ITA vs. ARKX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX).

ITA and ARKX are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ITA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. It was launched on May 5, 2006. ARKX is an actively managed fund by ARK. It was launched on Mar 30, 2021.

Performance

ITA vs. ARKX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ITA vs. ARKX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF	4.24%	48.64%	15.81%	14.33%	9.96%	-0.53%
ARKX ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF	3.21%	48.46%	26.67%	24.37%	-34.27%	-7.14%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ITA achieves a 4.24% return, which is significantly higher than ARKX's 3.21% return.

ITA

• 1D: 2.24%
• 1M: -10.69%
• YTD: 4.24%
• 6M: 6.95%
• 1Y: 45.80%
• 3Y*: 25.76%
• 5Y*: 17.41%
• 10Y*: 15.49%

ARKX

• 1D: 1.91%
• 1M: -7.49%
• YTD: 3.21%
• 6M: 3.53%
• 1Y: 68.32%
• 3Y*: 28.79%
• 5Y*: 7.42%
• 10Y*: —

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

ITA vs. ARKX - Expense Ratio Comparison

ITA has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is lower than ARKX's 0.75% expense ratio.

ARKX

ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF

ITA

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

Return for Risk

ITA vs. ARKX — Risk / Return Rank

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

ITA

ITA Risk / Return Rank: 89
ITA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
ITA Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
ITA Omega Ratio Rank: 87
ITA Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
ITA Martin Ratio Rank: 88

ARKX

ARKX Risk / Return Rank: 86
ARKX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
ARKX Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
ARKX Omega Ratio Rank: 80
ARKX Calmar Ratio Rank: 92
ARKX Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

ITA vs. ARKX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX). 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.

	ITA	ARKX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.97	1.98	-0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.60	2.60	0.00
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.32	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.96	3.36	-0.40
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.32	9.46	+1.85
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ITA vs. ARKX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ITA Sharpe Ratio is 1.97, which is comparable to the ARKX Sharpe Ratio of 1.98. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ITA and ARKX, 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

	ITA	ARKX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.97	1.98	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.89	0.27	+0.61
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.68	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.30	+0.21

Correlation

The correlation between ITA and ARKX is 0.70, 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

ITA vs. ARKX - Dividend Comparison

ITA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.48%, while ARKX has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF	0.48%	0.55%	0.85%	0.93%	0.95%	0.82%	1.07%	1.54%	1.13%	0.91%	1.07%	1.04%
ARKX ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

ITA vs. ARKX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ITA drawdown since its inception was -59.72%, which is greater than ARKX's maximum drawdown of -43.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ITA and ARKX.

Drawdown Indicators

	ITA	ARKX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.72%	-43.61%	-16.11%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.82%	-20.42%	+4.60%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.72%	-43.61%	+24.89%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.00%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.69%	-14.96%	+4.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.45%	-20.49%	+11.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.14%	7.25%	-3.11%

Volatility

ITA vs. ARKX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is 8.22%, while ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX) has a volatility of 11.25%. This indicates that ITA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ARKX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ITA	ARKX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.22%	11.25%	-3.03%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.06%	25.62%	-9.56%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.37%	34.73%	-11.36%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.70%	27.20%	-7.50%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.95%	27.20%	-4.25%