Prospectus
October 1, 2026
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Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF |
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NYSE Arca, Inc.: HAUZ |
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Your investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, entity or person.
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Ticker: HAUZ |
Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc. |
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
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Main Risks
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Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF
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(For periods ended 12/31/2025 expressed as a %)
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Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF
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Inception Date |
1
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5
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10
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Returns before tax |
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After tax on distribu-
tions |
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After tax on distribu-
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shares |
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iSTOXX Developed and
Emerging Markets ex
USA PK VN Real Estate
Index (reflects no deduc-
tions for fees, expenses
or taxes) |
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MSCI ACWI ex USA
Index (reflects no deduc-
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Management
Investment Advisor
DBX Advisors LLC
Portfolio Managers
Patrick Dwyer, Vice President of DBX Advisors LLC, Director and Senior Portfolio Engineer & Team Lead, Xtrackers, of DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. Portfolio Manager of the fund. Began managing the fund in 2016.
Shlomo Bassous, Vice President of DBX Advisors LLC, Director and Senior Portfolio Engineer, Xtrackers, of DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. Portfolio Manager of the fund. Began managing the fund in 2017.
Ashif Shaikh, Vice President of DBX Advisors LLC, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Engineer, Xtrackers, of DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. Portfolio Manager of the fund. Began managing the fund in 2022.
Daniel Park, Vice President of DBX Advisors LLC, Vice President and Portfolio Engineer, Xtrackers, of DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. Portfolio Manager of the fund. Began managing the fund in 2024.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund is an exchange-traded fund (commonly referred to as an “ETF”). Individual fund shares may only be purchased and sold through a brokerage firm. The price of fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than
NAV (a discount). The fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to APs who have entered into agreements with ALPS Distributors, Inc., the fund’s distributor. You may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the fund (ask) when buying or selling shares (the “bid-ask spread”). Information on the fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts and bid-ask spreads may be found at Xtrackers.com (the website does not form a part of this prospectus).
Tax Information
The fund's distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gains (or a combination of both), except when you are tax-exempt or when your investment is in an IRA, 401(k), or other tax-advantaged investment plan. Any withdrawals you make from such tax-advantaged investment plans, however, may be taxable to you.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and
Other Financial Intermediaries
Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Advisor or other related companies may pay the intermediary for marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, the support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems or other services related to the sale or promotion of the fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF
Fund Details
Additional Information About Fund Strategies, Underlying Index Information and Risks
Investment Objective
The fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the iSTOXX Developed and Emerging Markets ex USA PK VN Real Estate Index.
Principal Investment Strategies
The fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the iSTOXX Developed and Emerging Markets ex USA PK VN Real Estate Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is a free-float capitalization weighted index that provides exposure to publicly traded real estate securities in countries outside the United States, excluding Pakistan and Vietnam.
Portfolio management uses a representative sampling indexing strategy in seeking to track the Underlying Index, meaning it generally will invest in a sample of securities in the index whose risk, return and other characteristics resemble the risk, return and other characteristics of the Underlying Index as a whole. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in component securities (including depositary receipts in respect of such securities) of the Underlying Index. Investments in such depositary receipts will count towards the fund’s 80% investment policy discussed above with respect to the instruments that comprise the fund’s Underlying Index. Derivative instruments that provide exposure to the investments above or exposure to one or more market risk factors associated with such investments are included in the fund’s 80% investment policy, consistent with the fund’s investment policies and limitations with respect to investments in derivatives (see “Derivatives” subsection). The fund's investments in depositary receipts may include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). ADRs are US dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign based corporations. ADRs are issued by US banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the
underlying foreign shares. The fund will not invest in any unlisted depositary receipt or any depositary receipt that the Advisor deems illiquid at the time of purchase or for which pricing information is not readily available. The Underlying Index is composed of real estate securities including equity real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) from companies incorporated in developed and emerging markets countries (each as defined by the Index Provider) outside the United States, excluding Pakistan and Vietnam.
Under normal circumstances, the Underlying Index is reconstituted and rebalanced quarterly. The fund changes its portfolio in accordance with the Underlying Index, and, therefore, any changes to the Underlying Index’s reconstitution and rebalancing schedule will result in corresponding changes to the fund’s schedule of portfolio changes. Any changes made to the Underlying Index in between scheduled reconstitutions (e.g., in the event of a corporate action) also will result in corresponding changes to the fund’s portfolio.
As of July 31, 2026, the Underlying Index consisted of 386 securities, with an average market capitalization of approximately $3.53 billion and a minimum market capitalization of approximately $193 million, from issuers in the following countries (may represent by country of domicile): Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey-Channel Islands, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The fund will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in real estate securities of issuers from countries outside the United States. As of July 31, 2026, the Underlying Index was substantially comprised of securities of issuers from Japan. The fund will not enter into transactions to hedge against declines in the value of the fund’s assets that are denominated in foreign currency.
The fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated. As of July 31, 2026, the Underlying Index was wholly comprised of issuers in the real estate sector.
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The fund’s exposure to particular sectors or countries may change over time to correspond to changes in the Underlying Index.
The fund may invest its remaining assets in other securities, including securities not in the Underlying Index, cash and cash equivalents, money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements or money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Advisor or its affiliates (subject to applicable limitations under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), or exemptions therefrom), convertible securities, structured notes (notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular stock or stock index) and in certain types of derivatives instruments (see “Derivatives” subsection).
Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF is neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed or in any other manner supported by STOXX Limited, Zug, Switzerland, Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers. The iSTOXX Developed and Emerging Markets ex USA PK VN Real Estate Index is calculated and maintained by STOXX, Ltd. (“Index Provider” or “STOXX”). STOXX is an indirect subsidiary of Deutsche Börse Group.
Derivatives. The fund may invest in derivatives, which are financial instruments whose performance is derived, at least in part, from the performance of an underlying asset, security or index. Portfolio management generally may use futures contracts, stock index futures, options on futures, swap contracts and other types of derivatives in seeking performance that corresponds to the Underlying Index. A futures contract is a standardized exchange-traded agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity of an underlying instrument at a specific price at a specific future time.
Securities lending. The fund may lend securities (up to one-third of total assets) to approved institutions, such as registered broker-dealers, pooled investment vehicles, banks and other financial institutions. In connection with such loans, the fund receives liquid collateral in an amount that is based on the type and value of the securities being lent, with riskier securities generally requiring higher levels of collateral.
Underlying Index Information
The iSTOXX Developed and Emerging Markets ex USA PK VN Real Estate Index is calculated and maintained by STOXX, Ltd. (“Index Provider” or “STOXX”). The Underlying Index is a free-float market capitalization-weighted Index designed to measure the performance of international real estate securities of issuers incorporated outside the United States, Pakistan and Vietnam.
Defining the Equity Universe. The Underlying Index is constructed by aggregation of certain STOXX Total Market indices, each representing a broad market of equity securities in a particular country that covers at least 95% of the free-float market capitalization of its respective country.
To be eligible for inclusion in a STOXX Country Total Market Index, securities must meet the following criteria:
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Common stocks and equities with similar characteristics from financial markets that provide reliable real-time, historical component and currency pricing, and reference and corporate actions data
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Listed companies on a regulated market on an exchange defined in the STOXX Investable Universe
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Certain equity instruments, such as investment companies and certain specified investment vehicles, are not eligible for inclusion. Companies that were recently removed from a STOXX Total Market Index due to mergers and other corporate actions are not eligible for inclusion.
Each STOXX Country Total Market Index targets coverage of at least 95% of the free-float market capitalization of the investable stock universe at the cut-off date in the regarding country. All stocks in the investable stock universe of the country in question are ranked in terms of their free-float market capitalization at the cut-off date to produce the review list. A 93-99% buffer is applied as follows:
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The largest companies in the investible universe with a cumulative free-float market capitalization up to and including 93% of the investible universe, qualify for selection.
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The stocks covering the next two percent of cumulative free-float market capitalization are selected among the largest remaining current TMI components representing the portion of capitalization above 93% and up to and including 99%.
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If the country coverage is still below the defined threshold, then the largest remaining stocks are selected until the country coverage is reached.
The STOXX Regional Total Market indices are aggregates of the STOXX Total Market country indices. They aim to provide a broad representation of the respective region. The indices are weighted according to free-float market capitalization.
