XAR vs. DFEN
Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) and Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN).
XAR and DFEN are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XAR is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Aerospace & Defense Select Industry. It was launched on Sep 28, 2011. DFEN is a passively managed fund by Direxion that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index (300%). It was launched on May 3, 2017. Both XAR and DFEN 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
XAR vs. DFEN - Performance Comparison
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XAR vs. DFEN - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XAR SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 5.33% | 46.15% | 23.32% | 23.79% | -5.02% | 2.31% | 6.18% | 39.33% | -4.58% | 23.31% |
DFEN Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | -1.16% | 156.62% | 27.07% | 24.70% | 6.99% | 12.72% | -70.23% | 95.09% | -32.86% | 83.64% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, XAR achieves a 5.33% return, which is significantly higher than DFEN's -1.16% return.
XAR
- 1D
- 4.85%
- 1M
- -10.20%
- YTD
- 5.33%
- 6M
- 8.19%
- 1Y
- 58.67%
- 3Y*
- 30.25%
- 5Y*
- 15.56%
- 10Y*
- 18.07%
DFEN
- 1D
- 11.19%
- 1M
- -30.09%
- YTD
- -1.16%
- 6M
- 1.22%
- 1Y
- 127.12%
- 3Y*
- 56.37%
- 5Y*
- 30.53%
- 10Y*
- —
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XAR vs. DFEN - Expense Ratio Comparison
XAR has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than DFEN's 0.99% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
XAR vs. DFEN — Risk / Return Rank
XAR
DFEN
XAR vs. DFEN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) and Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN). 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.
| XAR | DFEN | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.09 | 1.83 | +0.26 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.76 | 2.27 | +0.49 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.35 | 1.32 | +0.04 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.34 | 3.03 | +0.31 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.77 | 10.38 | +1.39 |
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
| XAR | DFEN | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.09 | 1.83 | +0.26 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.68 | 0.52 | +0.16 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.74 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.83 | 0.21 | +0.62 |
Correlation
The correlation between XAR and DFEN is 0.94, 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
XAR vs. DFEN - Dividend Comparison
XAR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.35%, less than DFEN's 9.03% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XAR SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | 0.35% | 0.40% | 0.66% | 0.54% | 0.50% | 0.83% | 0.63% | 0.75% | 1.19% | 0.76% | 1.09% | 2.31% |
DFEN Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares | 9.03% | 8.89% | 14.12% | 1.13% | 0.46% | 1.89% | 0.48% | 0.50% | 1.07% | 1.50% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
XAR vs. DFEN - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum XAR drawdown since its inception was -46.37%, smaller than the maximum DFEN drawdown of -91.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XAR and DFEN.
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Drawdown Indicators
| XAR | DFEN | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.37% | -91.36% | +44.99% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -17.22% | -41.75% | +24.53% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -32.40% | -56.23% | +23.83% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.37% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -13.20% | -35.23% | +22.03% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.76% | -45.54% | +38.78% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.88% | 12.18% | -7.30% |
Volatility
XAR vs. DFEN - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) is 10.26%, while Direxion Daily Aerospace & Defense Bull 3X Shares (DFEN) has a volatility of 23.85%. This indicates that XAR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DFEN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| XAR | DFEN | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.26% | 23.85% | -13.59% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 21.34% | 48.18% | -26.84% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 28.28% | 69.88% | -41.60% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 22.91% | 59.00% | -36.09% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 24.34% | 71.31% | -46.97% |