DFAI vs FDT: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF

DFAIANYSE Arca

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund

FDTDNasdaq

Overlap

11.7%by weight

Expense ratio

DFAI −0.62pt a year

DFAI0.18%FDT0.80%

Avg volume · 30D

DFAI 14.9×the volume

DFAI1.81MFDT122K

5Y return · a year

FDT +1.7pt

DFAI+9.6%FDT+11.3%

DFAI vs FDT Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

+58.2%DFAI+70.4%FDT

Expense ratio: DFAI 0.18%, better; FDT 0.80%
Fund size: DFAI $18.2B; FDT $1.35B
1Y total return: DFAI +15.9%; FDT +18.5%, better
Yield (12M): DFAI 2.44%; FDT 3.10%, better
Holdings: DFAI 3767; FDT 313
Avg volume (30D): DFAI 1.81M sh, better; FDT 122K sh
NAV per share: DFAI $41.47; FDT $88.49
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for DFAI, FDT, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	DFAI	FDT
Cost30% weight	A91Higher	F5
Mission25% weight	B63	Not scored
Risk15% weight	C49Higher	D29
Tradability15% weight	A81Higher	A75
Holdings10% weight	A80Higher	A79
Durability5% weight	A71	A71

Rank among International Multifactor funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. DFAI and FDT are both graded against the same 30 International Multifactor funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

International Multifactor⁠

Category · 30 funds

See all 30 ›

DFAI ranks 2nd and FDT 21st of 30 funds in the International Multifactor Category.

Rank 1AINTFiShares International Equity Factor ETFScore 79
Rank 2ADFAIDimensional International Core Equity Market ETFScore 77
Rank 3AGSWOGoldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETFScore 76
Rank 20CJHMDJohn Hancock Multifactor Developed International ETFScore 45
Rank 21DFDTFirst Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX FundScore 38
Rank 21DRWINRayliant NxtGen Multifactor International Equity ETFScore 38

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

DFAIADimensional International Core Equity Market ETF

FDTDFirst Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund

In short

DFAI Dimensional's take on developed markets outside the US: several thousand stocks, plus deliberate leans toward cheaper and more profitable companies. Index-fund breadth with a research desk setting the weights, priced above the plain vanilla crowd.

FDT A 2011-vintage quant screen pointed at developed markets outside the US: rank stocks on growth and value signals, hold roughly 300 of them, ignore market cap. That conviction costs more than most multifactor rivals.

Stated mandate

DFAI The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation through an integrated approach combining research, portfolio design, portfolio management, and trading.

FDT The Fund seeks investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX® Developed Markets Ex-USTM Index before fees and expenses.

Why people hold it

DFAI Holds several thousand developed-market stocks outside the US, so no single name, sector or country steers the fund.
The tilts are in the mandate, not the marketing: it leans toward cheaper stocks and more profitable companies while still owning the broad market.
Portfolio construction is one of the stronger builds in its peer group, and the fund is a multi-billion-dollar, actively traded name that pays quarterly.

FDT Not a cap-weighted index in a costume. The AlphaDEX screen ranks developed ex-US stocks on growth and value measures, then holds roughly 300 of the survivors.ftportfolios.com
Running since 2011, so this is a long live record for the strategy overseas, not a backtest with a ticker attached.
A multi-billion-dollar fund with moderate trading activity, and it distributes on a quarterly schedule.

Worth knowing

DFAI At 0.18% it costs many times what plain cap-weighted rivals like VEA, SPDW and SCHF charge. The tilts are what the extra buys.
MSCI World ex USA IMI is the yardstick, not a leash. Dimensional builds the portfolio its own way, so it can look and behave differently from that index.
Launched in late 2020, so its live record is shorter than the index giants', and on the whole package it lands in the lower half of its developed-core cohort.

FDT At 0.80% a year, it charges more than double the 0.38% median for international multifactor funds. INTF (0.16%) and FDEV (0.18%) run similar ideas for far less.
That fee is the main reason it lands in the lower half of its international multifactor peer group, despite sound plumbing and a deep asset base.
A growth-and-value screen builds a portfolio that can look nothing like a standard developed-markets index, so its path will diverge from EAFE-style funds.ftportfolios.com

Full DFAI profile⁠

Full FDT profile⁠

DFAI vs FDT Holdings

How DFAI and FDT differ

Overlap by weight

11.7%

Shared holdings make up 66.0% of FDT and 15.4% of DFAI.