The index universe of the Underlying Index is defined by the STOXX Developed and Emerging Markets Total Market Index.
Stocks classified as being within the real estate sector according to the Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB) code are eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index.
Companies from the United States, Pakistan and Vietnam are excluded. Sector changes are implemented immediately subsequent to corporate actions.
Weighting. The Underlying Index’s components are not subject to component weight restrictions or capping.
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Fund Details
Maintaining the Index. The Underlying Index is reconstituted and rebalanced on a quarterly basis. The review cut-off date is the last trading day of the month following the last quarterly index review.
During extraordinary market conditions, the Index Provider may delay any scheduled reconstitution and rebalancing of the Underlying Index. During any such delay it is possible that the Underlying Index will deviate from the Underlying Index’s stated methodology.
Main Risks
As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the fund, and the fund’s performance could trail that of other investments. The fund is subject to the main risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. An investment in the fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
Stock market risk. When stock prices fall, you should expect the value of your investment to fall as well. Stock prices can be hurt by poor management on the part of the stock’s issuer, shrinking product demand and other business risks, such as rapid technological developments or widespread adoption of emerging technologies (such as artificial intelligence) impacting the issuer’s competitive position, cybersecurity incidents, financial leverage and labor and supply shortages. These may affect single companies as well as groups of companies. The market as a whole may not favor the types of investments the fund makes, which could adversely affect a stock’s price, regardless of how well the company performs, or the fund’s ability to sell a stock at an attractive price. There is a chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising and falling prices. Events in the US and global financial markets, including actions taken by the US Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in unusually high market volatility which could negatively affect performance. High market volatility may also result from significant shifts in momentum of one or more specific stocks due to unusual increases or decreases in trading activity. Momentum can change quickly, and securities subject to shifts in momentum may be more volatile than the market as a whole and returns on such securities may drop precipitously. To the extent that the fund invests in a particular geographic region, capitalization or sector, the fund’s performance may be affected by the general performance of that region, capitalization or sector.
Market disruption risk. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which has increased the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions. This
includes reliance on global supply chains that are susceptible to disruptions resulting from, among other things, war and other armed conflicts, tariffs, extreme weather events, and natural disasters. Such supply chain disruptions can lead to, and have led to, economic and market disruptions that have far-reaching effects on financial markets worldwide. The value of the fund’s investments may be negatively affected by adverse changes in overall economic or market conditions, such as the level of economic activity and productivity, unemployment and labor force participation rates, inflation or deflation (and expectations for inflation or deflation), interest rates, demand and supply for particular products or resources including labor, debt levels and credit ratings, and trade policies, among other factors. Such adverse conditions may contribute to an overall economic contraction across entire economies or markets, which may negatively impact the profitability of issuers operating in those economies or markets. In addition, geopolitical and other globally interconnected occurrences, including war and other armed conflicts, terrorism, economic uncertainty or financial crises, contagion, tariffs and trade disputes, government debt crises (including defaults or downgrades) or uncertainty about government debt payments, government shutdowns, public health crises, natural disasters, supply chain disruptions, climate change and related events or conditions, have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the US and world economies and markets, which may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the fund and its investments. Ongoing trade disputes between the United States and other countries may lead to tariffs and investment restrictions, negatively impacting affected companies and their securities. These disputes can also harm the economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as financial markets overall. Adverse market conditions or disruptions could cause the fund to lose money, experience significant redemptions, and encounter operational difficulties. Although multiple asset classes may be affected by adverse market conditions or a particular market disruption, the duration and effects may not be the same for all types of assets.
Current military and other armed conflicts in various geographic regions, including those in Europe and the Middle East, among others, can lead to, and have led to, economic and market disruptions, which may not be limited to the geographic region in which the conflict is occurring. Such conflicts can also result, and have resulted in some cases, in sanctions being levied by the United States, the European Union and/or other countries against countries or other actors involved in the conflict. In addition, such conflicts and related sanctions can adversely affect regional and global energy, commodities, financial and other markets and thus could affect the value of the fund's investments. The extent and duration of any
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Fund Details
military or other armed conflict, related sanctions and resulting economic and market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial.
Other market disruption events include pandemic spread of viruses, such as the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, which have caused significant uncertainty, market volatility, decreased economic and other activity, increased government activity, including economic stimulus measures, and supply chain disruptions, and may adversely affect the fund and its investments.
In addition, markets are becoming increasingly susceptible to disruption events resulting from the use of new and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to engage in cyber-attacks or to take over the websites and/or social media accounts of companies, governmental entities or public officials, or to otherwise pose as or impersonate such, which then may be used to disseminate false or misleading information that can cause volatility in financial markets or for the securities of a particular company, group of companies, industry or other class of assets.
Adverse market conditions or particular market disruptions, such as those discussed above, may magnify the impact of each of the other risks described in this “MAIN RISKS” section and may increase volatility in one or more markets in which the fund invests leading to the potential for greater losses for the fund.
Real estate sector risk. The fund’s assets will be concentrated in the real estate sector, which means the fund will be more affected by the performance of the real estate sector than a fund that was not concentrated.
Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of the fund’s investments. Investing in real estate securities (which include REITs) may subject the fund to risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, such as decreases in real estate values, overbuilding, increased competition and other risks related to local or general economic conditions, increases in property taxes, operating costs or insurance costs, lack of availability of insurance coverage, changes in zoning laws, casualty or condemnation losses, possible environmental liabilities, extreme weather or natural disasters, regulatory limitations on rent and fluctuations in rental income. Changes in interest rates may also affect the value of the fund’s investment in real estate securities. Certain real estate securities have a relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of these securities. Real estate securities are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. Real estate securities are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency and defaults by borrowers. Political or regulatory pressures may restrict the eviction of real estate
tenants in default. Highly leveraged real estate companies are particularly vulnerable to the effects of rising interest rates and/or an economic downturn.
REITs pool investors’ funds for investment primarily in income producing real estate or real estate loans or interests. A US REIT is not subject to US federal income tax on income distributed to shareholders if it complies with several requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets, and income and a requirement that it distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its taxable income (other than net capital gains) for each taxable year. Non-US REITs may be subject to a similar tax regime under the tax laws of the jurisdictions in which such non-US REITs are organized. These distribution requirements may result in a REIT having insufficient capital for future expenditures. REITs can generally be classified as Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and Hybrid REITs; only Equity REITs are eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index.
Equity REITs, which invest the majority of their assets directly in real property, derive their income primarily from rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. The fund will not invest in real estate directly, but only in securities issued by real estate companies. However, the fund may be subject to risks similar to those associated with the direct ownership of real estate (in addition to securities markets risks) because of its policy of concentration in the securities of companies in the real estate industry. These include declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, dependency on management skill, heavy cash flow dependency, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems, liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants and changes in interest rates. Investments in REITs may subject fund shareholders to duplicate management and administrative fees.
In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts. Further, Equity REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, if applicable, Equity REITs could possibly fail to qualify for the beneficial tax treatment available to REITs under applicable tax law, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays
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Fund Details
in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting investments.
Foreign investment risk. The fund faces the risks inherent in foreign investing. Adverse political, economic or social developments, as well as US and foreign government actions such as the imposition of tariffs, economic and trade sanctions or embargoes, could undermine the value of the fund's foreign investments, prevent the fund from realizing the full value of its foreign investments or prevent the fund from selling foreign securities it holds. Financial reporting standards for companies based in foreign markets differ from those in the US. Additionally, foreign securities markets generally are smaller and less liquid than US markets. To the extent that the fund invests in non-US dollar denominated foreign securities, changes in currency exchange rates may affect the US dollar value of foreign securities or the income or gain received on these securities.
Foreign governments may restrict investment by foreigners, limit withdrawal of trading profit or currency from the country, restrict currency exchange or seize foreign investments. In addition, the fund may be limited in its ability to exercise its legal rights or enforce a counterparty's legal obligations in certain jurisdictions outside of the US. The foreign investments of the fund may also be subject to foreign withholding taxes. Foreign brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher than those for US investments, and the transactions and custody of foreign assets may involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments.
