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DFMC vs SMCO

U.S. Micro Cap Portfolio ETF

DFMCANYSE Arca

Hilton Small-MidCap Opportunity ETF

SMCOBNasdaq

Overlap

Expense ratio

DFMC −0.12pt a year

DFMC0.43%SMCO0.55%

Avg volume · 30D

DFMC 1.3×the volume

DFMC25.9KSMCO19.7K

DFMC vs SMCO Performance

Aug 3, 2026 – Nov 3, 2026

−3.7%DFMC−5.5%SMCO

Aug 3, 2026 to Nov 3, 2026. DFMC −3.7%. SMCO −5.5%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−7.5%0%2.5%Aug 2026Sep 2026Nov 2026
Expense ratio
DFMC 0.43%, better
SMCO 0.55%
Fund size
DFMC $7.64B
SMCO $147M
1Y total return
DFMC No data
SMCO +6.9%
Yield (12M)
DFMC No data
SMCO 0.95%
Holdings
DFMC 1733
SMCO 63
Avg volume (30D)
DFMC 25.9K sh, better
SMCO 19.7K sh
NAV per share
DFMC $58.70
SMCO $28.43
52W range

ETF.net Grade

DFMC: Cost 68, Risk 80, Mission not scored, Tradability 74, Holdings 93, Durability 99. SMCO: Cost 54, Risk 43, Mission not scored, Tradability 75, Holdings 49, Durability 49.
Pillar letters and Scores for DFMC, SMCO, with each pillar’s weight
PillarDFMCSMCO
Cost30% weightB68HigherC54
Mission25% weightNot scoredNot scored
Risk15% weightA80HigherC43
Tradability15% weightA74A75Higher
Holdings10% weightA93HigherC49
Durability5% weightA99HigherC49

Rank among US Active Small/Mid-Cap funds

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

Same Category. DFMC and SMCO are both graded against the same 47 US Active Small/Mid-Cap funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

US Active Small/Mid-Cap⁠

Category · 47 funds
See all 47 ›

DFMC ranks 3rd and SMCO 18th of 47 funds in the US Active Small/Mid-Cap Category.

  1. Rank 1AAVMCAvantis U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETFScore 89
  2. Rank 2AFEMVFidelity Enhanced Mid Cap Value ETFScore 80
  3. Rank 3ADFMCU.S. Micro Cap Portfolio ETFScore 77
  4. Rank 4AJMEEJPMorgan Small & Mid Cap Enhanced Equity ETFScore 74
  5. Rank 16BSMIZZacks Small/Mid Cap ETFScore 56
  6. Rank 18BSMCOHilton Small-MidCap Opportunity ETFScore 55
  7. Rank 19BAFMCFirst Trust Active Factor Mid Cap ETFScore 54

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

DFMCAU.S. Micro Cap Portfolio ETF

SMCOBHilton Small-MidCap Opportunity ETF

In short

DFMC Dimensional's micro-cap workhorse: a systematic sweep of the smallest US listed companies, a strategy dating to 1981, now in an ETF wrapper. Not an index tracker, and it charges less than the typical active US equity fund.

SMCO An active small- and mid-cap stock picker in a peer group stuffed with cheap large-cap core index funds. Hilton's sub-adviser runs a proprietary US small/mid process built for long-term capital appreciation, priced under the typical active US equity fund.

Stated mandate

DFMC The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.

SMCO The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Why people hold it

  • DFMC Charges 0.43% a year, well under the median for active US equity funds, so the fee takes a smaller bite out of a hard-to-reach corner of the market.
  • The strategy dates to 1981 and now runs as a multi-billion-dollar portfolio: an unusually long run for anything pointed at micro caps.
  • Systematic rather than index-bound. Dimensional sifts the small end of the US market by its own rules instead of copying a published micro-cap benchmark.dimensional.com
  • One of the stronger implementations among the active US equity funds we grade, with risk control and portfolio construction the standout pieces.
  • SMCO Charges 0.55% a year, below the 0.65% median for active US equity funds. Not index-fund cheap, but light for a discretionary stock-picking mandate.
  • Hunts US small and mid caps, the ground the cohort's top-scoring giants (DFAU, FELC, DFAC) mostly skip with their large-cap core books.
  • The portfolio itself is the strongest part of the package: a diversified US equity book with no structural quirks in the wrapper, and it lands in the upper half of its peer group.

Worth knowing

  • DFMC Thinly traded next to the big index names, so the cost of getting in and out can matter as much as the expense ratio, especially for larger orders.
  • It costs more than Dimensional's broad-market siblings, DFAU at 0.12% and DFAC at 0.17%, which own far bigger, more liquid companies.
  • Micro caps are the choppy end of the US market, and owning them is the entire job here. The mandate is long-term capital appreciation, not income.
  • SMCO Thinly traded. Spreads can run wider than in the category's mega-funds, so order size and timing matter more here than with a household-name index ETF.
  • Launched in late 2023, so the record is short and covers one stretch of market weather.
  • Small and mid caps swing harder than large caps, and there is no published index to measure the manager against. Outcomes ride on the sub-adviser's process.

Full DFMC profile⁠

Full SMCO profile⁠

DFMC vs SMCO 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.

DFMC vs SMCO Cost

Overpaying SMCO vs DFMC

$2,242

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

  • DFMC 0.43%

    $8,662

  • SMCO 0.55%

    $10,904

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • DFMC 0.43%
  • SMCO 0.55%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2.5K$5K$7.5K$10K$12.5K051015202530SMCO $10,904DFMC $8,662

Year by year

YearDFMCSMCOOverpaying
10$776$988$212
20$2,994$3,790$796
30$8,662$10,904$2,242

Expense ratio

  • 0.43%DFMC, cheaper
  • 0.55%SMCO
  • Middle half of US Active Small/Mid-Cap funds
  • Median 0.55%

DFMC 15th cheapest of 47 funds

SMCO 20th cheapest of 47 funds

DFMC vs SMCO Dividends

Last 12 months to Nov 3, 2026
Yield (12M)
DFMC No data
SMCO 0.95%
Payout (12M)
DFMC No data
SMCO $0.27
Last payment
DFMC $0.15
SMCO $0.27
Ex-dividend
DFMC Sep 29, 2026
SMCO Dec 30, 2025
Paid on
DFMC Oct 1, 2026
SMCO Dec 31, 2025
Frequency
DFMC Quarterly
SMCO Annual

Distribution history

Per share, 2023 to 2026, same scale for both

DFMCQuarterly · 2 paymentsAll DFMC payments⁠
One bar per payment. 2 payments from 2023 to 2026 YTD. Jun 29, 2026 $0.13; Sep 29, 2026 $0.15. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.2520232026YTD
SMCOAnnual · 3 paymentsAll SMCO payments⁠
One bar per payment. 3 payments from 2023 to 2026 YTD. Dec 27, 2023 $0.01; Dec 17, 2024 $0.12; Dec 30, 2025 $0.27. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.2520232026YTD

DFMC vs SMCO Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
DFMC No dataSMCO 16.1%since Dec 2023
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
DFMC No dataSMCO 0.54since Dec 2023
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
DFMC No dataSMCO −22.7%since Nov 2023
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
DFMC 0.53SMCO 1.14

DFMC and SMCO in the news

All news⁠

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