ITA vs. TLT
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT).
ITA and TLT 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. TLT is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. It was launched on Jul 22, 2002. Both ITA and TLT 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. TLT - Performance Comparison
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ITA vs. TLT - 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% | 35.24% |
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.17% | 4.25% | -8.05% | 2.77% | -31.23% | -4.60% | 18.15% | 14.12% | -1.61% | 9.18% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, ITA achieves a 1.96% return, which is significantly higher than TLT's 0.17% return. Over the past 10 years, ITA has outperformed TLT with an annualized return of 15.24%, while TLT has yielded a comparatively lower -1.38% annualized 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%
TLT
- 1D
- -0.10%
- 1M
- -4.23%
- YTD
- 0.17%
- 6M
- -0.87%
- 1Y
- -0.49%
- 3Y*
- -2.78%
- 5Y*
- -5.85%
- 10Y*
- -1.38%
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ITA vs. TLT - Expense Ratio Comparison
ITA has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is higher than TLT's 0.15% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
ITA vs. TLT — Risk / Return Rank
ITA
TLT
ITA vs. TLT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT). 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 | TLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.88 | -0.04 | +1.93 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.51 | 0.02 | +2.49 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.35 | 1.00 | +0.35 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.75 | 0.05 | +2.70 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.65 | 0.11 | +10.54 |
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 | TLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.88 | -0.04 | +1.93 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.86 | -0.37 | +1.23 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.67 | -0.09 | +0.76 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.51 | 0.26 | +0.25 |
Correlation
The correlation between ITA and TLT is -0.26. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.
Dividends
ITA vs. TLT - Dividend Comparison
ITA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.49%, less than TLT's 4.49% 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% |
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | 4.49% | 4.43% | 4.30% | 3.38% | 2.67% | 1.50% | 1.50% | 2.27% | 2.63% | 2.43% | 2.60% | 2.61% |
Drawdowns
ITA vs. TLT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ITA drawdown since its inception was -59.72%, which is greater than TLT's maximum drawdown of -48.35%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ITA and TLT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ITA | TLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -59.72% | -48.35% | -11.37% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -15.82% | -9.23% | -6.59% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.72% | -43.70% | +24.98% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -51.00% | -48.35% | -2.65% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -12.65% | -40.17% | +27.52% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.45% | -13.62% | +4.17% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.09% | 4.38% | -0.29% |
Volatility
ITA vs. TLT - Volatility Comparison
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) has a higher volatility of 7.93% compared to iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) at 3.71%. This indicates that ITA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than TLT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| ITA | TLT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.93% | 3.71% | +4.22% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 16.01% | 6.61% | +9.40% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 23.28% | 11.44% | +11.84% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 19.67% | 15.90% | +3.77% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 22.95% | 14.93% | +8.02% |