Investment Stewardship

Dimensional advocates for shareholder value through stewardship.

We are committed to advocating for stronger governance practices at the companies we invest in on behalf of our clients, because we believe it can improve returns for our clients.

Stewardship at Dimensional is a global effort supported by many groups and departments. Under the oversight of our Investment Stewardship Committee, our team works to protect and enhance shareholder value through engagements, proxy voting, and advocacy efforts. These efforts are detailed in our Annual Stewardship Report.

Annual Stewardship Report

Inside this year’s report:

  • Discover Dimensional’s approach to investment stewardship.
  • Explore case studies on engagement and voting.
  • Learn about Dimensional’s recent letter campaign. 
  • Find out more about our public policy advocacy and policy spotlights.

View PDF

Learn more about our commitment and activities related to responsible investment, sustainable operations, and investment stewardship in our Responsible Investment ReportVIEW PDF

Policies

This document describes Dimensional’s approach to investment stewardship.

View the Statement


This document describes Dimensional’s approach to responsible investing.

View the Statement


Engagement Policies

Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd.’s engagement policy can be found here.

Dimensional Ireland Limited’s engagement policy can be found here.

Further disclosure is also contained in the Responsible Investment Statement and in the Investment Stewardship Statement (see "Responsible Investment Statement" and “Investment Stewardship Statement” above).


Other Shareholder Rights Directive II information

Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. has published its UK Stewardship Code Report 2023-2024 covering the reporting period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, and also provides an explanation of the most significant votes for the same period here.

To view a Fund’s performance history, please click here. Please note that the performance information disclosed is as of the date noted on the webpage.

To view a Fund’s investment objective, please click here to reference its Key Investor Information Document.

To view a Fund’s portfolio composition, please click here and refer to the Holdings document in the Fund Documents tab. Please note that the composition information disclosed is as of the date noted on the Holdings document.

To view a Fund’s portfolio turnover rate, please click here and select the relevant Fund to view its Characteristics.

To view a Fund’s portfolio costs, please reference Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd’s European MiFID Template (EMT). If you would like a copy of the EMT please email your request to [email protected].


This document details Dimensional’s position with respect to investments in companies involved in the production of controversial weapons.

View the Report


Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. (‘Dimensional UK’) is pleased to share its updated UK Stewardship Code Report 2023-2024 covering the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024. This report is intended to provide investors with greater transparency regarding our investment stewardship activities and highlight outcomes from our efforts to add value for shareholders.

View the Dimensional UK Stewardship Report 2023-2024

Rationales for votes which are deemed “Most Significant” by Dimensional can be found in the Most Significant Votes Report available here.


Who is responsible for Investment Stewardship at Dimensional?

Dimensional’s global investment stewardship activities are managed by the Investment Stewardship Group, which sits within Dimensional’s Portfolio Management department. The group implements policies, monitors day-to-day operations, and researches governance issues and industry trends. Our Investment Stewardship Committee, comprised of senior management, is responsible for overseeing the Investment Stewardship Group, formulating and recommending changes to policy, and making decisions on governance-related matters.


What is Dimensional’s policy on proxy voting?

Dimensional votes or refrains from voting proxies on behalf of mutual funds as well as those separate account mandates for which clients have given us the authority to vote according to its then current proxy voting policies and procedures. Our voting activities are intended to maximize shareholder value. This involves consideration of the feasibility, costs, and expected benefits of voting for each portfolio. Our proxy voting policies, summarized in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) for the funds, further describe how we vote; answers to some specific questions are provided below.


Does Dimensional vote proxies at every company meeting?

Dimensional seeks to vote, or refrain from voting, proxies in a manner that we believe is in the best interest of each portfolio. In instances where the costs—including opportunity costs—of voting exceed the expected economic benefits, we may refrain from voting. Additionally, international market restrictions—such as share blocking, re-registration, and onerous power of attorney requirements—may preclude us from voting in certain markets or at certain company meetings.


Does Dimensional utilize any third-party services in the proxy voting process?

Yes. Dimensional has engaged Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) to provide information on shareholder meeting dates, research on proxy proposals, and voting recommendations based on our proxy voting policies and procedures. ISS also provides vote execution through its proprietary voting platform. In addition to ISS, we may also review voting recommendations from Glass Lewis and other research providers for selected meetings. Third-party research is only one of several inputs into our voting decision on a given proposal. We retain final discretion on how to vote.


Does Dimensional disclose its voting intentions or share ownership prior to voting?

Dimensional generally does not disclose our voting intentions or the portfolios’ share ownership prior to voting, except as required by applicable laws and regulation.


Does Dimensional make its proxy voting record publicly available?

Yes. We disclose voting information for our UK and Irish UCITS funds on our public website.


Is Dimensional a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN-PRI)?

Yes. Dimensional became a signatory to the UN-PRI in August 2012.


How may I contact Dimensional’s Investment Stewardship Group?

The group may be contacted via email: [email protected].


These documents describe Dimensional’s approach to corporate governance and proxy voting. Each guidelines summary corresponds to the funds or accounts that follow the relevant guidelines.


Voting

This report includes details on how Dimensional’s Sustainability Strategies voted on environmental and social proposals during the previous proxy year.

View the Report


For questions about our stewardship and responsible investing approach and policies, please visit the resources on this page or contact our Investment Stewardship group at [email protected].