DFGX vs SIO: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

Dimensional International Core Fixed Income ETF

DFGXANasdaq

Touchstone Strategic Income ETF

SIOCNYSE Arca

Overlap

No data

Expense ratio

DFGX −0.30pt a year

DFGX0.20%SIO0.50%

Avg volume · 30D

DFGX 4.8×the volume

DFGX218KSIO45.3K

DFGX vs SIO Performance

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

−0.7%DFGX+1.1%SIO

Expense ratio: DFGX 0.20%, better; SIO 0.50%
Fund size: DFGX $1.93B; SIO $287M
1Y total return: DFGX −0.7%; SIO +1.1%, better
Yield (12M): DFGX 4.93%; SIO 7.01%, better
Holdings: DFGX 822; SIO 242
Avg volume (30D): DFGX 218K sh, better; SIO 45.3K sh
NAV per share: DFGX $51.64; SIO $24.84
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for DFGX, SIO, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	DFGX	SIO
Cost30% weight	A95Higher	D39
Mission25% weight	A87Higher	A70
Risk15% weight	D33	B60Higher
Tradability15% weight	B64Higher	F21
Holdings10% weight	A79Higher	C47
Durability5% weight	B57Higher	C44

Rank among Global Aggregate Bond (Unhedged) funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. DFGX and SIO are both graded against the same 28 Global Aggregate Bond (Unhedged) funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Global Aggregate Bond (Unhedged)⁠

Category · 28 funds

See all 28 ›

DFGX ranks 4th and SIO 19th of 28 funds in the Global Aggregate Bond (Unhedged) Category.

Rank 1ADFGPDimensional Global Core Plus Fixed Income ETFScore 80
Rank 2ABNDWVanguard Total World Bond ETFScore 77
Rank 2AGRNBVanEck Green Bond ETFScore 77
Rank 4ADFGXDimensional International Core Fixed Income ETFScore 75
Rank 4ADFSBDimensional Global Sustainability Fixed Income ETFScore 75
Rank 18BNFLTVirtus Newfleet Multi-Sector Bond ETFScore 55
Rank 19CSIOTouchstone Strategic Income ETFScore 48
Rank 20CSCMCSterling Capital Multi-Strategy Income ETFScore 47

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

DFGXADimensional International Core Fixed Income ETF

SIOCTouchstone Strategic Income ETF

In short

DFGX Dimensional's bond sleeve for everything outside the US: roughly 700 mostly developed-market issues at 0.20%, net of a waiver through February 28, 2027. Built to sit beside a US core, not re-buy it.

SIO A go-anywhere income fund that leans into structured credit (mortgage, asset-backed and CLO paper) instead of guessing on rates, with at least half the book kept in investment-grade debt. Income lands monthly.

Stated mandate

DFGX The fund seeks to maximize total returns through income and capital appreciation.

SIO The Fund seeks a high level of current income while emphasizing capital preservation. It invests primarily in income-producing fixed-income securities through an actively managed, yield-oriented strategy.

Why people hold it

DFGX Costs 0.20% net of a waiver through February 28, 2027 (0.21% gross), below the category median and under sibling DFGP at 0.22% net of a waiver through the same date.
Ex-US by design: roughly 700 bonds, mostly developed-market governments, agencies and corporates, with maturities inside 20 years from settlement.sec.gov
Run systematically, with exposure to duration, credit quality and currency of issuance adjusted from market prices rather than copied from an index bond for bond.dimensional.com
A billion-dollar-plus fund and one of the stronger implementations in its global bond peer group, paying income quarterly.

