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DFAE vs VWO

Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF

DFAECNYSE Arca

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

VWOANYSE Arca

Overlap

Expense ratio

VWO −0.23pt a year

DFAE0.29%VWO0.06%

Avg volume · 30D

VWO 6.9×the volume

DFAE1.05MVWO7.3M

5Y return · a year

DFAE +3.1pt

DFAE+8.0%VWO+4.9%

DFAE vs VWO Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

+47.1%DFAE+27.1%VWO

Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. DFAE +47.1%. VWO +27.1%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−20%0%60%Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 2026
Expense ratio
DFAE 0.29%
VWO 0.06%, better
Fund size
DFAE $9.26B
VWO $165B
1Y total return
DFAE +12.5%, better
VWO +3.3%
Yield (12M)
DFAE 2.05%
VWO 2.19%, better
Holdings
DFAE 6118
VWO 5015
Avg volume (30D)
DFAE 1.05M sh
VWO 7.3M sh, better
NAV per share
DFAE $36.25
VWO $55.50
52W range

ETF.net Grade

DFAE: Cost 21, Risk 37, Mission 93, Tradability 37, Holdings 57, Durability 36. VWO: Cost 80, Risk 48, Mission 100, Tradability 83, Holdings 58, Durability 86.
Pillar letters and Scores for DFAE, VWO, with each pillar’s weight
PillarDFAEVWO
Cost30% weightF21A80Higher
Mission25% weightA93A100Higher
Risk15% weightD37C48Higher
Tradability15% weightD37A83Higher
Holdings10% weightB57B58Higher
Durability5% weightD36A86Higher

Rank among Emerging Markets Total Market funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. DFAE and VWO are both graded against the same 5 Emerging Markets Total Market funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Emerging Markets Total Market⁠

Category · 5 funds
See all 5 ›

VWO ranks 1st and DFAE 5th of 5 funds in the Emerging Markets Total Market Category.

  1. Rank 1AVWOVanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETFScore 78
  2. Rank 2ASCHESchwab Emerging Markets Equity ETFScore 71
  3. Rank 4CXCNYState Street SPDR S&P Emerging Markets ex-China ETFScore 52
  4. Rank 5CDFAEDimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETFScore 47

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

DFAECDimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF

VWOAVanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

In short

DFAE No data

VWO Emerging markets the FTSE way: no South Korea (FTSE grades it developed), Chinese A-shares in the mix, small caps riding along, all for six basis points.

Stated mandate

DFAE No data

VWO The fund seeks to track the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index through passive index sampling, investing in a broadly diversified portfolio of emerging-market equities.

Why people hold it

DFAE No data

  • VWO 0.06% a year against a 0.19% median for broad emerging-market funds. On a $10,000 position that is roughly $6 annually.
  • The benchmark spans large, mid and small caps, so the portfolio holds several thousand emerging-market stocks rather than a few hundred blue chips.vanguard.com
  • Vanguard samples the index instead of buying every line, and tracking has been among the tightest in this peer group. It is also one of the most heavily traded EM funds.vanguard.com
  • Trading since 2005 and now one of the largest emerging-market funds around, with quarterly distributions. SCHE and SPEM match the fee zone but not the size or the all-cap reach.

Worth knowing

DFAE No data

  • VWO FTSE moved South Korea to developed status, so this fund leaves it out. Country mix differs from MSCI-based emerging-market funds, which still carry Korea.lseg.com
  • Market-cap weighting means the biggest emerging markets set the tone. The small-cap tail adds names more than it adds weight.vanguard.com
  • Emerging-market shares and their currencies move more sharply than developed-market ones, and the exposure here is unhedged.vanguard.com

Full DFAE profile⁠

Full VWO profile⁠

DFAE vs VWO 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.