Foreign markets can have liquidity risks beyond those typical of US markets. Because foreign exchanges generally are smaller and less liquid than US exchanges, buying and selling foreign investments can be more difficult and costly. Relatively small transactions can sometimes materially affect the price and availability of securities. In certain situations, it may become virtually impossible to sell an investment at a price that approaches portfolio management’s estimate of its value. For the same reason, it may at times be difficult to value the fund’s foreign investments. In addition, because non-US markets may be open on days when the fund does not price its shares, the value of the foreign securities in the fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the fund’s shares.
Depositary receipt risk. Foreign investments in American Depositary Receipts and other depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Certain of the depositary receipts in which the fund invests may be unsponsored depositary receipts. Unsponsored depositary receipts may not provide as much information about the underlying issuer and may not carry the same voting privileges as sponsored depositary receipts. Unsponsored depositary receipts are issued by
one or more depositaries in response to market demand, but without a formal agreement with the company that issues the underlying securities.
Emerging market securities risk. Investment in emerging markets subjects the fund to a greater risk of loss than investments in a developed market. This is due to, among other things, (i) greater market volatility, (ii) lower trading volume, (iii) political and economic instability, (iv) high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, (v) greater risk of market shut down, (vi) more governmental limitations on foreign investments and limitations on repatriation of invested capital than those typically found in a developed market, and (vii) the risk that companies may be held to lower disclosure, corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting standards than companies in more developed markets.
The financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in other countries. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of price volatility in the fund’s investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the US dollar.
Settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets, particularly in emerging markets, may differ from those in US markets. Such differences include delays beyond periods customary in the US and practices, such as delivery of securities prior to receipt of payment, which increase the likelihood of a “failed settlement.” Failed settlements can result in losses to the fund. Low trading volumes and volatile prices in less developed markets make trades harder to complete and settle, and governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. Local agents are held only to the standards of care of their local markets.
Geographic focus risk. Focusing investments in a single country or few countries, or regions, involves increased political, regulatory and other risks. Market swings in such a targeted country, countries or regions are likely to have a greater effect on fund performance than they would in a more geographically diversified fund.
European investment risk. European financial markets have experienced volatility in recent years and have been adversely affected by concerns about economic downturns, credit rating downgrades, rising government debt level and possible default on or restructuring of government debt in several European countries. A default or debt restructuring by any European country would adversely impact holders of that country’s debt, and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country’s creditworthiness. Most countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union (EU), which faces issues involving its membership, structure, procedures and policies.
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European countries are also significantly affected by fiscal and monetary controls implemented by the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), and it is possible that the timing and substance of these controls may not address the needs of all EMU member countries. Investing in euro-denominated securities also risks exposure to a currency that may not fully reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the disparate economies that comprise Europe. There is continued concern over member state-level support for the euro, which could lead to certain countries leaving the EMU, the implementation of currency controls, or potentially the dissolution of the euro. The dissolution of the euro could have significant negative effects on European financial markets.
Risks related to investing in Japan. The growth of Japan’s economy has historically lagged behind that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent on international trade and has been adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies and the economic conditions of its trading partners. Japan’s relations with its neighbors, particularly China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, have at times been strained due to territorial disputes, historical animosities and defense concerns. The Japanese government has shown concern over the increased nuclear and military activity by North Korea. Strained relations may cause uncertainty in the Japanese markets and adversely affect the overall Japanese economy in times of crisis. China has become an important trading partner with Japan, yet the countries’ political relationship has become strained. Should political tension increase, it could adversely affect the economy, especially the export sector, and destabilize the region as a whole. Japan is located in a part of the world that has historically been prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis and is economically sensitive to environmental events. Any such event could result in a significant adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japan also remains heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the economy. Furthermore, Japanese corporations often engage in high levels of corporate leveraging, extensive cross-purchases of the securities of other corporations and are subject to a changing corporate governance structure. Japan may be subject to risks relating to political, economic and labor risks. Any of these risks, individually or in the aggregate, could adversely affect investments in the fund.
Historically, Japan has been subject to unpredictable national politics and may experience frequent political turnover. Future political developments may lead to changes in policy that might adversely affect the fund’s investments. In addition, the Japanese economy faces several concerns, including a financial system with large levels of nonperforming loans, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets, extensive cross-ownership by major corporations,
a changing corporate governance structure, and large government deficits. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times and any increase in its value may cause a decline in exports that could weaken the economy. Intervention in currency markets by Japan, the United States, or other governments, as has occurred in the past, may cause the yen’s value to fluctuate sharply and unpredictably, which could cause losses to investors. Furthermore, Japan has an aging workforce. It is a labor market undergoing fundamental structural changes, as traditional lifetime employment clashes with the need for increased labor mobility, which may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness.
Currency risk. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-US currencies may affect the value of the fund’s investments and the value of your fund shares. Because the fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of the US dollar and the fund does not attempt to hedge against changes in the value of non-US currencies, investors may lose money if the foreign currency depreciates against the US dollar, even if the foreign currency value of the fund’s holdings in that market increases. The value of the US dollar measured against other currencies is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: interest rates, national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events, monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government intervention, and global energy prices. Political instability, the possibility of government intervention and restrictive or opaque business and investment policies may also reduce the value of a country’s currency. Government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency by a country’s government may also influence exchange rates. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. Therefore, the value of an investment in the fund may also fluctuate quickly and unpredictably and investors may lose money.
Small and medium-sized company risk. Small and medium-sized company stocks tend to be more volatile than large company stocks. Because stock analysts are less likely to follow medium-sized companies, less information about them is available to investors. Industry-wide reversals may have a greater impact on small and medium-sized companies, since they lack the financial resources of larger companies. Small and medium-sized company stocks are typically less liquid than large company stocks.
Large-sized companies risk. Returns on investments in securities of large companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of smaller and mid-sized companies. Larger companies may be unable to respond as quickly as smaller and mid-sized companies to competitive challenges or to changes in business, product, financial or other market conditions. Larger companies may not be able to maintain growth at the high rates that may be
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achieved by well-managed smaller and mid-sized companies. During different market cycles, the performance of large-capitalization companies has trailed the overall performance of the broader securities markets.
Passive investing risk. Unlike a fund that is actively managed, in which portfolio management buys and sells securities based on research and analysis, the fund invests in securities included in, or representative of, the Underlying Index, regardless of their investment merits. Because the fund is designed to maintain a high level of exposure to the Underlying Index at all times, portfolio management generally will not buy or sell a security unless the security is added or removed, respectively, from the Underlying Index, and will not take any steps to invest defensively or otherwise reduce the risk of loss during market downturns.
Index-related risk. The fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Underlying Index as published by the Index Provider. There is no assurance that the Index Provider will compile the Underlying Index accurately, or that the Underlying Index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. The Index Provider may cease publication of the Underlying Index or may terminate the license agreement allowing the fund to use the Underlying Index, either of which could have a material adverse effect on the fund. Market disruptions could cause delays in the Underlying Index’s reconstitution and rebalancing schedule. During any such delay, it is possible that the Underlying Index and, in turn, the fund will deviate from the Underlying Index’s stated methodology and therefore experience returns different than those that would have been achieved under a normal reconstitution and rebalancing schedule. Generally, the Index Provider does not provide any warranty, or accept any liability, with respect to the quality, accuracy or completeness of the Underlying Index or its related data, and does not guarantee that the Underlying Index will be in line with its stated methodology. Errors in the Underlying Index data, the Underlying Index computations and/or the construction of the Underlying Index in accordance with its stated methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders. The Advisor may have limited ability to detect such errors and neither the Advisor nor its affiliates provide any warranty or guarantee against such errors. Therefore, the gains, losses or costs associated with the Index Provider’s errors will generally be borne by the fund and its shareholders.
Index-related risk may be higher for a fund that tracks an index comprised of, or an index that includes, foreign securities, and in particular emerging markets securities, because regulatory and reporting requirements may differ from those in the US, resulting in a heightened risk of
errors in the index data, index computation and/or index construction due to unreliable, out-dated or unavailable information.
