ITA vs. XDEF
ITA (iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF) and XDEF (Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF) are both Aerospace & Defense funds - ITA tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index while XDEF tracks the STOXX Europe Total Market Defence, Space and Cybersecurity Innovation 50-25 Index. Both are passively managed. A 0.70 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. ITA charges 0.38%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for XDEF.
Performance
ITA vs. XDEF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
ITA
- 1D
- -1.51%
- 1M
- 4.93%
- YTD
- 4.82%
- 6M
- 11.61%
- 1Y
- 26.06%
- 3Y*
- 26.89%
- 5Y*
- 15.93%
- 10Y*
- 14.82%
XDEF
- 1D
- -2.06%
- 1M
- -2.01%
- YTD
- —
- 6M
- —
- 1Y
- —
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
ITA vs. XDEF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | |
|---|---|
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | 1.36% |
XDEF Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF | -99.17% |
Correlation
The correlation between ITA and XDEF is 0.70, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 5, 2026 | 0.70 |
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Return for Risk
ITA vs. XDEF — Risk / Return Rank
ITA
XDEF
ITA vs. XDEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF (XDEF). 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 | XDEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | — | — | |
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | — | — | |
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.22 | — | — |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.65 | — | — |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.49 | — | — |
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 | XDEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.26 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.80 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.64 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.51 | -0.64 | +1.14 |
Drawdowns
ITA vs. XDEF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ITA drawdown since its inception was -59.72%, smaller than the maximum XDEF drawdown of -99.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ITA and XDEF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ITA | XDEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -59.72% | -99.30% | +39.58% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -15.82% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -15.82% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -18.72% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -51.00% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -10.19% | -99.26% | +89.07% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.46% | -70.45% | +60.99% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 5.82% | — | — |
Volatility
ITA vs. XDEF - Volatility Comparison
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Volatility by Period
| ITA | XDEF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.28% | — | — |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 17.47% | — | — |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 20.86% | 157.63% | -136.77% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.02% | 157.63% | -137.61% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 23.14% | 157.63% | -134.49% |
ITA vs. XDEF - Expense Ratio Comparison
ITA has a 0.38% expense ratio, which is higher than XDEF's 0.35% expense ratio.
Dividends
ITA vs. XDEF - Dividend Comparison
ITA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.48%, while XDEF has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | 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% |
XDEF Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies 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% |
Frequently Asked Questions
ITA and XDEF have a correlation of 0.70, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, XDEF is cheaper at 0.35% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
XDEF is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.38% for ITA.
ITA has the higher dividend yield at 0.48%, compared with 0.00% for XDEF.
ITA tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index, while XDEF tracks STOXX Europe Total Market Defence, Space and Cybersecurity Innovation 50-25 Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Xtrackers. Their fees differ too: 0.38% for ITA and 0.35% for XDEF.
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