When holding the DFA Emerging Markets Core Equity I (DFCEX) Fund, how long should you stay invested to have high probability to achieve a positive return?
Over the selected period (~50 years), the longest duration with a negative return was 151 months (from November 2007 to May 2020).
This indicates that, within the same timeframe, any rolling period of 152 months or more has consistently resulted in a positive return.
Understanding this metric is crucial as it highlights the importance of a safe investment horizon. Knowing the minimum duration required to likely see positive returns helps investors set realistic expectations and reinforces the strategy of staying invested through market cycles. This approach can mitigate the emotional reactions to short-term market fluctuations and enhance the likelihood of achieving financial goals.
DFA Emerging Markets Core Equity I (DFCEX) Fund: Historical Returns
Previous vs subsequent Returns
Is there a correlation between past and future returns over all 10-year rolling periods?
The following chart illustrates the relationship between past returns (x-axis) and subsequent returns (y-axis).
Data points are aggregated to show occurrences, and you can zoom in by clicking or drawing over the desired area.
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As of Feb 28, 2026, the annualized return of the previous 10 years has been 11.29%.
Rolling Returns
A rolling return is a measure of investment performance that calculates the return of an investment over a set period of time, with the starting date rolling forward. This approach can provide a more accurate representation of the investment's historical performance and helps investors to evaluate the investment's consistency over time.
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Rolling Period Analysis
By selecting the 'Rolling Period', the chart and data will update. To study a different date range, change the simulation settings.
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| Worst | Median | Best | Negative Periods |
|---|---|---|---|
|
-55.44%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2008 |
+11.17% |
+111.70%
Jan 1991 - Dec 1991 |
32.66%
193 out of 591 |
|
-57.04%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2008 |
+6.35% |
+105.57%
Jan 1991 - Dec 1991 |
37.90%
224 out of 591 |
|
-29.06%
Aug 1980 - Jul 1982 |
+8.61% |
+64.67%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1989 |
34.37%
199 out of 579 |
|
-34.70%
Aug 1980 - Jul 1982 |
+4.32% |
+57.54%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1989 |
41.28%
239 out of 579 |
|
-18.57%
Oct 1979 - Sep 1982 |
+6.33% |
+60.25%
Jan 1989 - Dec 1991 |
28.40%
161 out of 567 |
|
-25.91%
Aug 1979 - Jul 1982 |
+2.78% |
+53.18%
Jan 1989 - Dec 1991 |
38.27%
217 out of 567 |
|
-15.90%
Sep 1994 - Aug 1998 |
+5.45% |
+54.04%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1991 |
20.54%
114 out of 555 |
|
-19.91%
Aug 1978 - Jul 1982 |
+1.64% |
+47.31%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1991 |
36.76%
204 out of 555 |
|
-10.37%
Feb 1994 - Jan 1999 |
+6.16% |
+49.02%
Jan 1989 - Dec 1993 |
20.63%
112 out of 543 |
|
-14.70%
Aug 1977 - Jul 1982 |
+3.29% |
+43.40%
Jan 1989 - Dec 1993 |
33.15%
180 out of 543 |
|
-7.23%
Mar 1997 - Feb 2003 |
+6.16% |
+46.91%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1993 |
20.15%
107 out of 531 |
|
-13.01%
Aug 1976 - Jul 1982 |
+3.36% |
+41.26%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1993 |