Level by level

Holdings204 in both11.7%
Countryby domicile65.2%
Sector11 Sectors74.6%
Asset classEquity100%

Sector

Sector weights in DFAI and FDT, widest gap first
Sector	More in DFAIMore in FDT	DFAI	FDT
Industrials	FDT +15.3 points	17.7%	33.0%
Financials	DFAI +13.5 points	24.6%	11.1%
Health Care	DFAI +7.3 points	8.7%	1.4%
Consumer Staples	DFAI +3.6 points	6.2%	2.6%
Real Estate	FDT +3.4 points	1.2%	4.6%
Consumer Discretionary	FDT +3.2 points	7.7%	10.9%
Energy	FDT +1.9 points	7.1%	9.0%
Utilities	FDT +1.3 points	3.7%	5.0%
Communication	DFAI +0.9 points	3.6%	2.7%
Materials	FDT +0.2 points	8.9%	9.1%
Technology	FDT +0.2 points	10.5%	10.7%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in DFAI and FDT, widest gap first
Country	More in DFAIMore in FDT	DFAI	FDT
Japan	FDT +10.9 points	24.3%	35.1%
South Korea	FDT +8.8 points	0.0%	8.8%
China	FDT +7.9 points	0.2%	8.1%
Switzerland	DFAI +7.7 points	8.6%	0.9%
Canada	DFAI +5.2 points	11.4%	6.2%
United Kingdom	DFAI +4.6 points	11.7%	7.1%
France	DFAI +4.5 points	6.4%	1.9%
Netherlands	DFAI +3.5 points	4.8%	1.3%
Other countries (21)	DFAI +2.1 points	32.7%	30.6%

Outside the US: DFAI 99% developed, 1% emerging. FDT 80% developed, 20% emerging.

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

DFAI9.8%
FDT6.2%

Securities held

DFAI3,749
FDT301

Asset class

DFAI: Equity
FDT: Equity

Holdings

Only in DFAI3,545
In both204
Only in FDT97

Only in DFAI

3,545 securities, 84.4% of DFAI by weight

Asml Holding NV1.90%
Roche Holding AG1.19%
Hsbc Holdings PLC0.96%
Nestle SA0.87%
Astrazeneca PLC0.79%
Novartis AG Adr0.70%
Royal Bank of Canada0.64%
Allianz SE0.61%
Bhp Group Ltd0.58%
Sap SE0.57%
Bp PLC0.57%
Sony Group Corp0.57%
Siemens AG0.56%
Toronto-Dominion Bank0.53%
Commonwealth Bank of Aust0.51%
Tokyo Electron Ltd0.51%
Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC0.48%
Deutsche Telekom AG0.41%
Asml Holding NV0.41%
Schneider Electric SE0.40%
Unicredit Spa0.40%
Canadian Natural Resource0.40%
Unilever PLC0.39%
Banco Santander SA0.39%
Iberdrola SA0.38%
Dbs Group Holdings Ltd0.38%
Suncor Energy Inc.0.37%
Safran SA0.36%
Tokio Marine Holdings Inc0.36%
Zurich Insurance Group AG0.36%
Siemens Energy AG0.36%
Gsk PLC0.35%
Air Liquide SA0.35%
Bank of Nova Scotia/The0.35%
Airbus SE0.34%
Abb Ltd0.34%
British American Tobacco0.34%
Barclays PLC0.33%
Royal Bank of Canada0.31%
Fujikura Ltd0.30%
Intesa Sanpaolo Spa0.30%
Aia Group Ltd0.30%
Bnp Paribas SA0.30%
Enel Spa0.30%
L'oreal SA0.29%
Cie Financiere Richemont0.29%
National Australia Bank L0.29%
Muenchener Rueckversicher0.28%
Ing Groep NV0.28%
Enbridge Inc0.28%

