DWX vs. HDEF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF (DWX) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF).

DWX and HDEF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DWX is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P International Dividend Opportunities Index. It was launched on Feb 12, 2008. HDEF is a passively managed fund by Deutsche Bank that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield US Dollar Hedged Index. It was launched on Aug 12, 2015. Both DWX and HDEF 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

DWX vs. HDEF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF (DWX) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DWX vs. HDEF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DWX SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF	4.30%	31.62%	2.56%	14.74%	-12.99%	10.56%	-5.10%	20.26%	-11.11%	18.91%
HDEF Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF	5.06%	33.01%	2.85%	18.53%	-2.51%	6.95%	-1.90%	25.02%	-13.74%	9.89%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DWX achieves a 4.30% return, which is significantly lower than HDEF's 5.06% return. Over the past 10 years, DWX has underperformed HDEF with an annualized return of 7.47%, while HDEF has yielded a comparatively higher 8.87% annualized return.

DWX

• 1D: 1.94%
• 1M: -5.87%
• YTD: 4.30%
• 6M: 8.96%
• 1Y: 24.41%
• 3Y*: 14.87%
• 5Y*: 8.07%
• 10Y*: 7.47%

HDEF

• 1D: 1.98%
• 1M: -4.72%
• YTD: 5.06%
• 6M: 11.32%
• 1Y: 24.25%
• 3Y*: 16.72%
• 5Y*: 11.17%
• 10Y*: 8.87%

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

DWX vs. HDEF - Expense Ratio Comparison

DWX has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is higher than HDEF's 0.20% expense ratio.

DWX

SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF

HDEF

Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF

Return for Risk

DWX vs. HDEF — Risk / Return Rank

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

DWX

DWX Risk / Return Rank: 90
DWX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
DWX Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
DWX Omega Ratio Rank: 90
DWX Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
DWX Martin Ratio Rank: 89

HDEF

HDEF Risk / Return Rank: 86
HDEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
HDEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
HDEF Omega Ratio Rank: 88
HDEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
HDEF Martin Ratio Rank: 86

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.

DWX vs. HDEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF (DWX) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF). 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.

	DWX	HDEF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.96	1.68	+0.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.58	2.25	+0.33
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.35	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.79	2.51	+0.28
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.67	9.67	+1.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DWX vs. HDEF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DWX Sharpe Ratio is 1.96, which is comparable to the HDEF Sharpe Ratio of 1.68. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DWX and HDEF, 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

	DWX	HDEF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.96	1.68	+0.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.67	0.80	-0.13
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.55	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.12	0.46	-0.34

Correlation

The correlation between DWX and HDEF is 0.73, 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

DWX vs. HDEF - Dividend Comparison

DWX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.28%, more than HDEF's 3.61% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DWX SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF	4.28%	4.44%	4.31%	4.12%	4.68%	3.89%	3.84%	4.40%	5.06%	3.85%	5.25%	5.81%
HDEF Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF	3.61%	3.88%	4.53%	4.38%	5.41%	4.76%	3.93%	4.20%	3.55%	3.38%	9.53%	1.87%

Drawdowns

DWX vs. HDEF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DWX drawdown since its inception was -66.86%, which is greater than HDEF's maximum drawdown of -36.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DWX and HDEF.

Drawdown Indicators

	DWX	HDEF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-66.86%	-36.43%	-30.43%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.59%	-9.32%	+0.73%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.96%	-23.63%	-3.33%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.05%	-36.43%	+0.38%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.87%	-4.72%	-1.15%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.23%	-5.07%	-9.16%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.24%	2.42%	-0.18%

Volatility

DWX vs. HDEF - Volatility Comparison

SPDR S&P International Dividend ETF (DWX) and Xtrackers MSCI EAFE High Dividend Yield Equity ETF (HDEF) have volatilities of 5.64% and 5.52%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DWX	HDEF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.64%	5.52%	+0.12%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.13%	8.54%	-0.41%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.53%	14.54%	-2.01%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.13%	14.10%	-1.97%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.21%	16.21%	-1.00%