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iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF (XAD.TO) Alternatives

ETF · Currency in CAD · Last updated Jun 4, 2026

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF seeks to track the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index by investing in growth and value stocks of companies in the aerospace, defense, industrials, and capital goods sectors across diversified market capitalizations.

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF (XAD.TO) belongs to the Aerospace & Defense category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with XAD.TO. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.

Other ETFs from iShares

The 10 most viewed iShares ETFs shown here include XEQT.TO, XDIV.TO, XEI.TO and span 7 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $30B.

SymbolNameCategoryRisk / Return RankYTD ReturnAUMInception
XEQT.TO
iShares Core Equity ETF PortfolioGlobal Equities
75
12.29%
18.41BAug 2019XAD.TO vs XEQT.TO
XDIV.TO
iShares Core MSCI Canadian Quality Dividend Index ...Dividend, Large Cap Value Equities
98
19.17%
5.25BJun 2017XAD.TO vs XDIV.TO
XEI.TO
iShares S&P/TSX Composite High Dividend Index ETFCanada Equities
98
22.21%
4.02BApr 2011XAD.TO vs XEI.TO
XIC.TO
iShares Core S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETFCanada Equities
80
10.75%
29.66BFeb 2001XAD.TO vs XIC.TO
XIU.TO
iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index ETFLarge Cap Growth Equities
82
10.14%
22.52BSep 1999XAD.TO vs XIU.TO
XQQ.TO
iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)Nasdaq-100
66
19.81%
5.56BMay 2011XAD.TO vs XQQ.TO
XEF.TO
iShares Core MSCI EAFE IMI Index ETFGlobal Equities
47
9.95%
21.46BApr 2013XAD.TO vs XEF.TO
XGRO.TO
iShares Core Growth ETF PortfolioLarge Cap Growth Equities
67
10.38%
4.82BJun 2007XAD.TO vs XGRO.TO
XUS.TO
iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETFS&P 500
73
12.21%
12.60BApr 2013XAD.TO vs XUS.TO
XAW.TO
iShares Core MSCI All Country World ex Canada Inde...Global Equities
76
13.70%
4.25BFeb 2015XAD.TO vs XAW.TO

Often Compared With XAD.TO

Investors most often compare XAD.TO with SHLD, ITA, SHLD.TO. These 20 comparison targets span 12 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.

SymbolNameCategoryRisk / Return RankYTD ReturnAUMInception
SHLD
Global X Defense Tech ETFAerospace & Defense
15
-2.28%
7.99BSep 2023XAD.TO vs SHLD
ITA
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETFAerospace & Defense, Industrials Equities
32
4.82%
14.33BMay 2006XAD.TO vs ITA
SHLD.TO
Global X Defence Tech Index ETFAerospace & Defense
15
-1.13%
—Apr 2025XAD.TO vs SHLD.TO
XAR
SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETFIndustrials Equities, Aerospace & Defense
43
13.40%
6.50BSep 2011XAD.TO vs XAR
XGD.TO
iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETFPrecious Metals
42
3.35%
3.59BMar 2001XAD.TO vs XGD.TO
QQQ
Invesco QQQ ETFNasdaq-100
73
21.30%
493.99BMar 1999XAD.TO vs QQQ
DOW
Dow Inc.
60
54.76%
——XAD.TO vs DOW
IWB
iShares Russell 1000 ETFLarge Cap Blend Equities
67
10.54%
48.87BMay 2000XAD.TO vs IWB
XCHP.TO
iShares Semiconductor Index ETFSemiconductors, Technology Equities
97
106.85%
—Sep 2023XAD.TO vs XCHP.TO
BN
Brookfield Corp
53
-4.21%
——XAD.TO vs BN
CEW.TO
iShares Equal Weight Banc & Lifeco ETFFinancials Equities
94
15.99%
381.54MFeb 2008XAD.TO vs CEW.TO
CGY.TO
Calian Group Ltd.
95
66.59%
——XAD.TO vs CGY.TO
JEDI
Defiance Drone & Modern Warfare ETFAerospace & Defense—
52.32%
171.74MSep 2025XAD.TO vs JEDI
XEMC.TO
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index ETFEmerging Markets Equities
93
43.62%
—Feb 2023XAD.TO vs XEMC.TO
VFV.TO
Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETFS&P 500
74
12.30%
32.85BNov 2012XAD.TO vs VFV.TO
XCSR.TO
iShares ESG Advanced MSCI Canada Index ETFCanada Equities
58
6.62%
492.96MApr 2020XAD.TO vs XCSR.TO
DFND.AS
iShares Global Aerospace & Defence UCITS ETFIndustrials Equities———Feb 2024XAD.TO vs DFND.AS
XETM.TO
iShares S&P/TSX Energy Transition Materials Index ...Materials
87
27.20%
—Sep 2023XAD.TO vs XETM.TO
TEC.TO
TD Global Technology Leaders Index ETFTechnology Equities
58
17.96%
5.04BMar 2022XAD.TO vs TEC.TO
VCE.TO
Vanguard FTSE Canada Index ETFCanada Equities
72
10.03%
3.48BNov 2011XAD.TO vs VCE.TO

Compare XAD.TO with Any Fund or Stock

Compare XAD.TO with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.

 

Diversifiers

Pair XAD.TO with funds that move differently

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to XAD.TO.

Explore XAD.TO Diversifiers