Which returned more over the last year, DFSD or USTB?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DFSD returned +1.1% and USTB +2.7%.

Which is cheaper, DFSD or USTB?

DFSD is cheaper, by 0.18 percentage points a year. That is about $18 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

DFSD vs USTB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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DFSD's duration was 2.9 years on Jul 31, 2026 and USTB's 1.9 on Jun 30, 2026; DFSD charges 0.16% to USTB's 0.34%.

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Net assets: $7.1bn on Jul 31, 2026 for Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF, and $2.2bn on Jun 30, 2026 for VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF.

DFSD on its own →USTB on its own →

At a glance

+1.1%

DFSD total return, 1 year

+2.7%

USTB total return, 1 year

0.16%

DFSD expense ratio

0.34%

USTB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

DFSD costs 0.18 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.6 points.

DFSD vs USTB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	DFSD	USTB
Return
Measure	DFSD	USTB
Total return, 1 year	+1.1%	+2.7%
Benchmark
Measure	DFSD	USTB
What it tracks	No index, actively managed	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	DFSD	USTB
Expense ratio	0.16%	0.34%
Net assets, DFSD as of Jul 31, 2026 and USTB as of Jun 30, 2026	$7.1bn	$2.2bn
Holdings
Measure	DFSD	USTB
Holdings in common	2%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Nov 26, 2021 to Oct 23, 2026 · 256 weekly returns

DFSD USTB

Return

Total return edge USTB +11.9% +19.4%

Annualized edge USTB +2.3% +3.7%

Price return edge USTB −6.7% −2.9%

Risk

Volatility edge USTB 2.5% 1.8%

Max drawdown edge USTB −8.3% −4.7%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge USTB −0.69 −0.21

Sortino edge USTB −0.87 −0.29

Calmar edge USTB 0.28 0.79

Reading

USTB returned more: +19.4% to +11.9%. USTB swung less: 1.8% to 2.5%. USTB fell less at its worst: −4.7% to −8.3%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: DFSD vs USTB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	DFSD	USTB	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+11.9%	+19.4%	USTB	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+2.3%	+3.7%	USTB	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−6.7%	−2.9%	USTB	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	2.5%	1.8%	USTB	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	1.9%	1.3%	USTB	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−8.3%	−4.7%	USTB	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.69	−0.21	USTB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.87	−0.29	USTB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.28	0.79	USTB	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 256 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, DFSD and USTB hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

2% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first DFSD USTB

CIGNA GROUP THE, due Sep 15, 2030 0.16% 0.18%

CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES LTD, due Dec 15, 2029 0.15% 0.15%

CHEVRON PHILLIPS CHEMICAL CO LLC CHEVRON PHILLI, due May 15, 2030 0.19% 0.13%

WELLTOWER OP LLC, due Jul 1, 2030 0.11% 0.13%

META PLATFORMS INC, due May 15, 2031 0.09% 0.18%

HEALTH CARE SERVICE CORP A MUTUAL LEGAL RESERVE CO, due Jun 15, 2029 0.15% 0.09%

THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC, due Feb 12, 2031 0.10% 0.09%

NNN REIT INC, due Feb 15, 2031 0.09% 0.09%

FISERV INC, due Mar 15, 2030 0.07% 0.12%

RADIAN GROUP INC, due May 15, 2029 0.45% 0.07%

AMERICAN NATIONAL GROUP INC, due Oct 1, 2029 0.34% 0.07%

PUBLIC STORAGE OPERATING CO, due Jul 1, 2030 0.07% 0.07%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in DFSD

NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT BOND, due May 15, 2030 2.35%

The DFA Short Term Investment Fund 1.85%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Jan 15, 2028 1.12%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Jan 31, 2028 1.07%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Sep 30, 2028 0.71%

ACCENTURE CAPITAL INC, due Oct 4, 2029 0.69%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Feb 29, 2028 0.69%

SHELL FINANCE US INC, due Nov 6, 2030 0.66%

Only in USTB

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Nov 15, 2027 1.75%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Aug 31, 2030 1.57%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Dec 31, 2028 1.38%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Jan 31, 2031 1.25%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Aug 15, 2029 1.00%

ANTERO RESOURCES CORP 0.98%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Aug 31, 2027 0.75%

U S TREASURY NOTE, due Dec 15, 2026 0.68%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

DFSD Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF USTB VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer Dimensional VictoryShares

What it is Actively managed Actively managed

Total return, 1 year +1.1% +2.7%

Its benchmark over the same days −1.4% (AGG) not measured

Gap to its benchmark +2.5 pts vs AGG not measured

Expense ratio 0.16% 0.34%

Holdings 1589 1034

Net assets, DFSD as of Jul 31, 2026 and USTB as of Jun 30, 2026 $7.1bn $2.2bn

DFSD and USTB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-A447548EFA

DFSD and USTB are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

Holdings in common. 2% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026).
Cost. DFSD charges 0.16% of assets a year and USTB 0.34%, a gap of 0.18 points.
What each follows (similar). Both follow No index, actively managed.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

DFSD

DFSD is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.1% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.16% a year.

USTB

USTB is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.7% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.34% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, DFSD or USTB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DFSD returned +1.1% and USTB +2.7%.
Which is cheaper, DFSD or USTB?: DFSD is cheaper, by 0.18 percentage points a year. That is about $18 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

DFSD vs SLQD DFSD vs JSCP DFSD vs IBDW BSCU vs DFSD NEAR vs USTB SPSB vs USTB SPIB vs USTB IBDT vs USTB

Where to next

DFSD on its own →USTB on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →DFSD dividend history →DFSD holdings →USTB dividend history →USTB holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

DFSD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

DFSD prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Dimensional website ↗

USTB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

USTB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, DFSD against USTB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfsd-vs-ustb

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.