PEMX vs. DFSE

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Putnam Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (PEMX) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 ETF (DFSE).

PEMX and DFSE are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PEMX is an actively managed fund by Putnam. It was launched on May 17, 2023. DFSE is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Nov 1, 2022.

Performance

PEMX vs. DFSE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Putnam Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (PEMX) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 ETF (DFSE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PEMX vs. DFSE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
PEMX Putnam Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF	9.03%	34.01%	17.21%	15.13%
DFSE Dimensional Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 ETF	2.27%	28.22%	6.90%	9.52%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PEMX achieves a 9.03% return, which is significantly higher than DFSE's 2.27% return.

PEMX

• 1D: 4.10%
• 1M: -9.83%
• YTD: 9.03%
• 6M: 19.84%
• 1Y: 50.08%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DFSE

• 1D: 3.27%
• 1M: -8.75%
• YTD: 2.27%
• 6M: 3.96%
• 1Y: 28.74%
• 3Y*: 14.83%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

PEMX vs. DFSE - Expense Ratio Comparison

PEMX has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than DFSE's 0.41% expense ratio.

PEMX

Putnam Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF

DFSE

Dimensional Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 ETF

Return for Risk

PEMX vs. DFSE — Risk / Return Rank

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

PEMX

PEMX Risk / Return Rank: 94
PEMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
PEMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
PEMX Omega Ratio Rank: 94
PEMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
PEMX Martin Ratio Rank: 94

DFSE

DFSE Risk / Return Rank: 78
DFSE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
DFSE Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
DFSE Omega Ratio Rank: 78
DFSE Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
DFSE Martin Ratio Rank: 76

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.

PEMX vs. DFSE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Putnam Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (PEMX) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 ETF (DFSE). 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.

	PEMX	DFSE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.46	1.50	+0.95
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.17	2.06	+1.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.45	1.30	+0.16
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.43	2.16	+1.26
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.24	8.14	+6.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PEMX vs. DFSE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PEMX Sharpe Ratio is 2.46, which is higher than the DFSE Sharpe Ratio of 1.50. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PEMX and DFSE, 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

	PEMX	DFSE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.46	1.50	+0.95
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.57	1.10	+0.47

Correlation

The correlation between PEMX and DFSE is 0.81, 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

PEMX vs. DFSE - Dividend Comparison

PEMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.42%, more than DFSE's 2.18% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022
PEMX Putnam Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF	6.42%	7.00%	5.00%	0.72%	0.00%
DFSE Dimensional Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 ETF	2.18%	2.26%	2.06%	2.06%	0.36%

Drawdowns

PEMX vs. DFSE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PEMX drawdown since its inception was -14.91%, smaller than the maximum DFSE drawdown of -19.77%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PEMX and DFSE.

Drawdown Indicators

	PEMX	DFSE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.91%	-19.77%	+4.86%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.45%	-12.88%	-1.57%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.94%	-10.03%	-0.91%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.88%	-4.07%	+1.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.48%	3.42%	+0.06%

Volatility

PEMX vs. DFSE - Volatility Comparison

Putnam Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (PEMX) has a higher volatility of 11.24% compared to Dimensional Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 ETF (DFSE) at 9.85%. This indicates that PEMX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFSE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PEMX	DFSE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.24%	9.85%	+1.39%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.87%	13.91%	+1.96%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.48%	19.20%	+1.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.16%	17.09%	+0.07%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.16%	17.09%	+0.07%