ROKT vs. ITA

Last updated Aug 2, 2026

ROKT (SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF) and ITA (iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ROKT is a Industrials Equities fund tracking the S&P Kensho Final Frontiers Index, while ITA is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ROKT returned 22.27%/yr vs 18.23%/yr for ITA. Their correlation of 0.84 means they have usually moved in the same direction. ROKT charges 0.45%/yr vs 0.38%/yr for ITA.

Performance

ROKT vs. ITA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF (ROKT) and iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ROKT achieves a 29.61% return, which is significantly higher than ITA's 11.78% return.

ROKT

• 1D: 1.28%
• 1M: -7.17%
• 6M: 9.42%
• YTD: 29.61%
• 1Y: 64.65%
• 3Y*: 36.69%
• 5Y*: 22.27%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 19.25%

ITA

• 1D: 0.64%
• 1M: -3.44%
• 6M: 3.27%
• YTD: 11.78%
• 1Y: 23.04%
• 3Y*: 27.67%
• 5Y*: 18.23%
• 10Y*: 15.16%
• ALL TIME*: 12.82%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF	$175.85M	$163.51M	$181.04M
ROKT SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF	$4.58M	$3.72M	$5.92M

ROKT vs. ITA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
ROKT SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF	29.61%	50.56%	27.89%	14.41%	-0.81%	4.63%	7.99%	40.90%	-12.90%
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF	11.78%	48.64%	15.81%	14.33%	9.96%	9.39%	-13.57%	30.51%	-14.20%

Correlation

The correlation between ROKT and ITA is 0.73, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.73
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.76
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.81
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 23, 2018	0.84

The correlation between ROKT and ITA shifts across timeframes, from 0.73 (1 year) to 0.84 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

ROKT vs. ITA - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	ROKT	ITA
Industrials	67.8%	97.7%
Technology	20.9%	0.1%
Energy	7.6%	-
Communication Services	3.7%	-
Basic Materials	-	2.1%
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Financial Services	-	-
Healthcare	-	-
Real Estate	-	-
Utilities	-	-

Return for Risk

ROKT vs. ITA — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

ROKT

ROKT Risk / Return Rank: 78
ROKT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
ROKT Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
ROKT Omega Ratio Rank: 76
ROKT Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
ROKT Martin Ratio Rank: 70

ITA

ITA Risk / Return Rank: 40
ITA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
ITA Sortino Ratio Rank: 42
ITA Omega Ratio Rank: 38
ITA Calmar Ratio Rank: 41
ITA Martin Ratio Rank: 36

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

ROKT vs. ITA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF (ROKT) and iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	ROKT	ITA	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.96	1.01	+0.95
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.58	1.54	+1.05
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.18	+0.13
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.77	1.43	+1.34
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	8.61	3.61	+5.00

ROKT vs. ITA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ROKT Sharpe Ratio is 1.96, which is higher than the ITA Sharpe Ratio of 1.01. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ROKT and ITA, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

ROKT vs. ITA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ROKT drawdown since its inception was -43.16%, smaller than the maximum ITA drawdown of -59.72%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ROKT and ITA.

Drawdown Indicators

	ROKT	ITA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-43.16%	-59.72%	+16.56%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-22.83%	-15.82%	-7.01%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-23.46%	-15.82%	-7.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.46%	-18.72%	-4.74%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-51.00%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-19.36%	-4.43%	-14.93%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.95%	-9.42%	+2.47%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.34%	6.25%	+1.09%

Volatility

ROKT vs. ITA - Volatility Comparison

SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF (ROKT) has a higher volatility of 8.71% compared to iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) at 7.29%. This indicates that ROKT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ITA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ROKT	ITA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.71%	7.29%	+1.42%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	26.53%	18.29%	+8.24%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	32.31%	22.49%	+9.82%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.61%	20.25%	+3.36%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.48%	23.29%	+2.19%

ROKT vs. ITA - Expense Ratio Comparison

ROKT has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is higher than ITA's 0.38% expense ratio.

Dividends

ROKT vs. ITA - Dividend Comparison

ROKT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.28%, less than ITA's 0.44% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF	0.44%	0.55%	0.85%	0.93%	0.95%	0.82%	1.07%	1.54%	1.13%	0.91%	1.07%	1.04%
ROKT SPDR S&P Kensho Final Frontiers ETF	0.28%	0.41%	0.57%	0.62%	0.54%	1.79%	0.48%	0.74%	0.16%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ROKT and ITA in my portfolio?

ROKT and ITA have a correlation of 0.73, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ROKT or ITA?

ROKT has higher volatility (8.71%) compared to ITA (7.29%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ROKT dropped -43.16% vs ITA's -59.72%.

Which ETF is better, ROKT or ITA?

On 5-year performance, ROKT leads with 22.27% vs 18.23% for ITA. On fees, ITA is cheaper at 0.38% per year. On volatility, ITA has been the lower-risk option at 7.29%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, ROKT or ITA?

Over the 5-year period, ROKT has performed better with a 22.27% return vs 18.23%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, ROKT or ITA?

ITA is cheaper with a 0.38% expense ratio, compared with 0.45% for ROKT.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, ROKT or ITA?

ITA has the higher dividend yield at 0.44%, compared with 0.28% for ROKT.

What is the main difference between ROKT and ITA?

ROKT is categorized as Industrials Equities, while ITA is Aerospace & Defense. ROKT tracks S&P Kensho Final Frontiers Index, while ITA tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. They also come from different issuers: State Street and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.45% for ROKT and 0.38% for ITA.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ROKT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.96 vs 1.01), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.