ITA vs. MISL

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL).

ITA and MISL 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. MISL is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Indxx US Aerospace & Defense Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Oct 25, 2022. Both ITA and MISL 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. MISL - Performance Comparison

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

ITA vs. MISL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF	4.24%	48.64%	15.81%	14.33%	8.77%
MISL First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF	6.94%	41.24%	20.48%	14.78%	8.22%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ITA achieves a 4.24% return, which is significantly lower than MISL's 6.94% 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%

MISL

• 1D: 2.28%
• 1M: -9.73%
• YTD: 6.94%
• 6M: 9.60%
• 1Y: 51.50%
• 3Y*: 27.55%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

ITA vs. MISL - Expense Ratio Comparison

ITA has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is lower than MISL's 0.60% expense ratio.

MISL

First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF

ITA

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

Return for Risk

ITA vs. MISL — 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

MISL

MISL Risk / Return Rank: 91
MISL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
MISL Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
MISL Omega Ratio Rank: 88
MISL Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
MISL Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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. MISL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL). 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	MISL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.97	2.15	-0.18
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.60	2.87	-0.27
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.37	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.96	3.34	-0.38
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.32	12.29	-0.98
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. MISL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ITA Sharpe Ratio is 1.97, which is comparable to the MISL Sharpe Ratio of 2.15. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ITA and MISL, 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	MISL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.97	2.15	-0.18
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.89	—	—
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	1.45	-0.94

Correlation

The correlation between ITA and MISL is 0.93, 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. MISL - Dividend Comparison

ITA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.48%, more than MISL's 0.36% yield.

	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%
MISL First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF	0.36%	0.40%	0.74%	0.63%	0.08%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

ITA vs. MISL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ITA drawdown since its inception was -59.72%, which is greater than MISL's maximum drawdown of -17.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ITA and MISL.

Drawdown Indicators

	ITA	MISL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.72%	-17.91%	-41.81%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.82%	-15.45%	-0.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.72%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.00%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.69%	-10.30%	-0.39%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.45%	-3.17%	-6.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.14%	4.20%	-0.06%

Volatility

ITA vs. MISL - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL) have volatilities of 8.22% and 8.47%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ITA	MISL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.22%	8.47%	-0.25%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.06%	17.76%	-1.70%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.37%	24.09%	-0.72%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.70%	18.70%	+1.00%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.95%	18.70%	+4.25%