Tracking error risk. The fund may be subject to tracking error, which is the divergence of the fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. The performance of the fund may diverge from that of the Underlying Index for a number of reasons, including operating expenses, transaction costs, cash flows and operational inefficiencies. The fund’s return also may diverge from the return of the Underlying Index because the fund bears the costs and risks associated with buying and selling securities (especially when reconstituting or rebalancing the fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the Underlying Index) while such costs and risks are not factored into the return of the Underlying Index. Transaction costs, including brokerage costs, will decrease the fund’s NAV to the extent not offset by the transaction fee payable by an “Authorized Participant” (“AP”). Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the fund’s ability to adjust its exposure in order to track the Underlying Index. Moreover, the use of a representative sampling investment approach (i.e., investing in a representative selection of securities included in the Underlying Index rather than all securities in the Underlying Index) may cause the fund’s return to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. In addition, the fund may not be able to invest in certain securities included in the Underlying Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the Underlying Index, due to government imposed legal restrictions or limitations, a lack of liquidity in the markets in which such securities trade, potential adverse tax consequences or other reasons. To the extent the fund calculates its net asset value based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying Index is based on market prices (i.e., the value of the Underlying Index is not based on fair value prices), the fund’s ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. For tax purposes, the fund may sell certain securities, and such sale may cause the fund to recognize a taxable gain or a loss and deviate from the performance of the Underlying Index. In light of the factors discussed above, the fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the Underlying Index.
The need to comply with the tax diversification and other requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, relating to regulated investment companies, may also impact the fund’s ability to replicate the performance of the Underlying Index. In addition, if the fund holds other instruments that are not included in the Underlying Index, the fund’s return may not correlate as well with the returns of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the fund
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purchased all the securities in the Underlying Index directly. Actions taken in response to proposed corporate actions could result in increased tracking error.
Tracking error risk may be higher for funds that track indices with significant weight in foreign issuers, and in particular emerging markets issuers, than funds that do not track such indices. The fund may also experience operational delays in establishing the necessary accounts and required regulatory approvals to trade, which may delay the fund's ability to hold securities included in the Underlying Index.
For purposes of calculating the fund’s net asset value, the value of assets denominated in non-US currencies is converted into US dollars using prevailing market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more data service providers. This conversion may result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the fund’s net asset value and the prices used by the Underlying Index, which, in turn, could result in a difference between the fund’s performance and the performance of the Underlying Index.
Market price risk. Fund shares are listed for trading on an exchange and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The market prices of shares will fluctuate, in some cases materially, in response to changes in the NAV and supply and demand for shares. As a result, the trading prices of shares may deviate significantly from the NAV during periods of market volatility. Differences between secondary market prices and the value of the fund’s holdings may be due largely to supply and demand forces in the secondary market, which may not be the same forces as those influencing prices for securities held by the fund at a particular time. Secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid-ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which could cause a material decline in the market price of fund shares. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a large percentage of the trading volume on the exchange and may, therefore, have a material effect on the market price of the fund’s shares.
The Advisor cannot predict whether shares will trade above, below or at their NAV. Given the fact that shares can be created and redeemed in Creation Units, the Advisor believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of shares should not be sustained over the long term. In addition, there may be times when the market price and the value of the fund’s holdings vary significantly, and you may pay more than the value of the fund’s holdings when buying shares on the secondary market and may receive less than the value of the fund’s holdings when you sell those shares. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that shares normally will trade close to the value of the fund’s holdings, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions involving market makers, APs or other market participants, or during periods of significant market volatility, may result
in trading prices that differ significantly from the value of the fund’s holdings. Although market makers generally will seek to take advantage of differences between the NAV and the market price of fund shares through arbitrage opportunities, there is no guarantee that they will do so. If market makers exit the business or are unable to continue making markets in the fund’s shares, shares may trade at a discount to NAV like closed-end fund shares and may even face delisting (that is, investors would no longer be able to trade shares in the secondary market).
The market price of shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. The bid-ask spread varies over time based on the fund’s trading volume and market liquidity and generally is narrower if the fund has substantial trading volume and market liquidity and wider if the fund has limited trading volume or market liquidity, as may be the case for a newly launched or smaller fund. The bid-ask spread also may be affected by the liquidity of the securities held by the fund. Decreased liquidity or significant volatility in the markets for the fund’s portfolio securities may result in a less liquid trading market for fund shares, wider bid-ask spreads and greater differences between the market price and NAV of the fund’s shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread often increases significantly. This means that shares may trade at a discount to the fund’s NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your shares.
Investors purchasing and selling shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those APs creating and redeeming shares directly with the fund at NAV. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell shares of the fund and various orders that may be placed. Investors should consult their financial intermediary before purchasing or selling shares of the fund.
In addition, the securities held by the fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the exchange on which the fund’s shares trade. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when the fund’s exchange is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid-ask spreads and the resulting premium or discount to the shares’ NAV are likely to widen.
Liquidity risk. In certain situations, it may be difficult or impossible to sell an investment at an acceptable price. This risk can be ongoing for any security that does not trade actively or in large volumes, for any security that trades primarily on smaller markets, and for investments that typically trade only among a limited number of large investors (such as restricted securities). In unusual market
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conditions, even normally liquid securities may be affected by a degree of liquidity risk. This may affect only certain securities or an overall securities market.
Although the fund primarily seeks to redeem shares of the fund on an in-kind basis, if the fund is forced to sell underlying investments at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, the fund may suffer a loss or recognize a gain that may be distributed to shareholders as a taxable distribution. This may be magnified in circumstances where redemptions from the fund may be higher than normal.
Pricing risk. If market conditions make it difficult to value some investments, the fund may value these investments using more subjective methods and the value determined for an investment may be materially different from the value realized upon such investment’s sale.
Secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may prevent the fund from being able to realize full value and thus sell a security for its full valuation. This could cause a material decline in the fund’s net asset value.
Securities lending risk. Securities lending involves the risk that the fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. A delay in the recovery of loaned securities could interfere with the fund’s ability to vote proxies or settle transactions. Delayed settlement may limit the ability of the fund to reinvest the proceeds of a sale of securities or prevent the fund from selling securities at times that may be appropriate to track the Underlying Index. The fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of the collateral provided for the loaned securities, or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral or even a loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially while holding the securities.
Derivatives risk. Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Risks associated with derivatives may include the risk that the derivative is not well correlated with the underlying asset, security, index or currency to which it relates; the risk that derivatives may result in losses or missed opportunities; the risk that the fund will be unable to sell the derivative because of an illiquid secondary market; the risk that a counterparty is unwilling or unable to meet its obligation, which risk may be heightened in derivative transactions entered into “over-the-counter” (i.e., not on an exchange or contract market); and the risk that the derivative transaction could expose the fund to the effects of leverage, which could increase the fund’s exposure to the market and magnify potential losses.
There is no guarantee that derivatives, to the extent employed, will have the intended effect, and their use could cause lower returns or even losses to the fund. The use of derivatives by the fund to hedge risk may reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements.
Futures risk. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. Depending on the terms of the particular contract, futures contracts are settled through either physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash settlement amount on the settlement date. A decision as to whether, when and how to use futures involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. In addition to the derivatives risks discussed above, the prices of futures can be highly volatile, using futures can lower total return and the potential loss from futures can exceed the fund’s initial investment in such contracts.
Counterparty risk. A financial institution or other counterparty with whom the fund does business, or that underwrites, distributes or guarantees any investments or contracts that the fund owns or is otherwise exposed to, may decline in financial health and become unable to honor its commitments. This could cause losses for the fund or could delay the return or delivery of collateral or other assets to the fund.
Operational and technology risk. The fund and the entities with which it interacts directly or indirectly, including the fund’s service providers (such as the Advisor) and counterparties, issuers of securities held by the fund and other market participants, are susceptible to operational and technology risks, including those related to human errors, processing errors, communication errors, system failures, cybersecurity incidents, and the use of artificial intelligence, among others, which may impair the fund’s operations and/or result in losses for the fund. For example, the fund’s or its service providers’ or index provider’s assets or sensitive or confidential information may be misappropriated, data may be corrupted and operations may be disrupted (e.g., cyber-attacks, operational failures or broader disruptions may cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential fund information, interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the ability to calculate the fund’s net asset value and impede trading). Market events and disruptions also may trigger a volume of transactions that overloads current information technology and communication systems and processes, impacting the ability to conduct the fund’s operations.
