Strategy. To achieve the Emerging Markets Small Cap Portfolios investment objective, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the Advisor) implements an integrated investment approach that combines research, portfolio design, portfolio management, and trading functions. As further described below, the Portfolios design emphasizes long-term drivers of expected returns identified by the Advisors research, while balancing risk through broad diversification across companies, sectors, and countries. The Advisors portfolio management and trading processes further balance those long-term drivers of expected returns with shorter-term drivers of expected returns and trading costs. The Emerging Markets Small Cap Portfolio invests substantially all of its assets in the Emerging Markets Small Cap Series. The Series is designed to purchase a broad market coverage of smaller companies associated with emerging markets, … Show more… To achieve the Emerging Markets Small Cap Portfolios investment objective, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the Advisor) implements an integrated investment approach that combines research, portfolio design, portfolio management, and trading functions. As further described below, the Portfolios design emphasizes long-term drivers of expected returns identified by the Advisors research, while balancing risk through broad diversification across companies, sectors, and countries. The Advisors portfolio management and trading processes further balance those long-term drivers of expected returns with shorter-term drivers of expected returns and trading costs. The Emerging Markets Small Cap Portfolio invests substantially all of its assets in the Emerging Markets Small Cap Series. The Series is designed to purchase a broad market coverage of smaller companies associated with emerging markets, which may include frontier markets (emerging market countries in an earlier stage of development), authorized for investment by the Advisors Investment Committee (Approved Markets). The Advisors definition of small varies across countries and is based primarily on market capitalization. A companys market capitalization is the number of its shares outstanding times its price per share. In each country authorized for investment, the Advisor first ranks eligible companies listed on selected exchanges based on the companies market capitalizations. The Advisor then defines the maximum market capitalization for a small company in that country. For example, based on market capitalization data as of December 31, 2025, Mexico had a size threshold of below $5,937 million, and Greece had a size threshold of below $3,907 million. These thresholds will change due to market conditions. The Series may emphasize certain stocks, including smaller capitalization companies, lower relative price stocks, and/or higher profitability stocks as compared to their representation in the small-cap segment of the Approved Markets in which the Series is authorized to invest. An equity issuer is considered to have a low relative price (i.e., a value stock) primarily because it has a low price in relation to its book value. In assessing relative price, the Advisor may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. An equity issuer is considered to have high profitability because it has high earnings or profits from operations in relation to its book value or assets. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing relative price and profitability are subject to change from time to time. As a non-fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Emerging Markets Small Cap Series will invest at least 80% of its net assets in emerging market investments that are designated in the Prospectus as Approved Market securities of small companies. The Advisor generally defines a U.S. company as one that is listed and principally traded on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the Advisor. The Advisor may also increase or reduce the Emerging Markets Small Cap Series exposure to an eligible company, or exclude a company, based on shorter-term considerations, such as a companys price momentum, short-run reversals, and investment characteristics. In assessing a companys investment characteristics, the Advisor considers ratios such as recent changes in assets divided by total assets. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing a companys investment characteristics are subject to change from time to time. In addition, the Advisor seeks to reduce trading costs using a flexible trading approach that looks for opportunities to participate in the available market liquidity, while managing turnover and explicit transaction costs. The Emerging Markets Small Cap Series may gain exposure to companies associated with Approved Markets by purchasing equity securities in the form of depositary receipts, which may be listed or traded outside the issuers domicile country. The Series may also invest in China A-shares (equity securities of companies listed in China) and variable interest entities (special structures that utilize contractual arrangements to provide exposure to certain Chinese companies). The Series and the Emerging Markets Small Cap Portfolio each may purchase or sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts for Approved Market or other equity market securities and indices, including those of the United States, to increase or decrease equity market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Series or Portfolio. Because many of the Series and the Portfolios investments may be denominated in foreign currencies, the Series and the Portfolio may enter into foreign currency exchange transactions, including foreign currency forward contracts, in connection with the settlement of foreign securities or to transfer cash balances from one currency to another currency. The Emerging Markets Small Cap Series may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income. Show less