Xtrackers Russell US Multifactor ETF

Xtrackers Russell US Multifactor ETF (DEUS), from DWS, tracks the Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor Index. That index picks and weights large US stocks by five traits: quality, value, momentum, low volatility and smaller size. Its money is spread unusually thin: the 10 largest holdings made up only 6.55% of assets as of August 31, 2026. Its 0.17% expense ratio is below the 0.21% average of similar funds.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, DEUS returned +16.6%, 3rd of 9 among similar funds.
• Its 5-year annualized return was +9.5% and its 10-year +11.9%.
• In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 40.4% and regained its old high 7.7 months after the low.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-11.2%); its best was 2019 (+28.8%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 40.4% (Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Nov 13, 2020.

As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 862 securities; the ten largest made up 6.55% of assets.

By sector

• Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $16.0M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +2.26%, +2.11%, +0.39%.

DEUS is an index fund run by DWS. It tries to match the Russell 1000 Comprehensive Factor Index. Frank Russell Company builds that index from the Russell 1000 Index of large US companies. Each company is scored on five "factors," or investing traits. Quality means low debt and strong profitability, such as return on assets. Value means a low price compared with cash flow, earnings and sales. Momentum is the stock's total return over 11 months. Low volatility measures how little its weekly returns swung over five years. Size gives higher scores to smaller companies.

Each company's weight depends on its combined score across all five factors. Companies without meaningful multi-factor traits are left out. As a result, the market's giants are not at the top. As of August 31, 2026, the biggest holdings were Allstate, at about 1.0% of assets, Archer Daniels Midland and McKesson.

The index rebalances twice a year, in June and December, and the fund follows it. The fund buys the index stocks directly, in about the same weights (called full replication). Portfolio turnover was 35%, according to the prospectus. A tiny position in stock-index futures and 0.24% in cash make up the rest. The prospectus warns that factor tilts can trail the broad market for long periods.

• DEUS charges 0.17% a year, versus an average of 0.21% for the similar funds below (4th of 9, cheapest first).
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $17 in the first year and $217 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

It holds 862 large US stocks weighted by factor scores rather than size, so it adds a different mix to portfolios built on market-cap-weighted index funds.

DEUS spreads money widely. No single stock was more than about 1% of assets as of August 31, 2026. Its low-volatility tilt did not prevent steep losses, though. It fell 40.4% in the 2020 COVID crash and took 7.7 months to recover. In 2022 it dropped 20.8% and did not fully recover until December 2023, 14.4 months later. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -11.2%. The fund launched in 2015, so it has no 2008 record. Anyone forced to sell shares during a slump like these would lock in losses.

Its yield was 1.39% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly, so it is a modest income source. Costs are low: in the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost $17 in the first year and $217 over 10 years. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.