While the fund and its service providers or index provider may establish business continuity and other plans and processes that seek to address the possibility of and fallout from cyber-attacks, disruptions or failures, there are
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inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including that they do not apply to third parties, such as fund counterparties, issuers of securities held by the fund or other market participants, as well as the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that unknown threats may emerge in the future and there is no assurance that such plans and processes will be effective. Among other situations, disruptions (for example, pandemics or health crises) that cause prolonged periods of remote work or significant employee absences at the fund’s service providers or index provider could impact the ability to conduct the fund’s operations. In addition, the fund cannot directly control any cybersecurity plans and systems, including artificial intelligence, put in place by its service providers, index provider, fund counterparties, issuers of securities held by the fund or other market participants.
Cyber-attacks may include unauthorized attempts by third parties to improperly access, modify, disrupt the operations of, or prevent access to the systems of the fund’s service providers, index provider or counterparties, issuers of securities held by the fund or other market participants or data within them. In addition, power or communications outages, acts of god, information technology equipment malfunctions, operational errors, and inaccuracies within software or data processing systems may also disrupt business operations or impact critical data.
Cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures may adversely affect the fund and its shareholders or cause reputational damage and subject the fund to regulatory fines, litigation costs, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. In addition, cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures involving a fund counterparty could affect such counterparty’s ability to meet its obligations to the fund, which may result in losses to the fund and its shareholders. Similar types of operational and technology risks are also present for issuers of securities held by the fund, which could have material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause the fund’s investments to lose value. Furthermore, as a result of cyber-attacks, disruptions, or failures, an exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities or the entire market, which may result in the fund being, among other things, unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments or unable to accurately price its investments.
For example, the fund relies on various sources to calculate its NAV. Therefore, the fund is subject to certain operational risks associated with reliance on third party service providers and data sources. NAV calculation may be impacted by operational risks arising from factors such as failures in systems and technology. Such failures may result in delays in the calculation of the fund’s NAV and/or the inability to calculate NAV over extended time periods. The fund may be unable to recover any losses associated with such failures.
In addition, the development and use of artificial intelligence technologies are expanding rapidly and may be employed by service providers that support the operations of the fund as well as by issuers of securities held by the fund. Artificial intelligence technologies rely on complex algorithms and large data sets, which may produce incomplete, inaccurate, or biased outcomes and lead to errors in decision making, reputational damage, legal or operational challenges, and investment losses negatively affecting the fund. Artificial intelligence technologies and their current and potential future applications, and the regulatory frameworks within which they operate, continue to evolve rapidly, and it is impossible to anticipate the full scope of future impacts such developments may have and the associated risks to the fund.
Authorized Participant concentration risk. The fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). Only APs who have entered into agreements with the fund’s distributor may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the fund (as described in the section of this Prospectus entitled “Buying and Selling Shares”). If those APs exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders, (including in situations where APs have limited or diminished access to capital required to post collateral) and no other AP is able to step forward to create and redeem in either of these cases, shares may trade at a discount to NAV like closed-end fund shares and may even face delisting (that is, investors would no longer be able to trade shares in the secondary market).
Other Policies and Risks
While the previous pages describe the main points of the fund’s strategy and risks, there are a few other matters to know about:
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Each of the policies described herein, including the investment objective and 80% investment policies of the fund, constitutes a non-fundamental policy that may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. The fund’s 80% investment policies require 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders before it can be changed. Certain fundamental policies of the fund which can only be changed with shareholder approval are set forth in the SAI. Any major changes to the fund could result in significant portfolio turnover and/or significant redemptions from the fund which could raise transaction costs and could result in increased taxable distributions to shareholders and distributions that would be taxable to shareholders at higher federal income tax rates (e.g., short-term capital gains).
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Because the fund seeks to track its Underlying Index, the fund does not invest defensively and the fund will not invest in money market instruments or other short-term investments as part of a temporary defensive strategy to protect against potential market declines.
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The fund may borrow money from a bank up to a limit of 10% of the value of its assets, but only for temporary or emergency purposes.
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The fund may borrow money under a credit facility to the extent necessary for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests, trade settlements, and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income necessary to maintain the fund’s status as a regulated investment company (“RIC”).
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Secondary market trading in fund shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of market conditions or other reasons. In addition, trading in fund shares on a stock exchange or in any market may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to “circuit breaker” rules on the exchange or market. If a trading halt or unanticipated early closing of a stock exchange occurs, a shareholder may be unable to purchase or sell shares of the fund. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing or trading of fund shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that shares will trade with any volume, or at all, in any secondary market. As with all other exchange traded securities, shares may be sold short and may experience increased volatility and price decreases associated with such trading activity.
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From time to time a third party, the Advisor and/or its affiliates may invest in the fund and hold its investment for a specific period of time in order for the fund to achieve size or scale. There can be no assurance that any such entity would not redeem its investment or that the size of the fund would be maintained at such levels. In order to comply with applicable law, it is possible that the Advisor or its affiliates, to the extent they are invested in the fund, may be required to redeem some or all of their ownership interests in the fund prematurely or at an inopportune time.
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From time to time, the fund may have a concentration of shareholder accounts holding a significant percentage of shares outstanding. Investment activities of these shareholders could have a material impact on the fund. For example, the fund may be used as an underlying investment for other registered investment companies.
Portfolio Holdings Information
A description of DBX ETF Trust’s (“Trust”) policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the fund’s portfolio securities is available in the fund’s SAI. The holdings of the fund can be found at Xtrackers.com. Fund fact sheets provide information regarding the fund’s top holdings and may be requested by calling 1-844-851-4255.
Who Manages and Oversees the Fund
The Investment Advisor
DBX Advisors LLC (“Advisor”), with headquarters at 875 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, is the investment advisor for the fund. Under the oversight of the Board, the Advisor makes the investment decisions, buys and sells securities for the fund.
The Advisor is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA (“DWS Group”), a separate, publicly-listed financial services firm that is an indirect, majority-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bank AG. Founded in 2010, the Advisor managed approximately $34.28 billion in 42 operational exchange-traded funds, as of August 31, 2026.
DWS represents the asset management activities conducted by DWS Group or any of its subsidiaries, including the Advisor and other affiliated investment advisors.
DWS is a global organization that offers a wide range of investing expertise and resources, including hundreds of portfolio managers and analysts and an office network that reaches the world’s major investment centers. This well- resourced global investment platform brings together a wide variety of experience and investment insight across industries, regions, asset classes and investing styles.
The Advisor may utilize the resources of its global investment platform to provide investment management services through branch offices or affiliates located outside the US. In particular, the Advisor may use the portfolio management and other related services of a non-US affiliate of the Advisor, and may provide services to the fund through a “participating affiliate” arrangement, as that term is used in relief granted by the staff of the SEC. Under this relief, US registered investment advisers are allowed to use portfolio management or research resources of advisory affiliates subject to the regulatory supervision of the registered investment adviser. In some cases, the Advisor may also utilize its branch offices or affiliates located in the US or outside the US to perform certain services, such as trade execution, trade matching and settlement, or various administrative, back-office or other services. To the extent services are performed outside the US, such activity may be subject to both US and foreign regulation. It is possible that the jurisdiction in which the Advisor or its affiliate performs such services may impose restrictions or limitations on portfolio transactions that are different from, and in addition to, those in the US.
Management Fee. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is responsible for substantially all expenses of the fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, compensation paid to the Independent Board Members, legal, audit and other services, except for the fee payments to the Advisor under the Investment Advisory Agreement (also known as a
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“unitary advisory fee”), interest expense, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, brokerage expenses, distribution fees or expenses (if any), litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.
For its services to the fund, during the most recent fiscal year, the Advisor received an aggregate unitary advisory fee at the following annual rate as a percentage of the fund’s average daily net assets.
|
Fund Name |
Fee Paid |
|
Xtrackers International Real
Estate ETF |
0.10
% |
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement is contained in the most recent annual financial statements and other information report for the annual period ended May 31. For information on how to obtain this report and other fund reports, see the back cover.
Multi-Manager Structure. The Advisor and the Trust may rely on an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the SEC that permits the Advisor to enter into investment sub-advisory agreements with unaffiliated and affiliated subadvisors without obtaining shareholder approval. The Advisor, subject to the review and approval of the Board, selects subadvisors for the fund and supervises, monitors and evaluates the performance of the subadvisor.