Only in FDT

97 securities, 33.8% of FDT by weight

Sofina S.A.0.65%
Orient Overseas (International) Limited0.65%
Investor AB (Class B)0.62%
Trip.com Group Limited0.59%
ENN Energy Holdings Limited0.59%
BCE Inc.0.58%
Industrivarden AB (Class C)0.58%
JD Logistics, Inc.0.58%
Hankook Tire Co., Ltd.0.56%
A.P. Moeller - Maersk A/S (Class B)0.56%
Motor Oil (Hellas) Corinth Refineries S.A.0.55%
China Hongqiao Group Ltd.0.55%
3i Group Plc0.55%
JD Sports Fashion Plc0.53%
Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited0.51%
Aker ASA (Class A)0.51%
SK Innovation Co., Ltd.0.51%
TCL Electronics Holdings Limited0.50%
The GPT Group0.50%
Kuaishou Technology0.50%
Kia Corporation0.49%
Vicinity Centres0.49%
Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd.0.49%
ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.0.48%
Hongkong Land Holdings Limited0.48%
L E Lundbergforetagen AB (Class B)0.48%
3SBio, Inc.0.48%
S-Oil Corporation0.45%
Metlen Energy & Metals Plc0.45%
GS Holdings0.44%
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)0.44%
Krafton, Inc.0.44%
First Resources Limited0.44%
Balfour Beatty Plc0.44%
Hyundai Glovis Co., Ltd.0.43%
Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.0.42%
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd.0.41%
OceanaGold Corporation0.41%
AbCellera Biologics Inc.0.39%
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.0.37%
Coway Co., Ltd.0.37%
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.0.37%
MMG Limited0.37%
Nippon Yusen K.K.0.36%
Genscript Biotech Corp.0.36%
SK Square Co., Ltd.0.36%
China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited0.35%
Volvo Car AB (Class B)0.35%
Kunlun Energy Company Limited0.35%
Beijing Enterprises Holdings Ltd.0.35%

Weight gaps

The 100 widest of 204 Holdings in both funds.

