Dimensional World ex U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF (DFAX) Performance
DFAX total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +11.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +16.2% total return
- 5 years
- +9.5% a year
- Since first price
- +8.8% a year since 2021
DFAX trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | DFAX total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −3.7% | −3.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −0.0% | −0.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +1.6% | −0.1% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +11.9% | +10.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +16.2% | +13.4% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +80.7%+21.8%/yr | +66.5% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +57.5%+9.5%/yr | +35.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 13, 2021 | +54.2%+8.8%/yr | +32.3% | — | — | — |
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: DFAX vs SPY
From Sep 13, 2021: DFAX grew to $15,420, SPY to $18,253.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
DFAX returns by calendar year
3 of 4 full years positive. Best 2025 (+35.4%), worst 2022 (−14.5%). 2026 is year to date.
DFAX annual returns table
| Year | DFAX | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +11.9% | −11.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +35.4% | −13.9% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +4.8% | −8.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +16.7% | −11.1% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −14.5% | −27.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
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.
DFAX largest drawdowns
Now 6.2% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2021 | −28.1% | Oct 12, 2022 | Mar 7, 2024 | 1.1 years | 2.5 years |
| Mar 19, 2025 | −13.9% | Apr 8, 2025 | May 2, 2025 | 20 days | 44 days |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −11.1% | Mar 20, 2026 | May 6, 2026 | 23 days | 2 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
DFAX risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +21.3% | +10.7% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.3% | 15.3% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.28 | 0.51 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.28 | 0.79 |
| Best month | +7.9% | +13.0% |
| Worst month | −8.0% | −10.2% |
| Best 12 months | +46.6% | +46.6% |
| Worst 12 months | +4.8% | −24.5% |
| Positive months | 69% | 60% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.66 | 0.76 |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.67 | 0.77 |
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.
DFAX rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 50 | −24.5% | +13.8% | +46.6% | 84% |
| 3-year (a year) | 26 | +1.5% | +16.9% | +22.2% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 2 | +9.7% | +10.2% | +10.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2021. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
DFAX performance overview
Dimensional World ex U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF (DFAX) returned +16.2% over the past year and +9.5% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2021 it has returned +8.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $15,420. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −28.1%, from Sep 13, 2021 to Oct 12, 2022, and it took 1.4 years to get back to the old high. DFAX finished 3 of its 4 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+35.4%) and the worst 2022 (−14.5%). Volatility has been 15.3% a year.
Related: DFAX chart, DFAX holdings, DFAX dividends. See the DFAX overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
DFAX performance FAQ
What is the DFAX return over the past year?
DFAX returned +16.2% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 13.4%.
What is the average annual return of DFAX?
DFAX has returned +9.5% a year over 5 years, +8.8% a year since September 13, 2021 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in DFAX be worth?
$10,000 invested in DFAX at its first recorded close on September 13, 2021 would be worth about $15,420 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for DFAX?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −14.5%. The best was 2025 at +35.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of DFAX?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −28.1% between September 13, 2021 and October 12, 2022. It recovered to the old high on March 7, 2024, 1.4 years after the bottom.
How volatile is DFAX?
Over the past 3 years DFAX had an annualized volatility of 12.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.28 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).