EWJV vs. DFJSX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF (EWJV) and DFA Japanese Small Company Portfolio (DFJSX).

EWJV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Japan Value Index. It was launched on Mar 5, 2019. DFJSX is managed by Dimensional. It was launched on Jan 30, 1986.

Performance

EWJV vs. DFJSX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF (EWJV) and DFA Japanese Small Company Portfolio (DFJSX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EWJV vs. DFJSX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
EWJV iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF	7.42%	33.96%	11.59%	23.60%	-6.02%	5.48%	2.41%	10.48%
DFJSX DFA Japanese Small Company Portfolio	3.43%	31.65%	4.35%	17.08%	-11.36%	-0.39%	3.78%	12.36%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EWJV achieves a 7.42% return, which is significantly higher than DFJSX's 3.43% return.

EWJV

• 1D: 3.49%
• 1M: -7.60%
• YTD: 7.42%
• 6M: 14.01%
• 1Y: 35.29%
• 3Y*: 23.58%
• 5Y*: 12.70%
• 10Y*: —

DFJSX

• 1D: -0.58%
• 1M: -12.02%
• YTD: 3.43%
• 6M: 5.62%
• 1Y: 29.14%
• 3Y*: 16.13%
• 5Y*: 7.40%
• 10Y*: 8.47%

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

EWJV vs. DFJSX - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWJV has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than DFJSX's 0.42% expense ratio.

DFJSX

DFA Japanese Small Company Portfolio

EWJV

iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF

Return for Risk

EWJV vs. DFJSX — Risk / Return Rank

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

EWJV

EWJV Risk / Return Rank: 84
EWJV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
EWJV Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
EWJV Omega Ratio Rank: 84
EWJV Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
EWJV Martin Ratio Rank: 81

DFJSX

DFJSX Risk / Return Rank: 82
DFJSX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
DFJSX Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
DFJSX Omega Ratio Rank: 78
DFJSX Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
DFJSX Martin Ratio Rank: 79

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.

EWJV vs. DFJSX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF (EWJV) and DFA Japanese Small Company Portfolio (DFJSX). 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.

	EWJV	DFJSX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.64	1.62	+0.03
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.29	2.18	+0.12
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.30	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.30	2.09	+0.21
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.46	7.69	+0.78
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EWJV vs. DFJSX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWJV Sharpe Ratio is 1.64, which is comparable to the DFJSX Sharpe Ratio of 1.62. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWJV and DFJSX, 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

	EWJV	DFJSX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.64	1.62	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71	0.46	+0.25
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.51	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.65	0.29	+0.36

Correlation

The correlation between EWJV and DFJSX 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

EWJV vs. DFJSX - Dividend Comparison

EWJV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.98%, more than DFJSX's 3.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EWJV iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF	4.98%	5.35%	4.10%	3.32%	2.71%	2.46%	1.96%	4.29%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
DFJSX DFA Japanese Small Company Portfolio	3.37%	3.49%	3.16%	6.45%	5.44%	5.26%	2.14%	3.98%	7.50%	2.41%	1.97%	1.38%

Drawdowns

EWJV vs. DFJSX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWJV drawdown since its inception was -30.05%, smaller than the maximum DFJSX drawdown of -76.17%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWJV and DFJSX.

Drawdown Indicators

	EWJV	DFJSX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-30.05%	-76.17%	+46.12%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.74%	-12.53%	-2.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.39%	-31.39%	+6.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-40.32%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.30%	-12.02%	+1.72%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.17%	-30.20%	+24.03%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.01%	3.44%	+0.57%

Volatility

EWJV vs. DFJSX - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI Japan Value ETF (EWJV) has a higher volatility of 8.55% compared to DFA Japanese Small Company Portfolio (DFJSX) at 6.94%. This indicates that EWJV's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFJSX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EWJV	DFJSX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.55%	6.94%	+1.61%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.24%	12.29%	+1.95%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.60%	17.47%	+4.13%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.90%	16.07%	+1.83%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.50%	16.53%	+1.97%