IDEF vs. AGG

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG).

IDEF and AGG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IDEF is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on May 19, 2025. AGG is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. It was launched on Sep 22, 2003.

Performance

IDEF vs. AGG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IDEF vs. AGG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
IDEF iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF	9.35%	23.05%
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF	0.09%	5.90%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IDEF achieves a 9.35% return, which is significantly higher than AGG's 0.09% return.

IDEF

• 1D: 2.96%
• 1M: -8.45%
• YTD: 9.35%
• 6M: 5.99%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

AGG

• 1D: 0.07%
• 1M: -1.33%
• YTD: 0.09%
• 6M: 0.78%
• 1Y: 4.05%
• 3Y*: 3.62%
• 5Y*: 0.24%
• 10Y*: 1.66%

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

IDEF vs. AGG - Expense Ratio Comparison

IDEF has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than AGG's 0.03% expense ratio.

IDEF

iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF

AGG

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

Return for Risk

IDEF vs. AGG — Risk / Return Rank

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

AGG

AGG Risk / Return Rank: 50
AGG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
AGG Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
AGG Omega Ratio Rank: 40
AGG Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
AGG Martin Ratio Rank: 49

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.

IDEF vs. AGG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG). 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.

Risk / return metrics aren't available yet — we need at least 12 months of trading data to calculate them.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IDEF	AGG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	—	0.93	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.04	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.31	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	2.05	0.60	+1.46

Correlation

The correlation between IDEF and AGG is 0.18, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

IDEF vs. AGG - Dividend Comparison

IDEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.16%, less than AGG's 3.95% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IDEF iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF	0.16%	0.17%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
AGG iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF	3.95%	3.89%	3.74%	3.13%	2.39%	1.77%	2.14%	2.70%	2.72%	2.32%	2.39%	2.45%

Drawdowns

IDEF vs. AGG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IDEF drawdown since its inception was -14.63%, smaller than the maximum AGG drawdown of -18.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IDEF and AGG.

Drawdown Indicators

	IDEF	AGG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.63%	-18.43%	+3.80%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	—	-2.52%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-17.82%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-18.43%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.45%	-2.30%	-6.15%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.90%	-2.71%	-0.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	—	0.91%	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	IDEF	AGG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	—	1.67%	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	—	2.55%	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.19%	4.37%	+15.82%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.19%	6.07%	+14.12%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.19%	5.39%	+14.80%