ASCI vs DFIS: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

abrdn International Small Cap Active ETF

ASCIFNasdaq

Dimensional International Small Cap ETF

DFISACboe

Overlap

2.1%by weight

Expense ratio

DFIS −0.31pt a year

ASCI0.70%DFIS0.39%

Avg volume · 30D

DFIS 160.5×the volume

ASCI4.32KDFIS693K

ASCI vs DFIS Performance

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

+2.8%ASCI+15.6%DFIS

Expense ratio: ASCI 0.70%; DFIS 0.39%, better
Fund size: ASCI $69M; DFIS $5.76B
1Y total return: ASCI +2.8%; DFIS +15.6%, better
Yield (12M): ASCI No data; DFIS 2.23%
Holdings: ASCI 55; DFIS 3503
Avg volume (30D): ASCI 4.32K sh; DFIS 693K sh, better
NAV per share: ASCI $35.44; DFIS $35.55
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for ASCI, DFIS, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	ASCI	DFIS
Cost30% weight	F20	A70Higher
Mission25% weight	Not scored	A100
Risk15% weight	F20	B55Higher
Tradability15% weight	D29	A71Higher
Holdings10% weight	F16	B66Higher
Durability5% weight	C42	B55Higher

Rank among International Small-Cap funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. ASCI and DFIS are both graded against the same 16 International Small-Cap funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

International Small-Cap⁠

Category · 16 funds

See all 16 ›

DFIS ranks 4th and ASCI 15th of 16 funds in the International Small-Cap Category.

Rank 1ASCHCSchwab International Small-Cap Equity ETFScore 80
Rank 2ASCZiShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETFScore 79
Rank 3AVSSVanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap ETFScore 78
Rank 4ADFISDimensional International Small Cap ETFScore 74
Rank 4AFNDCSchwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETFScore 74
Rank 13DTISCThrivent International Small Cap ETFScore 38
Rank 15FASCIabrdn International Small Cap Active ETFScore 22
Rank 16FFDTSFirst Trust Developed Markets ex-US Small Cap AlphaDEX FundScore 20

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

ASCIFabrdn International Small Cap Active ETF

DFISADimensional International Small Cap ETF

In short

ASCI A 1996-vintage stock picker that stepped into an ETF wrapper in 2025: active international small-cap, chosen on quality, growth and momentum, at 0.70% net of a waiver through February 28, 2028 in an aisle built on cheap index trackers.

DFIS No data

Stated mandate

ASCI The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital and invests primarily in equity securities of small non-U.S. companies.

DFIS No data

Why people hold it

ASCI Real stock picking, not index sampling: the team screens non-U.S. small companies on quality, growth and momentum, with at least 80% of net assets committed to that hunting ground.sec.gov aberdeeninvestments.com
Room to roam: up to 35% of net assets can sit in emerging-market securities, and the fund typically carries full currency exposure to the markets it holds.sec.gov
The history predates the ticker. ASCI took over the assets of the abrdn International Small Cap Fund, a mutual fund dating to 1996, in October 2025, strategy and team intact.aberdeeninvestments.com aberdeeninvestments.com 2

DFIS No data

Worth knowing

ASCI Active comes at a price: 0.70% net of a waiver through February 28, 2028 (1.11% gross), above the category median, against 0.06% at index peers SCHC and VSS.
No index to lean on. Results ride on the team's picks, and the prospectus allows significant concentration in a single country or region plus heavy industrials exposure.sec.gov
Smaller and more thinly traded than the category's index heavyweights, a trade-off that typically shows up as wider bid-ask spreads.

DFIS No data

Full ASCI profile⁠

Full DFIS profile⁠

ASCI vs DFIS Holdings

How ASCI and DFIS differ

Overlap by weight

2.1%

Shared holdings make up 44.2% of ASCI and 2.1% of DFIS.

Level by level

Holdings25 in both2.1%
Countryby domicile62.1%
Asset classEquity100%

Sector

No Sector split for ASCI.