The Order also permits the Advisor, subject to the approval of the Board, to replace subadvisors and amend investment subadvisory agreements, including fees, without shareholder approval whenever the Advisor and the Board believe such action will benefit the fund and its shareholders. The Advisor thus has the ultimate responsibility (subject to the ultimate oversight of the Board) to recommend the hiring and replacement of subadvisors as well as the discretion to terminate any subadvisor and reallocate the fund’s assets for management among any other subadvisor(s) and itself. This means that the Advisor is able to reduce the subadvisory fees and retain a larger portion of the management fee, or increase the subadvisory fees and retain a smaller portion of the management fee. Pursuant to the Order, the Advisor is not required to disclose its contractual fee arrangements with any subadvisor. The Advisor compensates the subadvisor out of its management fee.
Management
The following Portfolio Managers are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund. Each Portfolio Manager functions as a member of a portfolio management team.
Patrick Dwyer, Vice President of DBX Advisors LLC, Director and Senior Portfolio Engineer & Team Lead, Xtrackers, of DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. Portfolio Manager of the fund. Began managing the fund in 2016.
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Joined DWS in 2016 with 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining DWS, he was the head of Northern Trust’s Equity Index, ETF, and Overlay portfolio management team in Chicago, managing portfolios for North American based clients. His time at Northern Trust included working in New York, Chicago, and in Hong Kong building a portfolio management desk. Prior to joining Northern Trust in 2003, he participated in the Deutsche Asset Management graduate training program. He rotated through the domestic fixed income and US structured equity fund management groups.
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Lead Equity Portfolio Manager, US Passive Equities: New York.
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BS in Finance, Rutgers University.
Shlomo Bassous, Vice President of DBX Advisors LLC, Director and Senior Portfolio Engineer, Xtrackers, of DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. Portfolio Manager of the fund. Began managing the fund in 2017.
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Joined DWS in 2017 with 12 years of industry experience. Prior to joining DWS, he served as Portfolio Manager at Northern Trust Asset Management where he managed equity portfolios across a variety of global benchmarks. While at Northern Trust, he spent several years in Chicago, London and Hong Kong where he managed portfolios on behalf of institutional clients in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Before joining Northern Trust in 2007, he worked at The Bank of New York Mellon and Morgan Stanley in a variety of roles supporting equity trading and portfolio management.
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Portfolio Manager for Equities, Passive Asset Management: New York.
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BS in Finance, Sy Syms School of Business, Yeshiva University.
Ashif Shaikh, Vice President of DBX Advisors LLC, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Engineer, Xtrackers, of DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. Portfolio Manager of the fund. Began managing the fund in 2022.
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Joined DWS in 2008 with six years of industry experience. Prior to joining DWS, Mr. Shaikh served in operations and technology roles at UBS and Prudential Financial.
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Senior Portfolio Engineer, Xtrackers: New York.
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BS in Management Information Systems, New Jersey Institute of Technology; MBA, Rutgers University.
Daniel Park, Vice President of DBX Advisors LLC, Vice President and Portfolio Engineer, Xtrackers, of DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. Portfolio Manager of the fund. Began managing the fund in 2024.
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Joined DWS in 2014. Prior to managing the fund, he served as a Portfolio Manager on DWS’s Multi-Asset Solutions team.
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Portfolio Engineer, Xtrackers: New York.
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BA in Economics, University of Bonn; MSc in International Business, Maastricht University.
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The fund’s Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about a portfolio manager’s investments in the fund, a description of the portfolio management compensation structure and information regarding other accounts managed.
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Investing in the Fund
Additional shareholder information, including how to buy and sell shares of the fund, is available free of charge by calling toll-free: 1-844-851-4255 or visiting our website at Xtrackers.com.
Buying and Selling Shares
Shares of the fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange during the trading day. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day at market prices like shares of other publicly-traded companies. The Trust does not impose any minimum investment for shares of the fund purchased on an exchange. Buying or selling fund shares involves two types of costs that may apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling shares of the fund through a broker, you will likely incur a brokerage commission or other charges determined by your broker. In addition, you may incur the cost of the “spread” – that is, any difference between the bid price and the ask price. The commission is frequently a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell small amounts of shares. The spread varies over time for shares of the fund based on its trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the fund has a lot of trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the fund has little trading volume and market liquidity.
Shares of the fund may be acquired or redeemed directly from the fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof, as discussed in the section of this Prospectus entitled “Creations and Redemptions.” Only an AP may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the fund. Once created, shares of the fund generally trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.
The Board has evaluated the risks of market timing activities by the fund’s shareholders. The Board noted that shares of the fund can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the fund in Creation Units by APs and that the vast majority of trading in the fund’s shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not involve the fund directly, it is unlikely those trades would cause many of the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the fund’s trading costs and the realization of capital gains. With regard to the purchase or redemption of
Creation Units directly with the fund, to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), such trades do not cause any of the harmful effects (as previously noted) that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, the Board noted that such trades could result in dilution to the fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. However, the Board noted that direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that the fund’s shares trade at or close to NAV. In addition, the fund imposes both fixed and variable transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of fund shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the fund in effecting trades. These fees increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole for securities, reflecting the fact that the fund’s trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Board determined that with respect to the fund it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the fund’s shares.
Investments in the fund by other registered investment companies are subject to certain limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Such registered investment companies may invest in the fund beyond the applicable limitations imposed by the 1940 Act pursuant to the terms and conditions of a rule enacted by the SEC, which includes a requirement that such registered investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust.
Shares of the fund trade on the exchange and under the ticker symbol as shown in the table below.
|
Fund name |
Ticker Symbol |
Stock Exchange |
|
Xtrackers International
Real Estate ETF |
HAUZ |
NYSE Arca, Inc. |
Book Entry
Shares of the fund are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes.
| Prospectus October 1, 2026 | 23 | Investing in the Fund |
Investors owning shares of the fund are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for shares of the fund. DTC participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” form.
Share Prices
The trading prices of the fund’s shares in the secondary market generally differ from the fund’s daily NAV per share and are affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. Information regarding the intraday value of shares of the fund, also known as the “indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”), is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day by the national securities exchange on which the fund’s shares are listed or by market data vendors or other information providers. The IOPV is based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. The IOPV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by the fund at a particular point in time nor the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. Therefore, the IOPV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV, which is computed only once a day. The IOPV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the portfolio securities held by the fund. The quotations of certain fund holdings may not be updated during US trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the US. The fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IOPV and makes no representation or warranty as to its accuracy.
Determination of Net Asset Value
The NAV of the fund is generally determined once daily Monday through Friday as of the regularly scheduled close of business of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day that the NYSE is open for trading, provided that (a) any fund assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the US dollar are translated into US dollars at the prevailing market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more data service providers (as detailed below) and (b) US fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments in a particular market or exchange. NAV is calculated by deducting all of the fund’s liabilities from the total value of its assets and
dividing the result by the number of shares outstanding, rounding to the nearest cent. All valuations are subject to review by the Trust’s Board or its delegate.
The Trust’s Board has designated the Advisor as the valuation designee for the fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. The Advisor’s Pricing Committee typically values securities using readily available market quotations or prices supplied by independent pricing services (which are considered fair values under Rule 2a-5).
The Advisor has adopted and the Trust’s Board has approved fair valuation procedures for the fund. Under these fair valuation procedures, the Advisor provides methodologies for fair valuing securities when pricing service prices or market quotations are not readily available, including when a security’s value or a meaningful portion of the value of the fund’s portfolio is believed to have been materially affected by a significant event such as a natural disaster, an economic event like a bankruptcy filing, or a substantial fluctuation in domestic or foreign markets that has occurred between the close of the exchange or market on which the security is principally traded (for example, a foreign exchange or market) and the close of the New York Stock Exchange. In such a case, the fund’s value for a security is likely to be different from the last quoted market price or pricing service prices. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, it is possible that the value determined for a particular asset may be materially different from the value realized upon such asset’s sale. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate the fund’s NAV and the prices used by the fund’s Underlying Index. This may adversely affect the fund’s ability to track its Underlying Index. With respect to securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges, the value of the fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your shares.