34.65%
184 out of 531 |
|
-8.52%
Dec 1980 - Nov 1987 |
+6.03% |
+36.13%
Nov 1987 - Oct 1994 |
13.49%
70 out of 519 |
|
-12.34%
Dec 1980 - Nov 1987 |
+3.12% |
+31.13%
Nov 1987 - Oct 1994 |
27.36%
142 out of 519 |
|
-6.39%
Jan 1980 - Dec 1987 |
+6.67% |
+29.83%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1995 |
11.83%
60 out of 507 |
|
-11.04%
Jan 1980 - Dec 1987 |
+3.98% |
+25.27%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1995 |
26.43%
134 out of 507 |
|
-5.04%
Feb 1994 - Jan 2003 |
+6.95% |
+28.19%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1996 |
7.68%
38 out of 495 |
|
-9.35%
Jan 1979 - Dec 1987 |
+4.20% |
+23.72%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1996 |
22.22%
110 out of 495 |
|
-2.16%
Jan 1978 - Dec 1987 |
+7.96% |
+25.17%
Feb 1984 - Jan 1994 |
2.69%
13 out of 483 |
|
-8.02%
Jan 1978 - Dec 1987 |
+5.12% |
+20.75%
Feb 1984 - Jan 1994 |
18.43%
89 out of 483 |
|
-1.38%
Jan 1977 - Dec 1987 |
+8.25% |
+23.86%
Feb 1983 - Jan 1994 |
0.64%
3 out of 471 |
|
-7.31%
Jan 1977 - Dec 1987 |
+5.52% |
+19.42%
Feb 1983 - Jan 1994 |
13.80%
65 out of 471 |
|
-0.72%
Jan 1976 - Dec 1987 |
+8.86% |
+21.44%
Aug 1982 - Jul 1994 |
0.44%
2 out of 459 |
|
-6.60%
Jan 1976 - Dec 1987 |
+6.01% |
+17.67%
Jan 1988 - Dec 1999 |
10.46%
48 out of 459 |
|
+1.20%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2020 |
+9.68% |
+18.98%
Aug 1982 - Jul 1995 |
0.00%
0 out of 447 |
|
-4.13%
Jan 1976 - Dec 1988 |
+6.82% |
+14.95%
Aug 1984 - Jul 1997 |
5.59%
25 out of 447 |
|
+2.63%
May 2011 - Apr 2025 |
+10.18% |
+17.89%
Aug 1982 - Jul 1996 |
0.00%
0 out of 435 |
|
-1.70%
Oct 1976 - Sep 1990 |
+7.04% |
+13.95%
Aug 1982 - Jul 1996 |
1.84%
8 out of 435 |
|
+0.66%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2022 |
+10.32% |
+18.23%
Aug 1982 - Jul 1997 |
0.00%
0 out of 423 |
|
-1.68%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2022 |
+6.98% |
+14.37%
Aug 1982 - Jul 1997 |
1.65%
7 out of 423 |
|
+1.53%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2023 |
+10.24% |
+15.87%
Jan 1988 - Dec 2003 |
0.00%
0 out of 411 |
|
-0.88%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2023 |
+6.61% |
+12.50%
Jan 1988 - Dec 2003 |
0.49%
2 out of 411 |
|
+2.72%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2024 |
+9.67% |
+17.07%
Oct 1990 - Sep 2007 |
0.00%
0 out of 399 |
|
+0.26%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2024 |
+6.45% |
+13.98%
Oct 1990 - Sep 2007 |
0.00%
0 out of 399 |
|
+3.79%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2025 |
+9.71% |
+17.22%
May 1988 - Apr 2006 |
0.00%
0 out of 387 |
|
+1.29%
Nov 2007 - Oct 2025 |
+6.39% |
+13.77%
May 1988 - Apr 2006 |
0.00%
0 out of 387 |
|
+5.05%
May 2006 - Apr 2025 |
+9.68% |
+18.64%
Nov 1988 - Oct 2007 |
0.00%
0 out of 375 |
|
+1.43%
Sep 1979 - Aug 1998 |
+6.18% |
+15.22%
Nov 1988 - Oct 2007 |
0.00%
0 out of 375 |
|
+5.41%
Feb 1994 - Jan 2014 |
+9.35% |
+18.81%
Jan 1988 - Dec 2007 |
0.00%
0 out of 363 |
|
+1.51%
Sep 1978 - Aug 1998 |
+6.14% |
+15.28%
Jan 1988 - Dec 2007 |
0.00%
0 out of 363 |
|
+5.23%
Jan 1994 - Dec 2018 |
+8.52% |
+15.11%
Aug 1982 - Jul 2007 |
0.00%
0 out of 303 |
|
+1.89%
Oct 1976 - Sep 2001 |
+5.59% |
+11.95%
Jan 1988 - Dec 2012 |
0.00%
0 out of 303 |
|
+5.05%
Feb 1994 - Jan 2024 |
+9.97% |
+13.30%
Jan 1988 - Dec 2017 |
0.00%
0 out of 243 |
|
+2.46%
Feb 1994 - Jan 2024 |
+6.83% |
+10.46%
Jan 1988 - Dec 2017 |
0.00%
0 out of 243 |
DFA Emerging Markets Core Equity I (DFCEX) Fund: Historical Returns

