ITA vs. DFEN
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN).
ITA and DFEN 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. DFEN is a passively managed fund by Direxion that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index (300%). It was launched on May 3, 2017. Both ITA and DFEN are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
ITA vs. DFEN - Performance Comparison
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ITA vs. DFEN - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | 1.96% | 48.64% | 15.81% | 14.33% | 9.96% | 9.39% | -13.57% | 30.51% | -7.22% | 24.01% |
DFEN Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | -1.16% | 156.62% | 27.07% | 24.70% | 6.99% | 12.72% | -70.23% | 95.09% | -32.86% | 83.64% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ITA achieves a 1.96% return, which is significantly higher than DFEN's -1.16% return.
ITA
- 1D
- 3.78%
- 1M
- -10.19%
- YTD
- 1.96%
- 6M
- 4.60%
- 1Y
- 43.64%
- 3Y*
- 24.84%
- 5Y*
- 16.89%
- 10Y*
- 15.24%
DFEN
- 1D
- 11.19%
- 1M
- -30.09%
- YTD
- -1.16%
- 6M
- 1.22%
- 1Y
- 127.12%
- 3Y*
- 56.37%
- 5Y*
- 30.53%
- 10Y*
- —
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ITA vs. DFEN - Expense Ratio Comparison
ITA has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is lower than DFEN's 0.99% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
ITA vs. DFEN — Risk / Return Rank
ITA
DFEN
ITA vs. DFEN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN). 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 | DFEN | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.88 | 1.83 | +0.05 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.51 | 2.27 | +0.24 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.35 | 1.32 | +0.04 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.75 | 3.03 | -0.28 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.65 | 10.38 | +0.27 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| ITA | DFEN | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.88 | 1.83 | +0.05 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.86 | 0.52 | +0.34 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.67 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.51 | 0.21 | +0.29 |
Correlation
The correlation between ITA and DFEN is 1.00, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
ITA vs. DFEN - Dividend Comparison
ITA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.49%, less than DFEN's 9.03% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | 0.49% | 0.55% | 0.85% | 0.93% | 0.95% | 0.82% | 1.07% | 1.54% | 1.13% | 0.91% | 1.07% | 1.04% |
DFEN Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | 9.03% | 8.89% | 14.12% | 1.13% | 0.46% | 1.89% | 0.48% | 0.50% | 1.07% | 1.50% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
ITA vs. DFEN - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ITA drawdown since its inception was -59.72%, smaller than the maximum DFEN drawdown of -91.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ITA and DFEN.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ITA | DFEN | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -59.72% | -91.36% | +31.64% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -15.82% | -41.75% | +25.93% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.72% | -56.23% | +37.51% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -51.00% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -12.65% | -35.23% | +22.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.45% | -45.54% | +36.09% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.09% | 12.18% | -8.09% |
Volatility
ITA vs. DFEN - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is 7.93%, while Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN) has a volatility of 23.85%. This indicates that ITA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFEN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ITA | DFEN | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.93% | 23.85% | -15.92% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 16.01% | 48.18% | -32.17% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 23.28% | 69.88% | -46.60% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 19.67% | 59.00% | -39.33% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 22.95% | 71.31% | -48.36% |