Investment objective & strategy
As of Feb. 27, 2026 · prospectusObjective. The investment objective of the Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF (the Emerging Markets Core ETF or Portfolio) is to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
Strategy. To achieve the Emerging Markets Core ETFs 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 Core ETF Portfolio is designed to purchase a broad and diverse group of readily marketable equity securities within a market capitalization weighted universe (e.g., the larger the company, the greater the proportion of the … To achieve the Emerging Markets Core ETFs 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 Core ETF Portfolio is designed to purchase a broad and diverse group of readily marketable equity securities within a market capitalization weighted universe (e.g., the larger the company, the greater the proportion of the universe it represents) of non-U.S. companies associated with emerging markets that have been authorized for investment by the Advisors Investment Committee (Approved Markets), which may include frontier markets (emerging market countries in an earlier stage of development) (the Emerging Markets Universe). The Portfolio will invest in companies of all sizes, with modestly increased exposure to smaller capitalization, lower relative price, and higher profitability companies as compared to their representation in the Emerging Markets Universe. The Portfolios modestly increased exposure to smaller capitalization, lower relative price, and higher profitability companies may be achieved by decreasing the allocation of the Portfolios assets to larger capitalization, higher relative price, or lower profitability companies relative to their weight in the Emerging Markets Universe. An equity issuer is considered to have a high relative price (i.e., a growth stock) primarily because it has a high price in relation to its book value. 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 their 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 Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its net assets in emerging market equity investments that are defined in the Prospectus as Approved Market Securities. The Advisor may also increase or reduce the Emerging Markets Core ETFs 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. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Emerging Markets Core ETF can invest in the following countries that have been designated as Approved Markets by the Advisor: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. In determining what countries are eligible markets for the Portfolio, the Advisor may consider various factors, including without limitation, the classification of countries recognized by global index providers, market liquidity, relative availability of information to investors, government regulation, including fiscal and foreign exchange repatriation rules, the availability of other access to these markets, clearing and settlement processes, taxes, fees, duties, and other costs of transacting in the market, and observance of property rights. The countries designated as Approved Markets will change from time to time. In addition, the countries in which the Portfolio actually holds investments will change from time to time. To determine whether a company is related to an emerging market country, the Advisor will consider various factors, such as where the company is organized or maintains its principal place of business, the principal trading market of the company, what government, agency or instrumentality issued or guaranteed the security, where the companys revenues or profits are derived, and whether the company is in the Portfolios benchmark. The Emerging Markets Core ETF 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, or by entering into equity swap agreements. The Portfolio 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 Portfolio also 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 Portfolio. Because many of the Portfolios investments may be denominated in foreign currencies, 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 Core ETF may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income. The Emerging Markets Core ETF is an actively managed exchange traded fund and does not seek to replicate the performance of a specific index and may have a higher degree of portfolio turnover than such index funds.
Top holdings
As of April 30, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC | — | $1.08B | 12.22% |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | — | $385.82M | 4.35% |
| SK HYNIX INC | — | $309.15M | 3.49% |
| TENCENT HOLDINGS LTD | — | $234.44M | 2.65% |
| The DFA Short Term Investment Fund | — | $155.58M | 1.76% |
| BABA-W | — | $123.66M | 1.40% |
| DELTA ELEC | — | $79.54M | 0.90% |
| CCB-H | — | $69.31M | 0.78% |
| MEDIATEK | — | $61.53M | 0.69% |
| SAMSUNG ELEC VTG GDR REGS | SSNHZ US | $57.06M | 0.64% |
Portfolio moves
Jan 31, 2026 → Apr 30, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF · DFEM | 80% | 0.39% |
| THE EMERGING MARKETS SERIES | 73% | — |
| EMERGING MARKETS CORE EQUITY 2 PORTFOLIO · DFCEX | 70% | 0.39% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS LP | Adviser |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. | Sub-adviser |
| DFA Australia Limited | Sub-adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of February 27, 2026, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of April 30, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. As reported in the fund's prospectus performance bar chart.
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