STXE vs. DFEM

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (STXE) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM).

STXE and DFEM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. STXE is a passively managed fund by Strive that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg US 1000 Dividend Growth Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Jan 30, 2023. DFEM is an actively managed fund by Dimensional. It was launched on Apr 26, 2022.

Performance

STXE vs. DFEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (STXE) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

STXE vs. DFEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
STXE Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF	11.39%	34.23%	2.09%	11.74%
DFEM Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF	5.34%	29.51%	7.53%	5.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, STXE achieves a 11.39% return, which is significantly higher than DFEM's 5.34% return.

STXE

• 1D: 2.02%
• 1M: -7.43%
• YTD: 11.39%
• 6M: 21.15%
• 1Y: 49.56%
• 3Y*: 20.14%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DFEM

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -6.35%
• YTD: 5.34%
• 6M: 8.49%
• 1Y: 33.82%
• 3Y*: 16.69%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

STXE vs. DFEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

STXE has a 0.32% expense ratio, which is lower than DFEM's 0.39% expense ratio.

DFEM

Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF

STXE

Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF

Return for Risk

STXE vs. DFEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

STXE

STXE Risk / Return Rank: 93
STXE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
STXE Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
STXE Omega Ratio Rank: 93
STXE Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
STXE Martin Ratio Rank: 93

DFEM

DFEM Risk / Return Rank: 86
DFEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
DFEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
DFEM Omega Ratio Rank: 86
DFEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
DFEM Martin Ratio Rank: 86

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.

STXE vs. DFEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (STXE) and Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM). 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.

	STXE	DFEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.33	1.78	+0.55
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.01	2.37	+0.64
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.44	1.35	+0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.46	2.82	+0.63
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.57	10.85	+3.71
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

STXE vs. DFEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current STXE Sharpe Ratio is 2.33, which is higher than the DFEM Sharpe Ratio of 1.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of STXE and DFEM, 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

	STXE	DFEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.33	1.78	+0.55
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.13	0.68	+0.45

Correlation

The correlation between STXE and DFEM is 0.85, 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

STXE vs. DFEM - Dividend Comparison

STXE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.41%, more than DFEM's 2.17% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022
STXE Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF	2.41%	2.66%	3.22%	1.08%	0.00%
DFEM Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF	2.17%	2.32%	2.50%	2.38%	1.99%

Drawdowns

STXE vs. DFEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum STXE drawdown since its inception was -18.92%, smaller than the maximum DFEM drawdown of -20.82%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for STXE and DFEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	STXE	DFEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.92%	-20.82%	+1.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.51%	-12.29%	-2.22%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.44%	-8.49%	-0.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.81%	-5.17%	+1.36%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.44%	3.20%	+0.24%

Volatility

STXE vs. DFEM - Volatility Comparison

Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (STXE) has a higher volatility of 11.84% compared to Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM) at 8.90%. This indicates that STXE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	STXE	DFEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.84%	8.90%	+2.94%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.45%	13.87%	+3.58%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.38%	19.09%	+2.29%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.39%	16.79%	-0.40%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.39%	16.79%	-0.40%