Dimensional US Core Equity Market ETF (DFAU) Performance
DFAU total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +12.8% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +14.8% total return
- 5 years
- +11.8% a year
- Since first price
- +14.8% a year since 2020
DFAU trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DFAU total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −0.7% | −0.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.6% | +2.4% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.4% | +6.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +12.8% | +12.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +14.8% | +13.7% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +85.0%+22.8%/yr | +79.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +74.9%+11.8%/yr | +64.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionNov 18, 2020 | +127.0%+14.8%/yr | +112.0% | — | — | — |
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: DFAU vs SPY
From Nov 18, 2020: DFAU grew to $22,700, SPY to $23,128.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DFAU returns by calendar year
4 of 5 full years positive. Best 2021 (+26.9%), worst 2022 (−17.0%). 2026 is year to date.
DFAU annual returns table
| Year | DFAU | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +12.8% | −8.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +16.8% | −19.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +23.2% | −8.5% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +24.8% | −10.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −17.0% | −23.6% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +26.9% | −5.0% | +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.
DFAU largest drawdowns
Now 2.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4, 2022 | −23.6% | Sep 30, 2022 | Dec 13, 2023 | 9 months | 1.9 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −19.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 27, 2025 | 48 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.
DFAU risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +21.8% | +13.0% | +14.7% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.7% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.29 | 0.63 | 0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.55 | 1.01 | 1.28 |
| Best month | +9.9% | +9.9% | +9.9% |
| Worst month | −5.8% | −9.1% | −9.1% |
| Best 12 months | +37.0% | +37.0% | +37.0% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.4% | −17.0% | −17.0% |
| Positive months | 69% | 63% | 66% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.01 | 1.00 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.99 | 0.99 | — |
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.
DFAU rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 60 | −17.0% | +16.1% | +37.0% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 36 | +7.2% | +12.4% | +23.6% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 12 | +11.2% | +12.9% | +14.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DFAU performance overview
Dimensional US Core Equity Market ETF (DFAU) returned +14.8% over the past year and +11.8% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +14.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $22,700. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −23.6%, from Jan 4, 2022 to Sep 30, 2022, and it took 1.2 years to get back to the old high. DFAU finished 4 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+26.9%) and the worst 2022 (−17.0%). Volatility has been 15.0% a year.
Related: DFAU chart, DFAU holdings, DFAU dividends, DFAU valuation. See the DFAU overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DFAU performance FAQ
What is the DFAU return over the past year?
DFAU returned +14.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 13.7%.
What is the average annual return of DFAU?
DFAU has returned +11.8% a year over 5 years, +14.8% a year since November 18, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DFAU be worth?
$10,000 invested in DFAU at its first recorded close on November 18, 2020 would be worth about $22,700 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DFAU?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −17.0%. The best was 2021 at +26.9%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DFAU?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −23.6% between January 4, 2022 and September 30, 2022. It recovered to the old high on December 13, 2023, 1.2 years after the bottom.
How volatile is DFAU?
Over the past 3 years DFAU had an annualized volatility of 12.7% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.29 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).