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in ASCI and DFIS, widest gap first
Country	More in ASCIMore in DFIS	ASCI	DFIS
India	ASCI +8.1 points	8.1%	0.0%
Canada	DFIS +7.5 points	4.1%	11.6%
Switzerland	DFIS +5.7 points	1.6%	7.3%
South Korea	ASCI +5.3 points	5.3%	0.0%
Taiwan	ASCI +5.1 points	5.1%	0.0%
Japan	DFIS +4.6 points	22.7%	27.3%
South Africa	ASCI +4.0 points	4.2%	0.2%
Germany	DFIS +3.9 points	2.2%	6.1%
Other countries (27)	DFIS +0.8 points	46.7%	47.5%

Outside the US: ASCI 67% developed, 33% emerging. DFIS 98% developed, 2% emerging.

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

ASCI35.8%
DFIS3.3%

Securities held

ASCI54
DFIS3,488

Asset class

ASCI: Equity
DFIS: Equity

Holdings

Only in ASCI29
In both25
Only in DFIS3,463

Only in ASCI

29 securities, 55.6% of ASCI by weight

Asics Corp Common Stock4.19%
Baycurrent Inc Common Stock4.10%
Ssc Government Mm Gvmxx3.94%
Misumi Group Inc Common Stock3.40%
Als Ltd Common Stock3.31%
Nissan Chemical Corp Common Stock3.20%
Welspun Corp Ltd Common Stock INR5.03.15%
Coway Co Ltd Common Stock KRW500.03.12%
Regional Sab De Cv Common Stock2.85%
Navin Fluorine International Common Stock INR2.02.56%
Sinbon Electronics Co Ltd Common Stock TWD10.02.49%
Avalon Technologies Ltd Common Stock INR2.02.03%
Fabrinet Common Stock USD.012.01%
Hd Hyundai Marine Solution C Common Stock KRW500.01.94%
Bachem Holding AG Common Stock CHF.011.56%
Finecobank Spa Common Stock EUR.331.38%
Taiwan Union Technology Corp Common Stock TWD10.01.36%
Fpt Corp Common Stock VND10000.01.31%
Fleury SA Common Stock1.21%
Cury Construtora E Incorpora Common Stock1.18%
Nova Ltd Common Stock1.12%
Shanghai Conant Optical Co H Common Stock CNY1.01.09%
Makalot Industrial Co Ltd Common Stock TWD10.01.04%
COM7 Pcl F Foreign Sh. THB.25 A1.00%
Avon Technologies PLC Common Stock GBP1.00.91%
Vnd0.19%
Hkd<0.01%
Cad<0.01%
Chf<0.01%

Only in DFIS

3,463 securities, 97.7% of DFIS by weight

Qiagen NV Com0.46%
Vat Group AG0.40%
Orion Oyj0.37%
Poste Italiane Spa0.34%
Finning International Inc0.33%
Dpm Metals Inc0.31%
Gea Group AG0.31%
Rexel SA0.31%
Swiss Prime Site AG0.31%
Mercari Inc0.30%
Hiscox Ltd0.30%
Thyssenkrupp AG0.29%
Saipem Spa0.29%
Brenntag SE0.28%
Akzo Nobel NV0.28%
Capital Power Corp0.27%
Namura Shipbuilding Co Lt0.27%
Belimo Holding AG0.27%
Shibaura Mechatronics Cor0.26%
Psp Swiss Property AG0.26%
Canadian Tire Corp Ltd0.26%
Imcd NV0.26%
Zalando SE0.26%
Kesko Oyj0.24%
Helvetia Baloise Holding0.24%
Accelleron Industries Ltd0.24%
Carrefour SA0.24%
Spie SA0.24%
Symrise AG0.24%
Lion Finance Group PLC0.23%
Hudbay Minerals Inc0.23%
Games Workshop Group PLC0.23%
Ssr Mining Inc0.23%
Eurofins Scientific0.22%
Scor SE0.22%
Accor SA0.22%
Kingfisher PLC0.22%
Swatch Group Ag/The0.22%
Fresenius Medical Care AG0.22%
Lottomatica Group Spa0.21%
Man Group Plc/Jersey0.21%
Indra Sistemas SA0.21%
Ackermans & Van Haaren NV0.21%
Evonik Industries AG0.21%
Tamarack Valley Energy Lt0.21%
Sbm Offshore NV0.21%
Hensoldt AG0.20%
Colliers International Gr0.20%
Northland Power Inc0.20%
Oceanagold Corp0.20%

Weight gaps

All 25 Holdings in both funds, largest gap first.

