SCHO vs. DFAIX
Compare and contrast key facts about Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO) and DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX).
SCHO is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. It was launched on Aug 5, 2010. DFAIX is managed by Dimensional. It was launched on Nov 5, 2013.
Performance
SCHO vs. DFAIX - Performance Comparison
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SCHO vs. DFAIX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCHO Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 0.24% | 5.49% | 3.65% | 4.31% | -3.87% | -0.64% | 3.11% | 3.47% | 1.37% | 0.33% |
DFAIX DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 0.86% | 4.86% | 6.38% | 5.64% | -2.77% | 5.40% | 2.75% | 5.63% | 0.11% | 1.71% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SCHO achieves a 0.24% return, which is significantly lower than DFAIX's 0.86% return. Over the past 10 years, SCHO has underperformed DFAIX with an annualized return of 1.71%, while DFAIX has yielded a comparatively higher 3.20% annualized return.
SCHO
- 1D
- 0.08%
- 1M
- -0.45%
- YTD
- 0.24%
- 6M
- 1.40%
- 1Y
- 3.77%
- 3Y*
- 3.99%
- 5Y*
- 1.79%
- 10Y*
- 1.71%
DFAIX
- 1D
- 0.19%
- 1M
- -0.09%
- YTD
- 0.86%
- 6M
- 1.22%
- 1Y
- 3.68%
- 3Y*
- 5.27%
- 5Y*
- 3.82%
- 10Y*
- 3.20%
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SCHO vs. DFAIX - Expense Ratio Comparison
SCHO has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than DFAIX's 0.22% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Return for Risk
SCHO vs. DFAIX — Risk / Return Rank
SCHO
DFAIX
SCHO vs. DFAIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO) and DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX). 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.
| SCHO | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.49 | 3.57 | -1.08 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 4.00 | 5.96 | -1.95 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.51 | 2.07 | -0.56 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.44 | 8.64 | -4.20 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 17.55 | 34.01 | -16.46 |
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
| SCHO | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.49 | 3.57 | -1.08 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.91 | 1.21 | -0.29 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 1.11 | 1.26 | -0.15 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 1.00 | 1.08 | -0.09 |
Correlation
The correlation between SCHO and DFAIX is 0.36, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Dividends
SCHO vs. DFAIX - Dividend Comparison
SCHO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.00%, less than DFAIX's 4.61% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCHO Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF | 4.00% | 4.06% | 4.29% | 3.76% | 1.34% | 0.41% | 1.27% | 2.27% | 1.60% | 1.12% | 0.82% | 0.68% |
DFAIX DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio | 4.61% | 4.65% | 4.14% | 3.66% | 1.68% | 0.98% | 0.82% | 2.53% | 2.72% | 1.71% | 1.41% | 1.29% |
Drawdowns
SCHO vs. DFAIX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SCHO drawdown since its inception was -5.69%, roughly equal to the maximum DFAIX drawdown of -5.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SCHO and DFAIX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SCHO | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -5.69% | -5.63% | -0.06% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.86% | -0.47% | -0.39% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -5.69% | -5.46% | -0.23% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -5.69% | -5.63% | -0.06% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.45% | -0.28% | -0.17% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.61% | -0.95% | +0.34% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.22% | 0.12% | +0.10% |
Volatility
SCHO vs. DFAIX - Volatility Comparison
Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF (SCHO) and DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio (DFAIX) have volatilities of 0.52% and 0.50%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SCHO | DFAIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.52% | 0.50% | +0.02% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.87% | 0.75% | +0.12% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.52% | 1.07% | +0.45% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 1.97% | 3.18% | -1.21% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 1.55% | 2.56% | -1.01% |