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DUSG vs MMSC

U.S. Small Cap Growth Portfolio: ETF Class Shares

DUSGANasdaq

First Trust Multi-Manager Small Cap Opportunities ETF

MMSCFNYSE Arca

Overlap

Expense ratio

DUSG −0.62pt a year

DUSG0.33%MMSC0.95%

Avg volume · 30D

DUSG 1.2×the volume

DUSG5.5KMMSC4.6K

DUSG vs MMSC Performance

Jul 31, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026

−1.7%DUSG−3.0%MMSC

Jul 31, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026. DUSG −1.7%. MMSC −3.0%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−7.5%−5%0%2.5%5%7.5%Jul 2026Sep 2026Oct 2026
Expense ratio
DUSG 0.33%, better
MMSC 0.95%
Fund size
DUSG $1.94B
MMSC $52M
1Y total return
DUSG No data
MMSC +8.6%
Yield (12M)
DUSG No data
MMSC 0.00%
Holdings
DUSG 585
MMSC 199
Avg volume (30D)
DUSG 5.5K sh, better
MMSC 4.6K sh
NAV per share
DUSG $50.92
MMSC $26.47
52W range

ETF.net Grade

DUSG: Cost 85, Risk 61, Mission not scored, Tradability 61, Holdings 79, Durability 93. MMSC: Cost 3, Risk 19, Mission 73, Tradability 37, Holdings 55, Durability 70.
Pillar letters and Scores for DUSG, MMSC, with each pillar’s weight
PillarDUSGMMSC
Cost30% weightA85HigherF3
Mission25% weightNot scoredA73
Risk15% weightB61HigherF19
Tradability15% weightB61HigherD37
Holdings10% weightA79HigherB55
Durability5% weightA93HigherA70

Rank among US Active Small-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. DUSG and MMSC are both graded against the same 39 US Active Small-Cap funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

US Active Small-Cap⁠

Category · 39 funds
See all 39 ›

DUSG ranks 4th and MMSC 34th of 39 funds in the US Active Small-Cap Category.

  1. Rank 1AAVSCAvantis U.S. Small Cap Equity ETFScore 88
  2. Rank 2AFESMFidelity Enhanced Small Cap ETFScore 85
  3. Rank 3ADFSVU.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio ETF Class SharesScore 82
  4. Rank 4ADUSGU.S. Small Cap Growth Portfolio: ETF Class SharesScore 75
  5. Rank 5ABSVOEA Bridgeway Omni Small-Cap Value ETFScore 70
  6. Rank 30DSSCPSMART Small Cap ETFScore 29
  7. Rank 34FMMSCFirst Trust Multi-Manager Small Cap Opportunities ETFScore 24
  8. Rank 35FTMFSMotley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETFScore 23

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

DUSGAU.S. Small Cap Growth Portfolio: ETF Class Shares

MMSCFFirst Trust Multi-Manager Small Cap Opportunities ETF

In short

DUSG A Dimensional small-cap growth strategy that finally got a ticker. DUSG is an exchange-traded share class of a portfolio running since 2012, screening small US companies for high profitability and cheaper relative price.

MMSC Two small-cap shops, one ticker. Driehaus and Stephens each feed stock ideas to First Trust, which decides how much money each sleeve runs. Active small-cap stock picking priced like the boutique product it is.

Stated mandate

DUSG The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.

MMSC The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation and normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities issued by small capitalization companies.

Why people hold it

  • DUSG Not a startup fund with a launch-day portfolio. The underlying strategy has run since 2012, and the ETF class is a new door into the same book of stocks.businesswire.com
  • The screen does two jobs at once: small-cap growth companies, filtered for high profitability and lower relative price, instead of whatever the index says is popular.dimensional.com
  • 0.33% a year for a systematically managed factor strategy, sitting right around the middle of the multifactor pack rather than at the premium end.
  • Broad and diversified by design, holding a wide sweep of US small caps in a billion-dollar-plus portfolio, not a handful of high-conviction names.dimensional.com
  • MMSC Genuinely multi-manager: Driehaus Capital Management and Stephens Investment Management Group both recommend names, and First Trust's investment committee sets each sub-adviser's slice.sec.govftportfolios.com
  • The sub-advisers are non-discretionary. They pitch, First Trust decides and trades, which keeps one desk accountable for what actually lands in the portfolio.sec.gov
  • Roughly 200 holdings, so no single small-cap name drives the fund. Active picking without the single-manager concentration risk.
  • The mandate is written down: at least 80% of net assets in small-cap equities, aiming for long-term capital appreciation. Live since 2021.ftportfolios.com

Worth knowing

  • DUSG It trades thinly. Light volume can mean wider gaps between the bid and the ask than you get with the household-name index ETFs.
  • Distributions land once or twice a year, not monthly. The stated job here is long-term capital appreciation, not a paycheck.
  • Fair pricing, not bargain pricing: broad US growth exposure in the same peer group costs far less (IUSG, 0.04%), minus the small-cap and profitability screens.
  • MMSC 0.95% a year is boutique-active pricing, roughly four times the 0.25% charged by systematic small-cap peers like AVUV and AVSC, and well above the active small-cap median.
  • Small asset base and light trading next to the small-cap index giants, so bid-ask spreads can run wider. Limit orders are the standard workaround.
  • Built for capital appreciation, not income. A regular distribution stream has not been part of the profile.

Full DUSG profile⁠

Full MMSC profile⁠

DUSG vs MMSC 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.

DUSG vs MMSC Cost

Overpaying MMSC vs DUSG

$11,132

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

  • DUSG 0.33%

    $6,737

  • MMSC 0.95%

    $17,869

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • DUSG 0.33%
  • MMSC 0.95%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$5K$10K$15K$20K051015202530MMSC $17,869DUSG $6,737

Year by year

YearDUSGMMSCOverpaying
10$598$1,678$1,080
20$2,318$6,322$4,004
30$6,737$17,869$11,132

Expense ratio

  • 0.33%DUSG, cheaper
  • 0.95%MMSC
  • Middle half of US Active Small-Cap funds
  • Median 0.55%

DUSG 7th cheapest of 39 funds

MMSC 38th cheapest of 39 funds

DUSG vs MMSC Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
DUSG No data
MMSC 0.00%
Payout (12M)
DUSG No data
MMSC None
Last payment
DUSG $0.07
MMSC No data
Ex-dividend
DUSG Sep 29, 2026
MMSC No data
Paid on
DUSG Oct 1, 2026
MMSC No data
Frequency
DUSG Quarterly
MMSC No data

Distribution history

Per share, 2024 to 2026, same scale for both

DUSGQuarterly · 2 paymentsAll DUSG payments⁠
One bar per payment. 2 payments from 2024 to 2026 YTD. Jun 29, 2026 $0.07; Sep 29, 2026 $0.07. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.102026YTD
MMSC1 paymentAll MMSC payments⁠
One bar per payment. 1 payment from 2024 to 2026 YTD. Dec 13, 2024 $0.09. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.102026YTD

DUSG vs MMSC Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
DUSG No dataMMSC 19.5%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
DUSG No dataMMSC 0.93
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
DUSG No dataMMSC −40.8%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
DUSG 1.05MMSC 1.34

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