Holding weights in ASCI and DFIS, widest gap first
Holding	More in ASCIMore in DFIS	ASCI	DFIS
Diploma PLC Common Stock GBP.05DPLM.L	ASCI +4.26 points	4.26%	<0.01%
Fagron Common Stock	ASCI +3.15 points	3.19%	0.04%
Ces Energy Solutions Corp Common Stock	ASCI +2.96 points	3.07%	0.11%
Ventia Services Group Pty Lt Common Stock	ASCI +2.78 points	2.90%	0.12%
Atalaya Mining Copper SA Common Stock GBP.075ATYM.L	ASCI +2.47 points	2.54%	0.07%
Kasumigaseki Capital Co Ltd Common Stock	ASCI +2.32 points	2.33%	<0.01%
Japan Elevator Service Holdi Common Stock	ASCI +2.11 points	2.14%	0.03%
Gaztransport Et Techniga SA Common Stock EUR.01	ASCI +2.06 points	2.33%	0.27%
Ringkjoebing Landbobank A/S Common Stock DKK1.0	ASCI +1.99 points	2.16%	0.17%
Hill & Smith PLC Common Stock GBP.25HILS.L	ASCI +1.98 points	2.10%	0.12%
Pan African Resources PLC Common Stock GBP.01PAF.L	ASCI +1.85 points	2.02%	0.17%
Koninklijke Heijmans NV Cva Dutch Cert EUR.3	ASCI +1.78 points	1.88%	0.10%
Cie Automotive SA Common Stock EUR.25	ASCI +1.70 points	1.73%	0.03%
Nihon M+a Center Holdings In Common Stock	ASCI +1.46 points	1.52%	0.06%
Cts Eventim AG & Co Kgaa Common Stock	ASCI +1.44 points	1.52%	0.08%
Tatton Asset Management PLC Common Stock GBP.2TAM.L	ASCI +1.31 points	1.31%	<0.01%
Imdex Ltd Common Stock	ASCI +0.97 points	1.01%	0.04%
Interparfums SA Common Stock EUR3.0	ASCI +0.96 points	0.99%	0.03%
Helios Towers PLC Common Stock GBP.01HTWS.L	ASCI +0.87 points	0.95%	0.08%
Borregaard Asa Common Stock NOK1.0	ASCI +0.82 points	0.83%	<0.01%
Extendicare Inc Common Stock	ASCI +0.80 points	0.87%	0.07%
Tokyo Seimitsu Co Ltd Common Stock	ASCI +0.75 points	0.88%	0.13%
Chemring Group PLC Common Stock GBP.01CHG.L	ASCI +0.56 points	0.60%	0.04%
Brunello Cucinelli Spa Common Stock	ASCI +0.43 points	0.55%	0.12%
Renk Group AG Common Stock	ASCI +0.41 points	0.57%	0.16%

All ASCI holdings⁠All 3,463 DFIS holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

ASCI vs DFIS Cost

Overpaying ASCI vs DFIS

$5,708

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

ASCI 0.70%
$13,606
DFIS 0.39%
$7,898

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

ASCI 0.70%
DFIS 0.39%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	ASCI	DFIS	Overpaying
10	$1,250	$705	$545
20	$4,760	$2,725	$2,035
30	$13,606	$7,898	$5,708

Expense ratio

0.70%ASCI
0.39%DFIS, cheaper

DFIS0.39%ASCI0.70%

0.06%0.83%

Middle half of International Small-Cap funds
Median 0.44%

DFIS 4th cheapest of 16 funds

ASCI 13th cheapest of 16 funds

ASCI vs DFIS Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026

Yield (12M): ASCI No data; DFIS 2.23%
Payout (12M): ASCI No data; DFIS $0.79
Last payment: ASCI $0.28; DFIS $0.19
Ex-dividend: ASCI Dec 19, 2025; DFIS Sep 22, 2026
Paid on: ASCI Dec 24, 2025; DFIS Sep 24, 2026
Frequency: ASCI Irregular; DFIS Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2022 to 2026, same scale for both

ASCIIrregular · 1 paymentAll ASCI payments⁠

DFISQuarterly · 18 paymentsAll DFIS payments⁠

ASCI vs DFIS Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: ASCI 15.7%since Nov 2025DFIS 13.7%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: ASCI 0.004since Nov 2025DFIS 1.20
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: ASCI −11.2%since Oct 2025DFIS −27.2%since Mar 2022
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: ASCI 1.06DFIS 0.98; Market = 1

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