GD vs. XAR

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about General Dynamics Corporation (GD) and SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR).

XAR is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Aerospace & Defense Select Industry. It was launched on Sep 28, 2011.

Performance

GD vs. XAR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in General Dynamics Corporation (GD) and SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GD vs. XAR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GD General Dynamics Corporation	2.37%	30.39%	3.52%	7.13%	21.69%	43.77%	-13.14%	14.80%	-21.34%	19.85%
XAR SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF	5.33%	46.15%	23.32%	23.79%	-5.02%	2.31%	6.18%	39.33%	-4.58%	33.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GD achieves a 2.37% return, which is significantly lower than XAR's 5.33% return. Over the past 10 years, GD has underperformed XAR with an annualized return of 12.44%, while XAR has yielded a comparatively higher 18.07% annualized return.

GD

• 1D: 0.71%
• 1M: -3.87%
• YTD: 2.37%
• 6M: 1.51%
• 1Y: 28.35%
• 3Y*: 16.98%
• 5Y*: 16.17%
• 10Y*: 12.44%

XAR

• 1D: 4.85%
• 1M: -10.20%
• YTD: 5.33%
• 6M: 8.19%
• 1Y: 58.67%
• 3Y*: 30.25%
• 5Y*: 15.56%
• 10Y*: 18.07%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

GD vs. XAR — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

GD

GD Risk / Return Rank: 82
GD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
GD Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
GD Omega Ratio Rank: 77
GD Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
GD Martin Ratio Rank: 90

XAR

XAR Risk / Return Rank: 92
XAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
XAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
XAR Omega Ratio Rank: 89
XAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
XAR Martin Ratio Rank: 91

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

GD vs. XAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for General Dynamics Corporation (GD) and SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	GD	XAR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.30	2.09	-0.78
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.91	2.76	-0.85
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.35	-0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.92	3.34	-0.42
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.36	11.77	-1.42
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GD vs. XAR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GD Sharpe Ratio is 1.30, which is lower than the XAR Sharpe Ratio of 2.09. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GD and XAR, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	GD	XAR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.30	2.09	-0.78
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.81	0.68	+0.13
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55	0.74	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.57	0.83	-0.26

Correlation

The correlation between GD and XAR is 0.66, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

GD vs. XAR - Dividend Comparison

GD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.75%, more than XAR's 0.35% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GD General Dynamics Corporation	1.75%	1.76%	2.12%	2.01%	2.00%	2.24%	2.90%	2.26%	2.31%	1.61%	1.72%	1.96%
XAR SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF	0.35%	0.40%	0.66%	0.54%	0.50%	0.83%	0.63%	0.75%	1.19%	0.76%	1.09%	2.31%

Drawdowns

GD vs. XAR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GD drawdown since its inception was -75.67%, which is greater than XAR's maximum drawdown of -46.37%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GD and XAR.

Drawdown Indicators

	GD	XAR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-75.67%	-46.37%	-29.30%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.27%	-17.22%	+6.95%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.55%	-32.40%	+9.85%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.63%	-46.37%	-5.26%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.58%	-13.20%	+6.62%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.64%	-6.76%	-8.88%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.90%	4.88%	-1.98%

Volatility

GD vs. XAR - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is 4.98%, while SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) has a volatility of 10.26%. This indicates that GD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GD	XAR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.98%	10.26%	-5.28%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.16%	21.34%	-6.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.87%	28.28%	-6.41%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.00%	22.91%	-2.91%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.51%	24.34%	-1.83%