Squire Increases ETF Holdings
Squire Investment Management Significantly Expands Stakes in Key Dimensional ETFs
Key Points
In DISV, beyond Squire’s 13.6% stake increase to 245,372 shares, Jane Street Group LLC opened a new DISV position in Q1 worth about $8.89 million, and AQR Capital Management LLC also boosted its DISV stake by roughly 11.5% to 84,198 shares.
DFSD attracted multiple new or expanded positions from other institutions in recent quarters, including VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchasing a new stake, Advisory Services Network LLC adding a new stake in the quarter, Tradewinds Capital Management LLC, Topsail Wealth Management LLC, and NewEdge Advisors LLC also taking new positions in DFSD.
For DFSV, several funds either added to or initiated positions, notably Blueline Advisors LLC taking a new stake, Concord Wealth Partners boosting DFSV by 149.0% in Q4, and Sound Income Strategies LLC, Arax Advisory Partners, and Topsail Wealth Management LLC all taking new or increased DFSV positions.
In DFEM, several institutions expanded holdings, including Brighton Jones LLC increasing its DFEM stake by 19.2% in Q4; Comerica Bank’s DFEM position rising in Q1 (about a 279.5% increase); Royal Bank of Canada up 7.8% in Q1; AQR Capital Management LLC up 6.6% in Q1; and Cetera Investment Advisers buying a new DFEM stake.
DISV’s price backdrop shows it opened at $40.33 on Thursday, with a market capitalization around $3.94 billion, providing context for the stock’s trading level during the period.
Squire Investment Management Company LLC expanded its stakes in four Dimensional ETFs during Q1 2026, with its largest move being a 17.3% boost in the Dimensional US Small Cap Value ETF (DFSV) to 114,291 shares. The boutique wealth manager, with a total portfolio value of roughly $359.77 million, is pushing deeper into factor-based strategies that tilt toward small-cap and value stocks, according to Ticker Report.
The firm also raised its position in Dimensional Emerging Markets Core Equity 2 ETF (DFEM) by 8.0% to 480,638 shares, worth about $16.61 million. That makes DFEM Squire's 7th largest holding. The moves signal a clear bet on international and small-cap value as a hedge against a top-heavy US market, per Watchlist News.
Squire's Four ETF Stake Increases by the Numbers
In DISV, the Dimensional International Small Cap Value ETF, Squire added 29,321 shares — a 13.6% increase — bringing its total to 245,372 shares worth about $9.68 million. That puts DISV at 2.7% of Squire's portfolio and ranks it as the firm's 12th largest holding. DISV opened at $40.33 on Thursday, with a market cap of around $3.94 billion, according to Watchlist News.
Squire also grew its stake in DFSD, the Dimensional Short-Duration Fixed Income ETF, by 14.9% to 155,265 shares worth roughly $7.43 million, making it the 13th largest holding at 2.1% of the portfolio. The DFSV stake rose 17.3% to 114,291 shares at $4.01 million, ranking 17th. Together, the four ETF increases show Squire building out both equity and fixed income exposure through Dimensional's rules-based funds, per Ticker Report.
Other Institutions Rush Into the Same Dimensional Funds
Squire is not alone. Jane Street Group LLC, a quantitative trading giant that reported $39.6 billion in trading revenue, opened a brand-new DISV position worth about $8.89 million in Q1. AQR Capital Management, led by Cliff Asness, also boosted its DISV stake by 11.5% to 84,198 shares and raised its DFEM position by 6.6%, according to Ticker Report.
DFEM saw some of the sharpest moves from other firms. Comerica Bank grew its DFEM position by 279.5% in Q1. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake by 7.8%. Brighton Jones LLC was up 19.2% in Q4. Cetera Investment Advisers also bought a new DFEM stake. For DFSV, Concord Wealth Partners boosted its position by 149.0% in Q4. Multiple smaller advisors — including VSM Wealth Advisory and NewEdge Advisors — took new positions in DFSD.
Why Investors Are Choosing Dimensional's Factor ETFs
Dimensional ETFs are not plain index funds. They are "systematic active" funds. That means they follow rules — not a strict index — to pick stocks with traits like small size, low price relative to value, and strong profitability. Morningstar analyst Daniel Sotiroff notes that funds like DISV are built to avoid "the largest and most expensive stocks," like Nvidia or Tesla, which have dominated recent markets.
That approach matters now. Institutional allocators are worried about portfolio concentration in a handful of mega-cap tech stocks. Shifting into DISV, DFSV, and DFEM reduces that risk. Critics argue the fees — for example, 0.17% for DFAC versus 0.03% for a plain S&P 500 fund — are too high for the benefit. But firms like Squire and AQR clearly see the factor tilt as worth paying for, per Ticker Report.
Dimensional's Broader ETF Push Lowers Costs for Investors
Dimensional began converting mutual funds into ETFs in September 2021, moving roughly $8 billion in assets in its first wave. In June 2026, the firm announced a new consolidation — merging eight US equity ETFs into mutual fund share classes. The change is expected to cut management fees by an average of 9%, passing savings directly to investors.
Dimensional was also the first firm to get SEC approval for a "dual-share class" structure. This lets a single fund operate as both a mutual fund and an ETF at the same time. Industry analysts have called it a "slow-moving avalanche" that could eventually shift $21 trillion from mutual funds into ETFs. For now, boutique managers like Squire are among the early adopters building portfolios around it, according to Ticker Report.
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