Strategy. The Global Small Company Portfolio is a fund of funds, which means the Portfolio generally allocates its assets among other funds managed by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the Underlying Funds), although it has the ability to invest directly in securities and derivatives. To achieve the Portfolios and the Underlying Funds investment objectives, 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 and the Underlying Funds designs emphasize 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 … Show more… The Global Small Company Portfolio is a fund of funds, which means the Portfolio generally allocates its assets among other funds managed by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the Underlying Funds), although it has the ability to invest directly in securities and derivatives. To achieve the Portfolios and the Underlying Funds investment objectives, 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 and the Underlying Funds designs emphasize 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 Global Small Company Portfolio is designed to provide investors with access to securities portfolios consisting of a broad range of equity securities of primarily small companies in developed and emerging markets. The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by allocating substantially all of its assets among the following Underlying Funds: The Asia Pacific Small Company Series, The Canadian Small Company Series, The Continental Small Company Series, The Emerging Markets Small Cap Series, The Japanese Small Company Series, The United Kingdom Small Company Series (each a series of The DFA Investment Trust Company), and U.S. Small Cap Portfolio (a series of DFA Investment Dimensions Group Inc.). When deciding allocations to the Underlying Funds, the Portfolio takes into account, among other factors, the aggregate market capitalizations and adjustments for free float of the eligible universe of securities within each region. Periodically, the Advisor will review the allocations for the Portfolio in each Underlying Fund and may adjust allocations to the Underlying Funds or may add or remove Underlying Funds in the Portfolio without notice to shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds invest in small companies using a market capitalization weighted approach in each country or region designated by the Advisor as an approved market for investment. A companys market capitalization is the number of its shares outstanding times its price per share. Under a market capitalization weighted approach, companies with higher market capitalizations generally represent a larger proportion of an Underlying Fund than companies with relatively lower market capitalizations. The Portfolio and Underlying Funds may emphasize certain stocks, including smaller capitalization companies, lower relative price stocks, and/or higher profitability stocks as compared to their representation in the countries and/or regions in which the Portfolio and/or Underlying Funds are 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. The Global Small Company Portfolio, directly or indirectly through its investment in the Underlying Funds, intends to invest its assets to gain exposure to at least three different countries, including the United States. As of the date of the Prospectus, the Portfolio, directly or indirectly through its investment in the Underlying Funds, invests approximately 62% of its net assets in U.S. companies. This percentage will change due to market conditions. As a non-fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the Global Small Company Portfolio, directly or through its investments in the Underlying Funds, will invest at least 80% of its net assets in securities of small companies. The Advisor determines the maximum market capitalization of a small company with respect to each country in which the Portfolio or Underlying Fund invests. In the countries or regions authorized for investment, the Advisor first ranks eligible companies listed on selected exchanges based on the companies market capitalizations. The Advisor then determines the universe of eligible stocks by defining the maximum market capitalization of a small company that may be purchased by the Portfolio or Underlying Fund with respect to each country or region. Based on market capitalization data as of December 31, 2025, for the Portfolio, the market capitalization of a small company in any country in which the Portfolio or its Underlying Funds invests would be below $16,226 million. This threshold will vary by country or region. For example, based on market capitalization data as of December 31, 2025, the Advisor would consider a small company in Switzerland to have a market capitalization below $16,226 million, a small company in the United States to have a market capitalization below $11,212 million, a small company in Norway to have a market capitalization below $1,934 million, and a small company in Japan to have a market capitalization below $3,311 million. These thresholds will change due to market conditions. The Advisor may also increase or reduce the Global Small Company Portfolios and/or Underlying Funds 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 Global Small Company Portfolio and each Underlying Fund may invest in affiliated and unaffiliated registered and unregistered money market funds to manage its cash pending investment in other securities or to maintain liquidity for the payment of redemptions or other purposes. Investments in money market funds may involve a duplication of certain fees and expenses. The Global Small Company Portfolio and each Underlying Fund 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 Portfolio and each Underlying Fund may purchase or sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts for equity securities and indices of its approved markets or other equity market securities or 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 or Underlying Fund. Because many of the Portfolios and certain Underlying Funds investments may be denominated in foreign currencies, the Portfolio and certain Underlying Funds 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 Global Small Company Portfolio and Underlying Funds may lend their portfolio securities to generate additional income. A summary of the investment strategies and policies of the Underlying Funds in which the Global Small Company Portfolio invests as of the date of this Prospectus is described in the Portfolios Prospectus in the section entitled ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES. Show less