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.
Learn more about our commitment and activities related to responsible investment, sustainable operations, and investment stewardship in our Responsible Investment Report. VIEW PDF
Policies
Frequently Asked Questions
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 US mutual funds on our public website. We also file form N-PX, containing the full voting record for our US-based mutual funds, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on an annual basis.
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.
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].