a volatility of 13.46%. This indicates that DGS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EMDM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DGS	EMDM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.48%	13.46%	-4.98%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.46%	18.35%	-6.89%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.59%	23.54%	-6.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.66%	18.98%	-4.32%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.25%	18.98%	-1.73%