Foreign currency exchange rates with respect to the fund’s non-US securities are generally determined as of 4:00 p.m., London time. Generally, trading in non-US securities, US government securities, money market instruments and certain fixed-income securities is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of business on the NYSE. The values of such securities used in computing the NAV of the fund are determined as of such earlier times. The value of the Underlying Index will not be calculated and disseminated intra-day. The value and return of the fund’s Underlying Index is calculated once each trading day by the Index Provider based on prices received from the international local markets. In addition the value of assets or liabilities denominated in non-US currencies will be converted into US dollars using prevailing market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more data service providers. Use of a rate different from the rate used by the Index Provider may adversely affect the fund’s ability to track its Underlying Index.
Prospectus October 1, 2026
24
Investing in the Fund
Creations and Redemptions
Prior to trading in the secondary market, shares of the fund are “created” at NAV by market makers, large investors and institutions only in block-size Creation Units of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”). The size of a Creation Unit will be subject to change. Each “creator” or AP (which must be a DTC participant) enters into an authorized participant agreement (“Authorized Participant Agreement”) with the fund's distributor, ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), subject to acceptance by the Transfer Agent. Only an AP may create or redeem Creation Units. Creation Units generally are issued and redeemed in exchange for a specific basket of securities approximating the holdings of the fund and a designated amount of cash. The fund may pay out a portion of its redemption proceeds in cash rather than through the in-kind delivery of portfolio securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the fund. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received in a form described in the Authorized Participant Agreement.
Additional information about the procedures regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units (including the cut-off times for receipt of creation and redemption orders) is included in the SAI.
The fund intends to comply with the US federal securities laws in accepting securities for deposits and satisfying redemptions with redemption securities, including that the securities accepted for deposits and the securities used to satisfy redemption requests will be sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”). Further, an AP that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive fund securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.
Authorized Participants and the Continuous Offering of Shares
Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the fund a “distribution,” as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may be occurring. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. Any determination of whether one is an underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular case.
Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an “unsold allotment”
within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the 1933 Act is available only with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange.
Certain affiliates of the fund and the Advisor may purchase and resell fund shares pursuant to this Prospectus.
Transaction Fees
APs are charged standard creation and redemption transaction fees to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units for cash are required to pay an additional variable charge (up to a maximum of 2% for redemptions, including the standard redemption fee) to compensate for brokerage and market impact expenses. The standard creation and redemption transaction fee for the fund is set forth in the table below. The maximum redemption fee, as a percentage of the amount redeemed, is 2%.
|
Fund Name |
Fee Paid |
|
Xtrackers International Real
Estate ETF(1)
|
$0 |
(1) Currently, the standard and maximum transaction fees for the creation or redemption of a Creation Unit of the fund are paid by the fund’s Advisor. As such, the standard and maximum transaction fees for the creation or redemption of a Creation Unit of the fund will be reduced from $5,400 to $0; however, the Advisor reserves the right to amend or discontinue this subsidy upon supplement to the fund’s prospectus.
If a purchase or redemption consists of a cash portion and the fund places a brokerage transaction to purchase portfolio securities with an AP (or an affiliated or unaffiliated broker-dealer that is engaged through the AP), the AP may be required, in its capacity as broker-dealer with respect to that transaction, to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, and price movement costs through an execution performance guarantee, as described in the SAI.
Dividends and Distributions
General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid semi-annually by the fund. Distributions of net capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis for the fund. The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the fund’s status as a RIC for a taxable year or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income or gains for a taxable year.
Prospectus October 1, 2026
25
Investing in the Fund
Dividends and other distributions on shares of the fund are distributed on a pro rata basis to beneficial owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners as of the record date with proceeds received from the fund.
Dividend Reinvestment Service. No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of the fund for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require beneficial owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the fund purchased in the secondary market. Taxable dividend distributions will be subject to US federal income tax whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the fund.
Taxes
As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in shares of the fund will be taxed. The US federal income tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information only. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in shares of the fund.
Unless your investment in fund shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged retirement account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the fund makes distributions or you sell fund shares.
US Federal Income Taxes on Distributions
The fund is treated as a separate corporation for US federal income tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and intends to continue to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for each taxable year. As a RIC, the fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you.
Distributions from the fund’s net investment income (other than qualified dividend income), including distributions of income from securities lending and distributions out of the fund’s net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income for US federal income tax purposes. Distributions by the fund of net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses (capital gain dividends) are taxable for US federal income tax purposes to non-corporate shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholders have held such fund’s shares. Distributions by the fund qualified dividend income that it receives are taxable to non-corporate shareholders at long-term capital gain rates, subject to the discussion below. The maximum individual US federal income rate applicable to “qualified dividend
income” (as defined in the Code) and long-term capital gains is 20%. As disclosed below, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax may also apply to certain non-corporate shareholders’ distributions from the fund.
A non-corporate shareholder may be eligible to treat qualified dividend income received by the fund as qualified dividend income when distributed to the non-corporate shareholder if the shareholder satisfies certain holding period and other requirements. Generally, qualified dividend income includes dividend income from taxable US corporations and qualified non-US corporations, provided that the fund satisfies certain holding period requirements in respect of the stock of such corporations and has not hedged its position in the stock in certain ways. For this purpose, a qualified non-US corporation means any non-US corporation that is incorporated in a possession of the United States or eligible for benefits under a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States which includes an exchange of information program or if the stock with respect to which the dividend was paid is readily tradable on an established United States security market. The term excludes a corporation that is a “passive foreign investment company” (as defined in the Code).
For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, dividends received by the fund from an entity that qualifies as a real estate investment trust for US federal income tax purposes (“US REIT”) generally are eligible for qualified dividend income treatment only to the extent the dividend distributions are made out of qualified dividend income received by such US REIT. It is expected that dividends received by the fund from US REITs and distributed to a shareholder generally will be taxable to the shareholder for US federal income tax purposes as ordinary income but may be eligible for a 20% qualified business income deduction by non-corporate US shareholders if so reported by the fund and certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied.
For a dividend to be treated as qualified dividend income, the dividend must be received with respect to a share of stock held without being hedged by the fund, and to a share of the fund held without being hedged by the shareholder receiving the dividend, for 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend or in the case of certain preferred stock 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date.
The fund's use of derivatives, if any, may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders and, therefore, may increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders.
In general, your distributions are treated for US federal income tax purposes as received in the year during which they are paid. Certain distributions actually paid in January, however, may be treated as received and paid on December 31 of the prior year.
Prospectus October 1, 2026
26
Investing in the Fund
Distributions in excess of the fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated for US federal income tax purposes as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s basis in his, her or its shares of the fund, and generally as a capital gain thereafter. Because a return of capital distribution will reduce the shareholder’s cost basis in his, her or its shares, a return of capital distribution may result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.
The previous discussion applies to beneficial owners of shares of the fund that are US shareholders – i.e., “United States persons” under the Code, other than partnerships and other than investors that are subject to special tax treatment (such as financial institutions, real estate investment trusts, RICs and retirement plans), except as otherwise specifically provided herein. If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a non-US entity, the fund’s ordinary income dividends (including, in certain circumstances, distributions of net short-term capital gains) you receive will generally be subject to a 30% US withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies or unless such income is effectively connected with a US trade or business, provided that withholding tax will generally not apply to any gain or income recognized by a non-US shareholder in respect of any distributions of long-term capital gains or short term capital gains reported as such by the fund or upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the fund unless the non-US shareholder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year.
Dividends and interest received by the fund with respect to non-US securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by non-US countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% of the total value of the fund at the close of a year consists of non-US stocks or securities in non-US corporations, the fund may for US federal income tax purposes “pass through” to you certain non-US income taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the fund. This means that you would be considered to have received as additional gross income your share of such non-US taxes, but you may, in such case, be entitled to either a corresponding tax deduction or credit in calculating your US federal income tax, subject in both cases to certain limitations.
If you are a resident or a citizen of the United States, by law, back-up withholding (currently at a flat rate of 24%) will apply to your dividends, distributions, sale proceeds, and any other payments you receive from a fund if you have not provided a taxpayer identification number or social security number and made other required certifications or if you are otherwise subject to back-up withholding.
