Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF (DFAI) Performance
DFAI total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.1% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +14.8% total return
- 5 years
- +9.5% a year
- Since first price
- +11.6% a year since 2020
DFAI trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DFAI total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.5% | −1.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.6% | +0.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +3.2% | +1.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.1% | +8.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +14.8% | +12.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +76.8%+20.9%/yr | +63.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +57.5%+9.5%/yr | +37.9% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionNov 18, 2020 | +91.2%+11.6%/yr | +64.8% | — | — | — |
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: DFAI vs SPY
From Nov 18, 2020: DFAI grew to $19,116, SPY to $23,128.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DFAI returns by calendar year
4 of 5 full years positive. Best 2025 (+34.0%), worst 2022 (−12.9%). 2026 is year to date.
DFAI annual returns table
| Year | DFAI | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.1% | −11.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +34.0% | −13.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +4.7% | −8.9% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +17.6% | −11.2% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −12.9% | −27.1% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +13.9% | −7.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
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.
DFAI largest drawdowns
Now 5.0% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2021 | −27.4% | Sep 27, 2022 | Dec 27, 2023 | 11 months | 2.1 years |
| Mar 19, 2025 | −13.3% | Apr 8, 2025 | Apr 28, 2025 | 20 days | 40 days |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −11.0% | Mar 20, 2026 | Jul 6, 2026 | 23 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
DFAI risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +19.7% | +10.4% | +11.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.9% | 15.3% | 14.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.22 | 0.49 | 0.62 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.02 | 0.74 | 0.96 |
| Best month | +8.2% | +12.2% | +12.2% |
| Worst month | −7.5% | −9.2% | −9.2% |
| Best 12 months | +39.3% | +39.3% | +39.3% |
| Worst 12 months | +4.7% | −23.2% | −23.2% |
| Positive months | 72% | 63% | 64% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.60 | 0.77 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.62 | 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.
DFAI rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 60 | −23.2% | +13.8% | +39.3% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 36 | +2.3% | +10.6% | +22.2% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 12 | +9.5% | +10.3% | +12.1% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DFAI performance overview
Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF (DFAI) returned +14.8% over the past year and +9.5% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +11.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $19,116. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −27.4%, from Nov 8, 2021 to Sep 27, 2022, and it took 1.2 years to get back to the old high. DFAI finished 4 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+34.0%) and the worst 2022 (−12.9%). Volatility has been 14.5% a year.
Related: DFAI chart, DFAI holdings, DFAI dividends. See the DFAI overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DFAI performance FAQ
What is the DFAI return over the past year?
DFAI returned +14.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 12.0%.
What is the average annual return of DFAI?
DFAI has returned +9.5% a year over 5 years, +11.6% a year since November 18, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DFAI be worth?
$10,000 invested in DFAI at its first recorded close on November 18, 2020 would be worth about $19,116 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DFAI?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −12.9%. The best was 2025 at +34.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DFAI?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −27.4% between November 8, 2021 and September 27, 2022. It recovered to the old high on December 27, 2023, 1.2 years after the bottom.
How volatile is DFAI?
Over the past 3 years DFAI had an annualized volatility of 11.9% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.22 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).