XDEF vs. KDEF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF (XDEF) and PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF (KDEF).

XDEF and KDEF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XDEF is a passively managed fund by Xtrackers that tracks the performance of the STOXX Europe Total Market Defence, Space and Cybersecurity Innovation 50-25 Index. It was launched on Feb 19, 2026. KDEF is a passively managed fund by PLUS that tracks the performance of the The Korea Defence Industry Index. It was launched on Feb 5, 2025. Both XDEF and KDEF 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

XDEF vs. KDEF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF (XDEF) and PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF (KDEF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XDEF vs. KDEF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)
XDEF Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF	-99.14%
KDEF PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF	15.06%

Returns By Period

XDEF

• 1D: 5.06%
• 1M: -8.83%
• YTD: —
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

KDEF

• 1D: 2.65%
• 1M: -13.39%
• YTD: 20.17%
• 6M: 11.40%
• 1Y: 121.83%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

XDEF vs. KDEF - Expense Ratio Comparison

XDEF has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than KDEF's 0.65% expense ratio.

KDEF

PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF

XDEF

Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF

Return for Risk

XDEF vs. KDEF — Risk / Return Rank

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

KDEF

KDEF Risk / Return Rank: 95
KDEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
KDEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
KDEF Omega Ratio Rank: 91
KDEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
KDEF Martin Ratio Rank: 95

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.

XDEF vs. KDEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF (XDEF) and PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF (KDEF). 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.

Risk / return metrics aren't available yet — we need at least 12 months of trading data to calculate them.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	XDEF	KDEF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	—	2.79	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.49	2.91	-3.40

Correlation

The correlation between XDEF and KDEF is 0.38, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

XDEF vs. KDEF - Dividend Comparison

XDEF has not paid dividends to shareholders, while KDEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.21%.

	TTM	2025
XDEF Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF	0.00%	0.00%
KDEF PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF	4.21%	5.06%

Drawdowns

XDEF vs. KDEF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XDEF drawdown since its inception was -99.27%, which is greater than KDEF's maximum drawdown of -22.51%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XDEF and KDEF.

Drawdown Indicators

	XDEF	KDEF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.27%	-22.51%	-76.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	—	-22.51%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-99.23%	-18.37%	-80.86%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-49.34%	-5.83%	-43.51%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	—	8.08%	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	XDEF	KDEF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	—	19.32%	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	—	33.05%	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	205.45%	43.92%	+161.53%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	205.45%	45.29%	+160.16%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	205.45%	45.29%	+160.16%