MEM vs. DGS
MEM (Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF) and DGS (WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund) are both Emerging Markets Diversified funds. MEM is actively managed, while DGS is passively managed. Over the past 3 years, MEM returned 23.26%/yr vs 16.17%/yr for DGS. Their correlation of 0.83 suggests significant overlap in exposure. MEM charges 0.79%/yr vs 0.58%/yr for DGS.
Performance
MEM vs. DGS - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, MEM achieves a 28.39% return, which is significantly higher than DGS's 14.53% return.
MEM
- 1D
- -1.34%
- 1M
- 8.03%
- YTD
- 28.39%
- 6M
- 30.14%
- 1Y
- 54.36%
- 3Y*
- 23.26%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
DGS
- 1D
- -1.37%
- 1M
- 2.58%
- YTD
- 14.53%
- 6M
- 15.57%
- 1Y
- 27.26%
- 3Y*
- 16.17%
- 5Y*
- 7.85%
- 10Y*
- 9.93%
MEM vs. DGS - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MEM Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF | 28.39% | 28.31% | 10.11% | 6.92% | 7.30% |
DGS WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund | 14.53% | 21.18% | 1.13% | 19.08% | 5.82% |
Correlation
The correlation between MEM and DGS is 0.83, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.83 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.82 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 15, 2022 | 0.83 |
The correlation between MEM and DGS has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.82 to 0.83 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
MEM vs. DGS — Risk / Return Rank
MEM
DGS
MEM vs. DGS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF (MEM) and WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund (DGS). 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.
| MEM | DGS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.89 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.04 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.47 | 1.32 | +0.15 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.74 | 2.72 | +1.02 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 13.64 | 9.16 | +4.48 |
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
| MEM | DGS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.65 | 1.76 | +0.89 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 0.53 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.58 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.14 | 0.23 | +0.91 |
Drawdowns
MEM vs. DGS - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum MEM drawdown since its inception was -19.10%, smaller than the maximum DGS drawdown of -61.83%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MEM and DGS.
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Drawdown Indicators
| MEM | DGS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -19.10% | -61.83% | +42.73% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.62% | -10.06% | -4.56% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.10% | -19.31% | +0.21% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -24.86% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -44.08% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.34% | -1.40% | +0.06% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.74% | -12.59% | +7.85% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.00% | 2.98% | +1.02% |
Volatility
MEM vs. DGS - Volatility Comparison
Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF (MEM) has a higher volatility of 8.97% compared to WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund (DGS) at 5.24%. This indicates that MEM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DGS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| MEM | DGS | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.97% | 5.24% | +3.73% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 17.95% | 13.03% | +4.92% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 20.65% | 15.56% | +5.09% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.31% | 14.87% | +3.44% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.31% | 17.32% | +0.99% |
MEM vs. DGS - Expense Ratio Comparison
MEM has a 0.79% expense ratio, which is higher than DGS's 0.58% expense ratio.
Dividends
MEM vs. DGS - Dividend Comparison
MEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.77%, less than DGS's 3.21% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DGS WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Fund | 3.21% | 3.45% | 3.36% | 4.55% | 5.34% | 3.98% | 3.69% | 3.95% | 4.24% | 2.81% | 3.42% | 3.28% |
MEM Matthews Emerging Markets Equity Active ETF | 2.77% | 3.56% | 7.81% | 0.01% | 0.53% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
MEM and DGS have a correlation of 0.83, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
MEM has higher volatility (8.97%) compared to DGS (5.24%). In terms of maximum drawdown, MEM dropped -19.10% vs DGS's -61.83%.
On 3-year performance, MEM leads with 23.26% vs 16.17% for DGS. On fees, DGS is cheaper at 0.58% per year. On volatility, DGS has been the lower-risk option at 5.24%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, MEM has performed better with a 23.26% return vs 16.17%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
DGS is cheaper with a 0.58% expense ratio, compared with 0.79% for MEM.
DGS has the higher dividend yield at 3.21%, compared with 2.77% for MEM.
They also come from different issuers: Matthews and WisdomTree. Their fees differ too: 0.79% for MEM and 0.58% for DGS.
MEM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.65 vs 1.76), 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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