DFAC vs PSTR

DFACADimensional US Core Equity 2 ETF

PSTRDPeakshares Sector Rotation ETF

In short

DFAC Dimensional's whole-market workhorse: roughly 2,600 US stocks in one ticker, run by managers who weigh federal tax consequences before they trade, at a fee closer to index funds than to active ones.

PSTR A macro-cycle sector rotator: a model ranks US industry sectors by where the economy sits, then shifts the portfolio as that ranking changes. Growth plus income is the mandate; the price is 1.06% net of a waiver through June 30, 2027.

Stated mandate

DFAC The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation while considering federal income-tax implications in its investment decisions.

PSTR Its mandate combines capital growth with income generation.

Why people hold it

• DFAC 0.17% a year for an actively run fund, well under the median fee among active US equity ETFs.
• About 2,600 US stocks under one ticker, so it holds the market broadly rather than a narrow slice of it.
• Federal income-tax implications sit inside the stated objective, not in a footnote, so they factor into what managers buy and sell.
• A multi-billion-dollar fund with a track record running back to 2007 and one of the strongest implementations in its peer group.

• PSTR The mechanism is plain: a macroeconomic and asset-cycle model ranks US industry sectors, and the fund makes periodic shifts as that ranking moves.sec.gov
• Growth and income sit side by side in the mandate, and distributions come quarterly.
• The adviser is waiving part of the fee, taking 1.54% gross down to 1.06% net through June 30, 2027.
• Since the 2024 launch, its volatility and drawdown profile has been among the steadier in the active US equity crowd, on one year of data.

Worth knowing

• DFAC Actively managed, so there's no published index to check it against. Holdings and tilts shift at the managers' discretion.
• Dimensional's own DFAU runs a US core equity mandate for 0.12%, a slightly lighter fee for a similar shelf.
• All stocks, all US: the mandate is capital appreciation from equities, so it takes the market's full swings, and cash arrives quarterly.

• PSTR You pay up for the rotation: 1.06% net (1.54% gross if the waiver lapses after June 30, 2027) is above the category norm, while iShares' DYNF rotates factors for 0.26%.
• Thinly traded, so the gap between bid and ask can be a real cost and bigger orders can move the price.
• Actively managed with no declared index to measure against, and the live record only starts in 2024.

Full DFAC profile⁠

Full PSTR profile⁠