NFFFX vs. DFSVX

Last updated Aug 4, 2026

NFFFX (American Funds New World Fund) and DFSVX (DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I) are both mutual funds - NFFFX is a Emerging Markets Equities fund managed by American Funds, while DFSVX is a Small Cap Value Equities fund actively managed by Dimensional. Over the past 10 years, NFFFX returned 10.56%/yr vs 11.81%/yr for DFSVX. Their 0.68 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. NFFFX charges 0.68%/yr vs 0.30%/yr for DFSVX.

Performance

NFFFX vs. DFSVX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Funds New World Fund (NFFFX) and DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I (DFSVX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NFFFX achieves a 14.00% return, which is significantly lower than DFSVX's 21.34% return. Over the past 10 years, NFFFX has underperformed DFSVX with an annualized return of 10.56%, while DFSVX has yielded a comparatively higher 11.81% annualized return.

NFFFX

• 1D: 1.97%
• 1M: 0.30%
• 6M: 7.55%
• YTD: 14.00%
• 1Y: 29.10%
• 3Y*: 16.42%
• 5Y*: 6.82%
• 10Y*: 10.56%
• ALL TIME*: 6.71%

DFSVX

• 1D: -0.05%
• 1M: 2.61%
• 6M: 11.99%
• YTD: 21.34%
• 1Y: 36.95%
• 3Y*: 15.44%
• 5Y*: 12.43%
• 10Y*: 11.81%
• ALL TIME*: 11.51%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
DFSVX DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
NFFFX American Funds New World Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

NFFFX vs. DFSVX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NFFFX American Funds New World Fund	14.00%	28.52%	6.78%	16.11%	-21.86%	4.98%	25.17%	27.89%	-12.08%	32.92%
DFSVX DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I	21.34%	8.37%	9.58%	19.02%	-3.57%	39.97%	2.24%	18.15%	-15.13%	6.82%

Correlation

The correlation between NFFFX and DFSVX is 0.43, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.43
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.55
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.63
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.61
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 1, 2008	0.68

Over the past year, the correlation between NFFFX and DFSVX has dropped to 0.43 - well below their long-term average of 0.68, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

NFFFX vs. DFSVX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

NFFFX

NFFFX Risk / Return Rank: 57
NFFFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
NFFFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
NFFFX Omega Ratio Rank: 60
NFFFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
NFFFX Martin Ratio Rank: 54

DFSVX

DFSVX Risk / Return Rank: 85
DFSVX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
DFSVX Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
DFSVX Omega Ratio Rank: 79
DFSVX Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
DFSVX Martin Ratio Rank: 89

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

NFFFX vs. DFSVX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Funds New World Fund (NFFFX) and DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I (DFSVX). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	NFFFX	DFSVX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.56	2.07	-0.51
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.16	3.04	-0.88
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.37	-0.08
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.14	3.62	-1.48
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	7.74	12.10	-4.36

NFFFX vs. DFSVX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NFFFX Sharpe Ratio is 1.56, which is comparable to the DFSVX Sharpe Ratio of 2.07. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NFFFX and DFSVX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

NFFFX vs. DFSVX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NFFFX drawdown since its inception was -50.17%, smaller than the maximum DFSVX drawdown of -66.70%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NFFFX and DFSVX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NFFFX	DFSVX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-50.17%	-66.70%	+16.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.01%	-9.59%	-3.42%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-15.05%	-27.69%	+12.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.48%	-27.69%	-5.79%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-33.48%	-52.12%	+18.64%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.01%	-0.81%	-3.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.75%	-9.43%	-0.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.58%	2.87%	+0.71%

Volatility

NFFFX vs. DFSVX - Volatility Comparison

American Funds New World Fund (NFFFX) has a higher volatility of 7.36% compared to DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I (DFSVX) at 3.33%. This indicates that NFFFX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFSVX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NFFFX	DFSVX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.36%	3.33%	+4.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.02%	10.66%	+5.36%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.82%	16.83%	+0.99%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.98%	21.19%	-5.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.33%	23.79%	-7.46%

NFFFX vs. DFSVX - Expense Ratio Comparison

NFFFX has a 0.68% expense ratio, which is higher than DFSVX's 0.30% expense ratio.

Dividends

NFFFX vs. DFSVX - Dividend Comparison

NFFFX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.27%, more than DFSVX's 1.50% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DFSVX DFA U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio I	1.50%	1.69%	1.47%	3.67%	6.77%	10.40%	1.96%	2.83%	7.54%	5.18%	4.18%	5.29%
NFFFX American Funds New World Fund	5.27%	6.01%	4.01%	2.78%	1.21%	7.23%	0.35%	3.95%	2.62%	2.17%	1.28%	0.94%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NFFFX and DFSVX in my portfolio?

NFFFX and DFSVX have a correlation of 0.43, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NFFFX or DFSVX?

NFFFX has higher volatility (7.36%) compared to DFSVX (3.33%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NFFFX dropped -50.17% vs DFSVX's -66.70%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DFSVX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.07 vs 1.56), 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.