SAUFX vs. DFIHX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

SAUFX (SA U.S. Fixed Income Fund) and DFIHX (DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio) are both Ultrashort Bond funds. Over the past 10 years, SAUFX returned 1.27%/yr vs 1.98%/yr for DFIHX. At a 0.33 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. SAUFX charges 0.40%/yr vs 0.13%/yr for DFIHX.

Performance

SAUFX vs. DFIHX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SA U.S. Fixed Income Fund (SAUFX) and DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio (DFIHX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SAUFX achieves a 1.12% return, which is significantly lower than DFIHX's 1.52% return. Over the past 10 years, SAUFX has underperformed DFIHX with an annualized return of 1.27%, while DFIHX has yielded a comparatively higher 1.98% annualized return.

SAUFX

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.31%
• YTD: 1.12%
• 6M: 1.26%
• 1Y: 4.59%
• 3Y*: 4.47%
• 5Y*: 1.69%
• 10Y*: 1.27%

DFIHX

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.30%
• YTD: 1.52%
• 6M: 1.83%
• 1Y: 3.65%
• 3Y*: 4.46%
• 5Y*: 2.76%
• 10Y*: 1.98%

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

SAUFX vs. DFIHX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SAUFX SA U.S. Fixed Income Fund	1.12%	4.85%	5.23%	4.04%	-5.11%	-1.38%	0.61%	2.27%	1.28%	0.24%
DFIHX DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio	1.52%	3.41%	5.41%	4.98%	-1.19%	-0.19%	0.62%	2.44%	1.87%	0.94%

Correlation

The correlation between SAUFX and DFIHX is 0.07, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.07
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.05
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 3, 2008	0.33

Over the past year, the correlation between SAUFX and DFIHX has dropped to 0.07 - well below their long-term average of 0.33, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

SAUFX vs. DFIHX — Risk / Return Rank

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

SAUFX

SAUFX Risk / Return Rank: 94
SAUFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
SAUFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
SAUFX Omega Ratio Rank: 92
SAUFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
SAUFX Martin Ratio Rank: 96

DFIHX

DFIHX Risk / Return Rank: 99
DFIHX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 99
DFIHX Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
DFIHX Omega Ratio Rank: 100
DFIHX Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
DFIHX Martin Ratio Rank: 99

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.

SAUFX vs. DFIHX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SA U.S. Fixed Income Fund (SAUFX) and DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio (DFIHX). 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.

	SAUFX	DFIHX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	3.01	5.17	-2.16
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	4.99	8.94	-3.95
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.70	7.53	-5.83
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.02	9.49	-3.47
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	23.39	57.84	-34.45
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SAUFX vs. DFIHX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SAUFX Sharpe Ratio is 3.01, which is lower than the DFIHX Sharpe Ratio of 5.17. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SAUFX and DFIHX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SAUFX	DFIHX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.01	5.17	-2.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.83	2.78	-1.95
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.84	2.50	-1.66
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.87	1.52	-0.65

Drawdowns

SAUFX vs. DFIHX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SAUFX drawdown since its inception was -7.43%, which is greater than DFIHX's maximum drawdown of -2.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SAUFX and DFIHX.

Drawdown Indicators

	SAUFX	DFIHX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-7.43%	-2.53%	-4.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.84%	-0.39%	-0.45%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-1.86%	-0.49%	-1.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-7.34%	-2.26%	-5.08%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-7.43%	-2.26%	-5.17%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.75%	-0.15%	-0.60%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.22%	0.06%	+0.16%

Volatility

SAUFX vs. DFIHX - Volatility Comparison

SA U.S. Fixed Income Fund (SAUFX) has a higher volatility of 0.56% compared to DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio (DFIHX) at 0.16%. This indicates that SAUFX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFIHX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SAUFX	DFIHX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.56%	0.16%	+0.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.11%	0.43%	+0.68%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.69%	0.72%	+0.97%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.09%	1.00%	+1.09%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.53%	0.80%	+0.73%

SAUFX vs. DFIHX - Expense Ratio Comparison

SAUFX has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than DFIHX's 0.13% expense ratio.

Dividends

SAUFX vs. DFIHX - Dividend Comparison

SAUFX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.17%, more than DFIHX's 3.58% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DFIHX DFA One Year Fixed Income Portfolio	3.58%	3.26%	4.99%	3.37%	1.07%	0.00%	0.62%	2.12%	1.85%	1.13%	0.66%	0.51%
SAUFX SA U.S. Fixed Income Fund	4.17%	3.38%	4.91%	2.58%	1.26%	0.00%	0.41%	1.86%	1.47%	0.74%	0.43%	0.26%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SAUFX and DFIHX in my portfolio?

SAUFX and DFIHX have a correlation of 0.07, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SAUFX or DFIHX?

SAUFX has higher volatility (0.56%) compared to DFIHX (0.16%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SAUFX dropped -7.43% vs DFIHX's -2.53%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DFIHX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (5.17 vs 3.01), 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.