Holding weights in DFAI and FDT, widest gap first
Holding	More in DFAIMore in FDT	DFAI	FDT
Shell PLCSHEL.L	DFAI +0.89 points	1.29%	0.40%
Seiko Group Corp	FDT +0.59 points	0.02%	0.61%
Buzzi Unicem Spa	FDT +0.59 points	0.02%	0.61%
Standard Life PLCSDLF.L	FDT +0.60 points	0.02%	0.62%
Power Assets Holdings Ltd	FDT +0.59 points	0.04%	0.63%
Archion Corp	FDT +0.56 points	<0.01%	0.56%
Ramsay Health Care Ltd	FDT +0.56 points	0.03%	0.59%
Nippon Express Holdings C	FDT +0.56 points	0.04%	0.60%
Mitsubishi Ufj Financial	DFAI +0.55 points	0.76%	0.21%
Brother Industries Ltd	FDT +0.54 points	0.04%	0.58%
Central Japan Railway Co	FDT +0.55 points	0.07%	0.62%
Yara International Asa	FDT +0.54 points	0.03%	0.57%
Seiko Epson Corp	FDT +0.54 points	0.03%	0.57%
Sumitomo Pharma Co Ltd	FDT +0.52 points	<0.01%	0.53%
Wh Group Ltd	FDT +0.52 points	0.04%	0.56%
Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd	FDT +0.52 points	0.04%	0.56%
Computacenter PLCCCC.L	FDT +0.52 points	0.02%	0.54%
Macnica Holdings Inc	FDT +0.51 points	0.01%	0.52%
Vonovia SE	FDT +0.51 points	0.04%	0.55%
Yamaha Motor Co Ltd	FDT +0.51 points	0.05%	0.56%
Advantest Corp	DFAI +0.50 points	0.62%	0.12%
Teleperformance	FDT +0.50 points	0.02%	0.52%
Suzuki Motor Corp	FDT +0.49 points	0.12%	0.61%
B2GOLD Corp	FDT +0.49 points	0.02%	0.51%
Sumitomo Heavy Industries	FDT +0.49 points	0.02%	0.51%
Ampol Ltd	FDT +0.48 points	0.03%	0.51%
Indra Sistemas SA	FDT +0.48 points	0.03%	0.51%
Eneos Holdings Inc	FDT +0.48 points	0.12%	0.60%
Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd/Th	FDT +0.48 points	0.03%	0.51%
Mitsui Osk Lines Ltd	FDT +0.47 points	0.03%	0.50%
Rogers Communications IncRCI	FDT +0.47 points	0.02%	0.49%
Infroneer Holdings Inc	FDT +0.46 points	0.02%	0.48%
Umicore SA	FDT +0.47 points	0.01%	0.48%
Japan Post Holdings Co Lt	FDT +0.46 points	0.08%	0.54%
Lion Finance Group PLCBGEO.L	FDT +0.46 points	0.03%	0.49%
Aurubis AG	FDT +0.46 points	0.02%	0.48%
Man Group Plc/JerseyEMG.L	FDT +0.46 points	0.02%	0.48%
MS&AD Insurance Group Hol	FDT +0.45 points	0.17%	0.62%
Xinyi Glass Holdings Ltd	FDT +0.45 points	<0.01%	0.46%
Hokuhoku Financial Group	FDT +0.44 points	0.03%	0.47%
Washington H Soul Pattins	FDT +0.44 points	<0.01%	0.45%
Thyssenkrupp AG	FDT +0.44 points	0.03%	0.47%
Air Canada	FDT +0.43 points	0.01%	0.44%
Toyota Tsusho Corp	FDT +0.43 points	0.11%	0.54%
Totalenergies SE	DFAI +0.43 points	0.69%	0.26%
Shionogi & Co Ltd	FDT +0.43 points	0.06%	0.49%
Inpex Corp	FDT +0.41 points	0.11%	0.52%
Codan Ltd/Australia	FDT +0.41 points	0.02%	0.43%
Menora Mivtachim Holdings	FDT +0.41 points	0.01%	0.42%
Var Energi Asa	FDT +0.41 points	0.02%	0.43%
Aisin Corp	FDT +0.41 points	0.03%	0.44%
Hirogin Holdings Inc	FDT +0.39 points	0.02%	0.41%
Yamaguchi Financial Group	FDT +0.39 points	0.02%	0.41%
Legal & General Group PLCLGEN.L	FDT +0.39 points	0.10%	0.49%
Nishi-Nippon Financial Ho	FDT +0.39 points	0.02%	0.41%
Frasers Group PLCFRAS.L	FDT +0.38 points	<0.01%	0.39%
Ck Hutchison Holdings Ltd	FDT +0.39 points	0.06%	0.45%
Daiichi Life Group Inc	FDT +0.38 points	0.17%	0.55%
Repsol SA	FDT +0.38 points	0.21%	0.59%
Otsuka Corp	FDT +0.39 points	0.03%	0.42%
Toyota Motor Corp	DFAI +0.38 points	0.63%	0.25%
Basf SE	FDT +0.38 points	0.23%	0.61%
77 Bank Ltd/The	FDT +0.38 points	0.02%	0.40%
Niterra Co Ltd	FDT +0.38 points	0.04%	0.42%
Kyushu Financial Group In	FDT +0.38 points	0.02%	0.40%
Tokyo Electric Power Co H	FDT +0.38 points	0.02%	0.40%
Arcelormittal SA	FDT +0.37 points	0.04%	0.41%
Discovery Mining Ltd	FDT +0.38 points	<0.01%	0.38%
Migdal Insurance & Financ	FDT +0.37 points	0.02%	0.39%
Harel Insurance Investmen	FDT +0.38 points	0.03%	0.41%
Kansai Electric Power Co	FDT +0.37 points	0.08%	0.45%
Daishi Hokuetsu Financial	FDT +0.37 points	0.02%	0.39%
Fukuoka Financial Group I	FDT +0.37 points	0.03%	0.40%
Mebuki Financial Group In	FDT +0.36 points	0.04%	0.40%
Nippon Steel Corp	FDT +0.36 points	0.10%	0.46%
Shiga Bank Ltd/The	FDT +0.36 points	0.01%	0.37%
Bridgestone Corp	FDT +0.36 points	0.12%	0.48%
Swire Pacific Ltd	FDT +0.35 points	0.01%	0.36%
Ricoh Co Ltd	FDT +0.34 points	0.04%	0.38%
Ana Holdings Inc	FDT +0.34 points	0.01%	0.35%
Mtr Corp Ltd	FDT +0.34 points	0.02%	0.36%
Vontobel Holding AG	FDT +0.33 points	0.02%	0.35%
Prosus NV	FDT +0.33 points	0.11%	0.44%
Delek Group Ltd	FDT +0.34 points	0.01%	0.35%
Japan Airlines Co Ltd	FDT +0.33 points	0.02%	0.35%
Whitecap Resources Inc	FDT +0.33 points	0.07%	0.40%
Sumitomo Bakelite Co Ltd	FDT +0.32 points	<0.01%	0.33%
Central New	FDT +0.32 points	<0.01%	0.32%
Vodafone Group PLCVOD.L	FDT +0.32 points	0.14%	0.46%
Iss A/S	FDT +0.32 points	0.03%	0.35%
Persimmon PLCPSN.L	FDT +0.30 points	0.03%	0.33%
Omv AG	FDT +0.31 points	0.06%	0.37%
Agc Inc/Japan	FDT +0.30 points	0.03%	0.33%
Isuzu Motors Ltd	FDT +0.30 points	0.04%	0.34%
Sekisui House Ltd	FDT +0.29 points	0.07%	0.36%
Smiths Group PLCSMIN.L	FDT +0.30 points	0.04%	0.34%
Sandfire Resources Ltd	FDT +0.29 points	0.03%	0.32%
Denso Corp	FDT +0.29 points	0.06%	0.35%
Bayerische Motoren Werke	FDT +0.28 points	0.08%	0.36%
Honda Motor Co Ltd	FDT +0.28 points	0.09%	0.37%

