SHUS vs. DFUS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (SHUS) and Dimensional U.S. Equity ETF (DFUS).

SHUS and DFUS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SHUS is an actively managed fund by Syntax Advisors. It was launched on Jun 15, 2021. DFUS is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Jun 14, 2021.

Performance

SHUS vs. DFUS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (SHUS) and Dimensional U.S. Equity ETF (DFUS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SHUS vs. DFUS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
SHUS Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF	0.99%	10.89%	-2.65%
DFUS Dimensional U.S. Equity ETF	-4.17%	17.46%	2.85%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SHUS achieves a 0.99% return, which is significantly higher than DFUS's -4.17% return.

SHUS

• 1D: 1.31%
• 1M: -5.74%
• YTD: 0.99%
• 6M: 2.29%
• 1Y: 11.39%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DFUS

• 1D: 2.93%
• 1M: -4.98%
• YTD: -4.17%
• 6M: -1.67%
• 1Y: 18.39%
• 3Y*: 18.19%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SHUS vs. DFUS - Expense Ratio Comparison

SHUS has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is higher than DFUS's 0.11% expense ratio.

SHUS

Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF

DFUS

Dimensional U.S. Equity ETF

Return for Risk

SHUS vs. DFUS — Risk / Return Rank

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

SHUS

SHUS Risk / Return Rank: 49
SHUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
SHUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
SHUS Omega Ratio Rank: 44
SHUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
SHUS Martin Ratio Rank: 54

DFUS

DFUS Risk / Return Rank: 66
DFUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
DFUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 63
DFUS Omega Ratio Rank: 66
DFUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
DFUS Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

SHUS vs. DFUS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (SHUS) and Dimensional U.S. Equity ETF (DFUS). 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.

	SHUS	DFUS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.86	1.00	-0.14
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.27	1.52	-0.24
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.23	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.34	1.54	-0.20
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.27	7.30	-2.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SHUS vs. DFUS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SHUS Sharpe Ratio is 0.86, which is comparable to the DFUS Sharpe Ratio of 1.00. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SHUS and DFUS, 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

	SHUS	DFUS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.86	1.00	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.61	-0.15

Correlation

The correlation between SHUS and DFUS is 0.77, 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

SHUS vs. DFUS - Dividend Comparison

SHUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.36%, more than DFUS's 0.97% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
SHUS Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF	1.36%	1.37%	0.26%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
DFUS Dimensional U.S. Equity ETF	0.97%	0.88%	1.04%	1.33%	1.48%	0.85%

Drawdowns

SHUS vs. DFUS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SHUS drawdown since its inception was -14.09%, smaller than the maximum DFUS drawdown of -24.62%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SHUS and DFUS.

Drawdown Indicators

	SHUS	DFUS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.09%	-24.62%	+10.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.12%	-12.31%	+3.19%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.74%	-6.29%	+0.55%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.76%	-6.00%	+3.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.32%	2.60%	-0.28%

Volatility

SHUS vs. DFUS - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Syntax Stratified U.S. Total Market Hedged ETF (SHUS) is 3.54%, while Dimensional U.S. Equity ETF (DFUS) has a volatility of 5.45%. This indicates that SHUS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFUS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SHUS	DFUS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.54%	5.45%	-1.91%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.45%	9.77%	-2.32%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.38%	18.53%	-5.15%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.94%	17.38%	-4.44%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.94%	17.38%	-4.44%