SIO Wide mandate: at least 80% in income-producing bonds, with a documented tilt toward structured products (MBS, CMBS, ABS, CLOs) that core bond indexes barely touch.sec.gov sec.gov 2
Duration is a risk dial, not a forecast. Touchstone says the team avoids large interest-rate positions because rates are hard to predict, leaning on credit and structure work.westernsouthern.com
A credit barbell with a floor: at least 50% must sit in investment-grade debt, while up to 50% can go to high yield. The split is written into the strategy, not improvised.sec.gov
Run since its 2022 launch by sub-advisor Fort Washington as a high-conviction, yield-oriented book, and it pays out monthly.westernsouthern.com

Worth knowing

DFGX Foreign bonds mean two moving parts: local interest rates and exchange rates. The ride can differ from a US core holding.sec.gov
Not a plain index tracker, so results can drift from a global ex-US bond benchmark in either direction.dimensional.com
A 2023 launch and moderate trading volume: a shorter record than long-standing global bond funds, and spreads can widen in fast markets.sec.gov

SIO Costs 0.50% net of a waiver through April 29, 2027 (0.82% gross), above the category median and far above index rivals like BNDW at 0.05%.
Up to half the portfolio can hold below-investment-grade bonds, which the prospectus calls speculative. Structured credit adds prepayment and complexity risk.sec.gov
Shares trade thinly next to the category's index giants, so spreads and premiums can run wider.

Full DFGX profile⁠

Full SIO profile⁠

DFGX vs SIO Holdings

How DFGX and SIO differ

No overlap figure

Two bond funds rarely hold the same issues.

Level by level

Countryby domicile22.5%
Asset classFixed Income100%

Sector

No Sector split for DFGX and SIO.

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in DFGX and SIO, widest gap first
Country	More in DFGXMore in SIO	DFGX	SIO
United States	SIO +74.0 points	16.0%	90.0%
Japan	DFGX +19.2 points	19.2%	0.0%
Canada	DFGX +14.9 points	17.4%	2.5%
France	DFGX +8.9 points	8.9%	0.0%
Netherlands	DFGX +7.3 points	7.5%	0.2%
United Kingdom	DFGX +6.8 points	9.2%	2.4%
Australia	DFGX +4.3 points	4.3%	0.0%
New Zealand	DFGX +3.7 points	3.7%	0.0%
Other countries (19)	DFGX +8.8 points	13.7%	4.9%

Outside the US: DFGX 100% developed, 0% emerging.

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

DFGX14.3%
SIO30.8%

Securities held

DFGX721
SIO215

Asset class

DFGX: Fixed Income
SIO: Fixed Income

Holdings

Two bond funds rarely hold the same issues, so this page lists no shared Holdings. DFGX holds 721 securities, SIO 215.

All 666 DFGX holdings⁠All SIO 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.

DFGX vs SIO Cost

Overpaying SIO vs DFGX

$5,824

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

DFGX 0.20%
$4,155
SIO 0.50%
$9,979

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

DFGX 0.20%
SIO 0.50%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	DFGX	SIO	Overpaying
10	$365	$900	$535
20	$1,421	$3,460	$2,039
30	$4,155	$9,979	$5,824

Expense ratio

0.20%DFGX, cheaper
0.50%SIO

DFGX0.20%SIO0.50%

0.05%1.15%

Middle half of Global Aggregate Bond (Unhedged) funds
Median 0.40%

DFGX 2nd cheapest of 28 funds

SIO 18th cheapest of 28 funds

DFGX vs SIO Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026

Yield (12M): DFGX 4.93%; SIO 7.01%, better
Payout (12M): DFGX $2.55; SIO $1.75
Last payment: DFGX $0.20; SIO $0.10
Ex-dividend: DFGX Oct 20, 2026; SIO Oct 29, 2026
Paid on: DFGX Oct 22, 2026; SIO Oct 30, 2026
Frequency: DFGX Irregular; SIO Monthly

Distribution history

Per share, 2023 to 2026, same scale for both

DFGXIrregular · 15 paymentsAll DFGX payments⁠

SIOMonthly · 48 paymentsAll SIO payments⁠

DFGX vs SIO Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: DFGX 4.1%since Dec 2023SIO 5.0%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: DFGX −0.16since Dec 2023SIO 0.66
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: DFGX −3.4%since Nov 2023SIO −7.6%since Jul 2022
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: DFGX 0.20SIO 0.84; Market = 1

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