US Federal Income Tax when Shares are Sold
Currently, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of fund shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of fund shares held for one year or less is generally treated as short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or treated as paid) with respect to such shares. Your ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
Medicare Tax
An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of certain US shareholders that are individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current US federal income tax law of an investment in the fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You may also be subject to state, local and foreign taxation on fund distributions and sales of shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in shares of the fund under all applicable tax laws before making an investment in the fund.
Distribution
The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the fund. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the fund. The Distributor’s principal address is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, Colorado 80203.
The Advisor and/or its affiliates may pay additional compensation, out of their own assets and not as an additional charge to the fund, to selected affiliated and unaffiliated brokers, dealers, participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries (“financial representatives”) in connection with the sale and/or distribution of fund shares or the retention and/or servicing of fund investors and fund shares (“revenue sharing”). For example, the Advisor and/or its affiliates may compensate financial representatives for providing the fund with “shelf space” or access to a third party platform or fund offering list or other marketing programs, including, without limitation, inclusion of the fund on preferred or recommended sales lists, fund “supermarket” platforms and other formal sales programs; granting the Advisor and/or its affiliates access to the financial representative’s sales force; granting the
Prospectus October 1, 2026
27
Investing in the Fund
Advisor and/or its affiliates access to the financial representative’s conferences and meetings; assistance in training and educating the financial representative’s personnel; and obtaining other forms of marketing support.
The level of revenue sharing payments made to financial representatives may be a fixed fee or based upon one or more of the following factors: gross sales, current assets and/or number of accounts of the fund attributable to the financial representative, the particular fund or fund type or other measures as agreed to by the Advisor and/or its affiliates and the financial representatives or any combination thereof. The amount of these revenue sharing payments is determined at the discretion of the Advisor and/or its affiliates from time to time, may be substantial, and may be different for different financial representatives based on, for example, the nature of the services provided by the financial representative.
Receipt of, or the prospect of receiving, additional compensation may influence your financial representative’s recommendation of the fund. You should review your financial representative’s compensation disclosure and/or talk to your financial representative to obtain more information on how this compensation may have influenced your financial representative’s recommendation of the fund. Additional information regarding these revenue sharing payments is included in the fund’s Statement of Additional Information, which is available to you on request at no charge (see the back cover of this Prospectus for more information on how to request a copy of the Statement of Additional Information).
It is possible that broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions for the fund will also sell shares of the fund to their customers. However, the Advisor will not consider the sale of fund shares as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the fund. Accordingly, the Advisor has implemented policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent its traders from considering sales of fund shares as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the fund. In addition, the Advisor and/or its affiliates will not use fund brokerage to pay for their obligation to provide additional compensation to financial representatives as described above.
Premium/Discount Information
Information regarding how often shares of the fund traded on NYSE Arca at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the fund can be found at Xtrackers.com (the website does not form a part of this prospectus).
Prospectus October 1, 2026
28
Investing in the Fund
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights are designed to help you understand recent financial performance. The figures in the first part of the table are for a single share. The total return figures represent the percentage that an investor in the fund would have earned (or lost), assuming all dividends and distributions were reinvested. This information has been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the fund’s financial statements, is included in the fund’s Annual Financial Statements and Other Information Report (see “For More Information” on the back cover).
Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF
|
|
Years Ended May 31, | ||||
|
|
2026 |
2025 |
2024 |
2023 |
2022 |
|
Selected Per Share Data | |||||
|
Net Asset Value, beginning of year |
$22.32 |
$21.14 |
$20.14 |
$24.67 |
$29.15 |
|
Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income (loss)(a) |
0.83 |
0.77 |
0.80 |
0.80 |
0.92 |
|
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
1.26 |
1.30 |
0.97 |
(4.91) |
(4.05) |
|
Total from investment operations |
2.09 |
2.07 |
1.77 |
(4.11) |
(3.13) |
|
Less distributions from: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net investment income |
(1.04) |
(0.89) |
(0.77) |
(0.42) |
(1.35) |
|
Total from distributions |
(1.04) |
(0.89) |
(0.77) |
(0.42) |
(1.35) |
|
Net Asset Value, end of year |
$23.37 |
$22.32 |
$21.14 |
$20.14 |
$24.67 |
|
Total Return (%)(b) |
9.54 |
10.39 |
8.91 |
(16.76) |
(11.26) |
|
Ratios to Average Net Assets and Supplemental Data | |||||
|
Net Assets, end of year ($ millions) |
1,046 |
825 |
702 |
560 |
559 |
|
Ratio of expenses before fee waiver (%) |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.12 |
0.12 |
0.12 |
|
Ratio of expenses after fee waiver (%) |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.10 |
|
Ratio of net investment income (loss) (%) |
3.57 |
3.64 |
3.86 |
3.70 |
3.38 |
|
Portfolio turnover rate (%)(c) |
11 |
8 |
15 |
8 |
17 |
(a)
Based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total Return would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reimbursed by the Advisor.
(c)
Portfolio turnover rate does not include securities received or delivered from processing creations or redemptions.
| Prospectus October 1, 2026 | 29 | Financial Highlights |
Appendix
Index Providers and Licenses
STOXX Ltd. (“STOXX”) is a provider of indexes and services to investors worldwide. STOXX is not affiliated with the Trust, the Advisor, Bank of New York Mellon, the Distributor or any of their respective affiliates.
The Advisor has entered into a license agreement with the Index Provider to use the Underlying Index. All license fees are paid by the Advisor out of its own resources and not the assets of the fund.
Disclaimers
The iSTOXX Developed and Emerging Markets ex USA PK VN Real Estate Index is the intellectual property (including registered trademarks) of STOXX Limited, Zug, Switzerland (“STOXX”), Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, which is used under license. Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF is neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed or in any other manner supported by STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers and STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not give any warranty, and exclude any liability (whether in negligence or otherwise) with respect thereto generally or specifically in relation to any errors, omissions or interruptions in the Index or its data.
Shares of the fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca. NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the fund or any member of the public regarding the ability of the fund to track the total return performance of its Underlying Index or the ability of the Underlying Index to track stock market performance. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of the Underlying Index nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the fund.
NYSE Arca does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Index or any data included therein. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Trust on behalf of the fund as licensee, licensee’s customers and counterparties, owners of the shares of the fund, or any other person or entity from the use of the subject index or any data included therein in connection with the rights licensed as described herein or for any other use. NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Underlying Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall NYSE Arca have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
The Advisor does not guarantee the accuracy or the completeness of the Underlying Index or any data included therein and the Advisor shall have no liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions therein.
The Advisor makes no warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the fund or to any other person or entity, as to results to be obtained by the fund from the use of the Underlying Index or any data included therein. The Advisor makes no express or implied warranties and expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Underlying Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Advisor have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
| Prospectus October 1, 2026 | 30 | Appendix |
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
XTRACKERS.COM
1-844-851-4255
Additional information about the fund's investments is available in the fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected fund performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the fund's annual and semi-annual financial statements. Copies of the prospectus, SAI and recent shareholder and other fund reports, when available, can be found on our website at Xtrackers.com. For more information about the fund, you may request a copy of the SAI. The SAI provides detailed information about the fund and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that the SAI, for legal purposes, is a part of this prospectus.
If you have any questions about the Trust or shares of the fund or you wish to obtain the SAI or a shareholder or other fund report free of charge, please:
|
Call: |
1-844-851-4255 (toll free)
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Eastern time)
E-mail: dbxquestions@list.db.com |
|
Write: |
DBX ETF Trust
c/o ALPS Distributors, Inc.
1290 Broadway, Suite 1000
Denver, Colorado 80203 |
Information about the fund (including the SAI), reports and other information about the fund (such as fund financial statements) are available on our website at Xtrackers.com and on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov. The fund's recent shareholder reports and financial statements are also in the fund's annual and semi-annual filings with the SEC on Form N-CSR, which are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website at sec.gov.
Householding is an option available to certain fund investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Please contact your broker-dealer if you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, or if you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status.
No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations about the fund and its shares not contained in this prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read and keep the prospectus for future reference.
Investment Company Act File No.: 811-22487
(10/01/26) HAUZ-1
