WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Fund (DES) Performance
DES total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +17.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +18.4% total return
- 5 years
- +6.8% a year
- 10 years
- +7.7% a year
- Since first price
- +7.6% a year since 2006
DES trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DES total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.1% | +0.8% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −4.0% | −4.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +2.4% | +1.1% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +17.9% | +16.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +18.4% | +15.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +57.4%+16.3%/yr | +45.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +39.0%+6.8%/yr | +20.6% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +110.4%+7.7%/yr | +58.1% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +319.8%+10.0%/yr | +169.8% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| 20 years | +299.6%+7.2%/yr | +109.6% | +696.9%+10.9%/yr | +1,839.9%+16.0%/yr | +79.6%+3.0%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 16, 2006 | +346.2%+7.6%/yr | +132.1% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: DES vs SPY
From Jun 16, 2006: DES grew to $44,625, SPY to $88,269.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DES returns by calendar year
12 of 19 full years positive. Best 2013 (+36.7%), worst 2008 (−28.2%). 2026 is year to date.
DES annual returns table
| Year | DES | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +17.9% | −8.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +0.2% | −20.1% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +9.9% | −9.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +16.5% | −16.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −11.0% | −21.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +26.5% | −9.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −4.3% | −44.7% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +20.3% | −11.6% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −12.8% | −22.8% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +8.6% | −7.3% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +31.4% | −10.3% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | −5.7% | −13.4% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +7.6% | −9.5% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +36.7% | −6.1% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +18.3% | −9.2% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | −2.0% | −23.0% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +27.0% | −17.5% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +22.3% | −48.1% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −28.2% | −46.2% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | −12.5% | −17.9% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
DES largest drawdowns
Now 6.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2007 | −65.5% | Mar 9, 2009 | Feb 3, 2012 | 1.8 years | 4.7 years |
| Aug 21, 2018 | −45.7% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jan 14, 2021 | 1.6 years | 2.4 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −25.2% | Apr 8, 2025 | Feb 4, 2026 | 4 months | 1.2 years |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −21.7% | Sep 30, 2022 | Dec 14, 2023 | 9 months | 1.9 years |
| Jun 23, 2015 | −19.3% | Jan 20, 2016 | Apr 26, 2016 | 7 months | 10 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
DES risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +13.4% | +7.2% | +7.2% | +7.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 17.7% | 19.5% | 20.4% | 20.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.55 | 0.27 | 0.33 | 0.39 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.01 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 0.57 |
| Best month | +12.2% | +13.8% | +15.3% | +24.5% |
| Worst month | −7.7% | −10.3% | −24.9% | −24.9% |
| Best 12 months | +32.4% | +32.4% | +78.0% | +84.8% |
| Worst 12 months | −7.5% | −14.0% | −32.6% | −48.2% |
| Positive months | 53% | 50% | 57% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.84 | 0.91 | 1.05 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.59 | 0.73 | 0.79 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
DES rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 233 | −48.2% | +7.2% | +84.8% | 70% |
| 3-year (a year) | 209 | −12.9% | +9.2% | +33.8% | 87% |
| 5-year (a year) | 185 | −2.7% | +8.1% | +29.2% | 97% |
| 10-year (a year) | 125 | +5.2% | +8.3% | +18.1% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2006. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DES performance overview
WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Fund (DES) returned +18.4% over the past year and +7.7% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2006 it has returned +7.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $44,625. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −65.5%, from Jun 4, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009, and it took 2.9 years to get back to the old high. DES finished 12 of its 19 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2013 (+36.7%) and the worst 2008 (−28.2%). Volatility has been 20.2% a year.
Related: DES chart, DES holdings, DES dividends, DES valuation. See the DES overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DES performance FAQ
What is the DES return over the past year?
DES returned +18.4% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 15.5%.
What is the average annual return of DES?
DES has returned +6.8% a year over 5 years, +7.7% a year over 10 years, +7.6% a year since June 16, 2006 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DES be worth?
$10,000 invested in DES at its first recorded close on June 16, 2006 would be worth about $44,625 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DES?
The worst calendar year was 2008, with a total return of −28.2%. The best was 2013 at +36.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DES?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −65.5% between June 4, 2007 and March 9, 2009. It recovered to the old high on February 3, 2012, 2.9 years after the bottom.
How volatile is DES?
Over the past 3 years DES had an annualized volatility of 17.7% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.55 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).