Dimensional to launch three more ETFs

Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) is converting three additional products to dual-access funds, which it hopes will start trading as ETFs as early as next week.

The Dimensional Australian Value Trust, Global Value Trust, and Global Small Company Trust are set to trade on the ASX around August 19, pending ASX and regulatory approvals.

Subsequently, the names of the funds will change to Dimensional Australian Value Trust - Active ETF, Dimensional Global Value Trust - Active ETF, and Dimensional Global Small Company Trust - Active ETF. This is the new naming convention for ETF and managed funds investors.

Last year, DFA made its debut in the index fund landscape, launching three actively managed core equity strategies.

They were the Dimensional Australian Core Equity Trust (Managed Fund), Dimensional Global Core Equity Trust (Managed Fund) - Unhedged Class, and Dimensional Global Core Equity Trust (Managed Fund) - AUD Hedged Class.

These funds will now change to the Dimensional Australian Core Equity Trust - Active ETF, Dimensional Global Core Equity Trust (Unhedged Class) - Active ETF, and Dimensional Global Core Equity Trust (AUD Hedged Class) - Active ETF.

"The new fund names will apply to both on-market (ETF) investors and off-market (managed fund) investors, meaning that investors who do not use the ETF access point will also observe this name change," DFA Australia chief executive Bhanu Singh said.

The first three dual-access funds now have $250 million from investors made via the ETF access point, he said.

Citi facilitated DFA's ASX listing of the first three ETFs. Citi has been the custodian and fund administrator for DFA since 2012.