DFAE vs VWO Cost

Overpaying DFAE vs VWO

$4,682

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

  • DFAE 0.29%

    $5,952

  • VWO 0.06%

    $1,270

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • DFAE 0.29%
  • VWO 0.06%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2K$4K$6K051015202530DFAE $5,952VWO $1,270

Year by year

YearDFAEVWOOverpaying
10$527$110$417
20$2,044$432$1,612
30$5,952$1,270$4,682

Expense ratio

  • 0.29%DFAE
  • 0.06%VWO, cheaper
  • Middle half of Emerging Markets Total Market funds
  • Median 0.07%

VWO cheapest of 5 funds

DFAE 5th cheapest of 5 funds

DFAE vs VWO Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
DFAE 2.05%
VWO 2.19%, better
Payout (12M)
DFAE $0.74
VWO $1.22
Last payment
DFAE $0.27
VWO $0.11
Ex-dividend
DFAE Sep 22, 2026
VWO Sep 18, 2026
Paid on
DFAE Sep 24, 2026
VWO Sep 22, 2026
Frequency
DFAE Quarterly
VWO Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

DFAEQuarterly · 24 paymentsAll DFAE payments⁠
One bar per payment. 24 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Dec 17, 2020 $0.0031; Mar 23, 2021 $0.0011; Jun 22, 2021 $0.09; Sep 21, 2021 $0.21; Dec 16, 2021 $0.15; Mar 22, 2022 $0.06; Jun 22, 2022 $0.13; Sep 20, 2022 $0.28; Dec 20, 2022 $0.16; Mar 21, 2023 $0.03; Jun 21, 2023 $0.18; Sep 19, 2023 $0.29; Dec 19, 2023 $0.09; Mar 19, 2024 $0.03; Jun 18, 2024 $0.18; Sep 17, 2024 $0.24; Dec 17, 2024 $0.15; Mar 25, 2025 $0.06; Jun 24, 2025 $0.23; Sep 23, 2025 $0.23; Dec 16, 2025 $0.21; Mar 24, 2026 $0.05; Jun 23, 2026 $0.21; Sep 22, 2026 $0.27. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$12017202020232026YTD
VWOQuarterly · 38 paymentsAll VWO payments⁠
One bar per payment. 38 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Mar 22, 2017 $0.07; Jun 21, 2017 $0.25; Sep 20, 2017 $0.52; Dec 21, 2017 $0.21; Mar 26, 2018 $0.09; Jun 22, 2018 $0.27; Sep 26, 2018 $0.47; Dec 24, 2018 $0.26; Mar 25, 2019 $0.08; Jun 17, 2019 $0.28; Sep 24, 2019 $0.52; Dec 23, 2019 $0.56; Mar 23, 2020 $0.06; Jun 22, 2020 $0.17; Sep 21, 2020 $0.43; Dec 21, 2020 $0.30; Mar 22, 2021 $0.07; Jun 21, 2021 $0.28; Sep 20, 2021 $0.47; Dec 20, 2021 $0.48; Mar 21, 2022 $0.13; Jun 21, 2022 $0.31; Sep 19, 2022 $0.53; Dec 19, 2022 $0.63; Mar 20, 2023 $0.03; Jun 20, 2023 $0.23; Sep 18, 2023 $0.33; Dec 18, 2023 $0.86; Mar 15, 2024 $0.04; Jun 21, 2024 $0.17; Sep 20, 2024 $0.13; Dec 20, 2024 $1.07; Mar 21, 2025 $0.05; Jun 20, 2025 $0.14; Sep 19, 2025 $0.28; Dec 19, 2025 $1.03; Jun 18, 2026 $0.07; Sep 18, 2026 $0.11. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$12017202020232026YTD

DFAE vs VWO Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

  • DFAE
  • VWO
Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. Worst fall: VWO −29.9% · Oct 2022. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−30%−20%−10%0%Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 2026

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
DFAE 15.7%VWO 12.0%, better
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
DFAE 1.01, betterVWO 0.99
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
DFAE −29.1%, betterVWO −29.9%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
DFAE 1.10VWO 0.78

DFAE and VWO in the news

All news⁠

Popular comparisons

  • DFAECvsSCHEA

    Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF · Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.29% · 0.06%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • VWOAvsSCHEA

    Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF · Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.06% · 0.06%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • DFAECvsSPEMB

    Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF · State Street SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.29% · 0.07%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • VWOAvsSPEMB

    Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF · State Street SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.06% · 0.07%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • DFAECvsXCNYC

    Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF · State Street SPDR S&P Emerging Markets ex-China ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.29% · 0.19%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

  • VWOAvsXCNYC

    Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF · State Street SPDR S&P Emerging Markets ex-China ETF

    Expense ratio
    0.06% · 0.19%
    Category
    Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.