NATO vs. GCAD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO) and Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF (GCAD).

NATO and GCAD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NATO is a passively managed fund by Themes that tracks the performance of the Solactive Transatlantic Aerospace and Defense Index. It was launched on Oct 10, 2024. GCAD is an actively managed fund by Gabelli. It was launched on Jan 3, 2023.

Performance

NATO vs. GCAD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO) and Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF (GCAD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NATO vs. GCAD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
NATO Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF	0.78%	50.95%	0.35%
GCAD Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF	7.13%	39.28%	0.92%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NATO achieves a 0.78% return, which is significantly lower than GCAD's 7.13% return.

NATO

• 1D: 3.75%
• 1M: -11.24%
• YTD: 0.78%
• 6M: -1.05%
• 1Y: 34.54%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

GCAD

• 1D: 3.88%
• 1M: -9.20%
• YTD: 7.13%
• 6M: 11.82%
• 1Y: 49.29%
• 3Y*: 30.53%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

NATO vs. GCAD - Expense Ratio Comparison

NATO has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than GCAD's 0.00% expense ratio.

NATO

Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF

GCAD

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF

Return for Risk

NATO vs. GCAD — Risk / Return Rank

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

NATO

NATO Risk / Return Rank: 81
NATO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
NATO Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
NATO Omega Ratio Rank: 80
NATO Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
NATO Martin Ratio Rank: 79

GCAD

GCAD Risk / Return Rank: 94
GCAD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
GCAD Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
GCAD Omega Ratio Rank: 94
GCAD Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
GCAD Martin Ratio Rank: 94

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.

NATO vs. GCAD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO) and Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF (GCAD). 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.

	NATO	GCAD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.53	2.30	-0.77
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.14	3.09	-0.95
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.43	-0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.15	3.25	-1.10
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.09	14.88	-6.79
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NATO vs. GCAD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NATO Sharpe Ratio is 1.53, which is lower than the GCAD Sharpe Ratio of 2.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NATO and GCAD, 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

	NATO	GCAD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.53	2.30	-0.77
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.56	1.55	0.00

Correlation

The correlation between NATO and GCAD is 0.79, 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

NATO vs. GCAD - Dividend Comparison

NATO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.45%, less than GCAD's 1.92% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023
NATO Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF	0.45%	0.45%	0.08%	0.00%
GCAD Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF	1.92%	2.06%	4.94%	3.62%

Drawdowns

NATO vs. GCAD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NATO drawdown since its inception was -15.99%, roughly equal to the maximum GCAD drawdown of -16.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NATO and GCAD.

Drawdown Indicators

	NATO	GCAD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-15.99%	-16.14%	+0.15%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.99%	-14.96%	-1.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.83%	-11.66%	-1.17%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.86%	-2.79%	-0.07%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.26%	3.27%	+0.99%

Volatility

NATO vs. GCAD - Volatility Comparison

Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO) has a higher volatility of 8.45% compared to Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF (GCAD) at 8.02%. This indicates that NATO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GCAD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NATO	GCAD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.45%	8.02%	+0.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.04%	14.53%	+0.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.63%	21.51%	+1.12%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.75%	18.15%	+3.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.75%	18.15%	+3.60%