All 3,869 DFAI holdings⁠All 301 FDT 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.

DFAI vs FDT Cost

Overpaying FDT vs DFAI

$11,597

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

DFAI 0.18%
$3,749
FDT 0.80%
$15,346

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

DFAI 0.18%
FDT 0.80%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	DFAI	FDT	Overpaying
10	$328	$1,422	$1,094
20	$1,281	$5,393	$4,112
30	$3,749	$15,346	$11,597

Expense ratio

0.18%DFAI, cheaper
0.80%FDT

DFAI0.18%FDT0.80%

0.15%0.80%

Middle half of International Multifactor funds
Median 0.34%

DFAI 3rd cheapest of 30 funds

FDT 27th cheapest of 30 funds

DFAI vs FDT Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026

Yield (12M): DFAI 2.44%; FDT 3.10%, better
Payout (12M): DFAI $1.01; FDT $2.75
Last payment: DFAI $0.18; FDT $0.53
Ex-dividend: DFAI Sep 22, 2026; FDT Sep 24, 2026
Paid on: DFAI Sep 24, 2026; FDT Sep 30, 2026
Frequency: DFAI Quarterly; FDT Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

DFAIQuarterly · 24 paymentsAll DFAI payments⁠

FDTQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll FDT payments⁠

DFAI vs FDT Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

DFAI
FDT

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: DFAI 11.6%, betterFDT 16.7%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: DFAI 1.33, betterFDT 1.27
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: DFAI −27.4%, betterFDT −31.6%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: DFAI 0.91FDT 1.10; Market = 1

DFAI and FDT in the news

All news⁠

New ETFs
Avantis Investors' Avantis U.S. Core Equity ETF AVUC overlaps a fund it already runs
Oct 16, 2026DFAI

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DFAI vs FDT

In short

Stated mandate

Why people hold it

Worth knowing

How DFAI and FDT differ

Level by level

Sector

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Concentration

Asset class

Holdings

Only in DFAI

Only in FDT

Weight gaps

Cost over time

Year by year

Distribution history

Fall from peak · 5 years

Risk facts

Avantis Investors' Avantis U.S. Core Equity ETF AVUC overlaps a fund it already runs

How DFAI and FDT differ

Level by level

Sector

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Concentration

Asset class

Holdings

Only in DFAI

Only in FDT

Weight gaps