IDEFvsITAETF Comparison
ETF 1
IDEF
iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF
VS
ETF 2
ITA
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF
iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF) and iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) belong to the same industry segment: . IDEF's top 3 sector exposures are Industrials, Technology and Business Services. In contrast, ITA's top sector exposures are Industrials, Non-Energy Materials and Non-Corporate. IDEF is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.55%, versus 0.38% for ITA. IDEF is up 0.84% year-to-date (YTD) with +$4.44B in YTD flows. ITA performs better with 7.63% YTD performance, and -$162M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of IDEF and ITA below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.
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IDEF vs ITA performance and flow charts
Performance
Cumulative Flows
Historic performance and flows
Data as of 07/17/2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | IDEF ITA | -5.50%-4.94% | -10.70%-0.51% | +0.84%+7.63% | +7.62%+18.42% | n/a+101.93% | n/a+135.97% |
| Flows | IDEF ITA | +$121M-$105M | +$834M-$532M | +$4.44B-$162M | +$4.46B+$2.82B | -+$2.43B | -+$5.00B |
Volatility and drawdown
| 3M | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volatility | IDEF ITA | +24.18%+26.20% | +21.58%+22.33% | n/a+19.97% | n/a+20.36% |
| Max drawdown | IDEF ITA | -10.91%-8.17% | -15.37%-15.79% | n/a-15.79% | n/a-18.75% |
| Max drawdown duration | IDEF ITA | 89d38d | 137d122d | n/a122d | n/a227d |
Trading data
IDEF | ITA | |
Last sale 7/20/2026 at 1:30 PM | $30.92 | $229.27 |
| Previous close 07/17/2026 | $31.09 | $230.73 |
| Consolidated volume 07/17/2026 | ||
| Average volume 30 days | ||
| Average discount or premium 30 days | ||
| Average Bid/Ask spread 30 days |
Replication quality
Data as of June 30, 2026
1-year trailing difference
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IDEF
is actively managed and doesn’t replicate an indexIDEF | ITA | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking error | ||
| Tracking difference | ||
| 1 year cumulative return difference | ||
| Best | ||
| Worst | ||
| Daily return difference | ||
| Average | ||
| Worst | ||
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Main metrics
Last update 7/20/2026 at 1:30 PM
Live
Closed
IDEF | ITA | |
|---|---|---|
| Last price | $30.92 | $229.27 |
| 1D performance | -0.55% | -0.63% |
| AuM | $4.03 B | $13.56 B |
| E/R | 0.55% | 0.38% |
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Exposure
Countries
IDEF
USA
63.29%
Republic of Korea
7.05%
Other
29.66%
ITA
USA
99.81%
Other
0.19%
Sectors
IDEF
Industrials
79.53%
Technology
7.68%
Other
12.78%
ITA
Industrials
96.23%
Other
3.77%
Diversification
IDEF
Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15
50.22%
ITA
Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15
84.98%
Top 15 holdings
Data as of May 31, 2026
IDEF
RTX Corp.
7.00%
Lockheed Martin Corp.
6.20%
General Dynamics Corp.
5.13%
Palantir Technologies, Inc.
5.01%
The Boeing Co.
4.70%
Northrop Grumman Corp.
4.62%
Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc
2.97%
Rocket Lab Corp.
2.26%
Elbit Systems Ltd.
2.05%
Planet Labs PBC
2.03%
BAE Systems Plc
1.87%
Voyager Technologies, Inc.
1.68%
Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.
1.60%
Amphenol Corp.
1.56%
Rheinmetall AG
1.54%
ITA
GE Aerospace
20.15%
RTX Corp.
14.31%
The Boeing Co.
9.61%
Rocket Lab Corp.
5.28%
Howmet Aerospace, Inc.
4.68%
TransDigm Group, Inc.
4.56%
General Dynamics Corp.
4.47%
L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
3.95%
Lockheed Martin Corp.
3.73%
Northrop Grumman Corp.
3.51%
Axon Enterprise, Inc.
2.77%
Curtiss-Wright Corp.
2.16%
FTAI Aviation Ltd.
2.09%
ATI, Inc.
1.86%
Carpenter Technology Corp.
1.83%
Frequently asked questions about IDEF and ITA
How have the IDEF and ITA ETFs performed in 2026?
As of July 17, 2026, IDEF is up 0.84% year-to-date (YTD), while ITA has returned 7.63%. That puts ITA better performer ahead so far this year.
Which ETF is attracting more investor money: IDEF or ITA?
Year-to-date, the IDEF ETF saw +$4.44B in flows, compared to -$162M for ITA.
Which ETF is more volatile: IDEF or ITA?
Over the past year, IDEF had a volatility of 21.58%, while ITA experienced 22.33%.
Which ETF is bigger: IDEF or ITA?
As of July 17, 2026, IDEF holds $4.03 B in assets under management (AUM), while ITA manages $13.56 B.
What sectors do the IDEF and ITA ETFs invest in?
IDEF leans toward sectors like Industrials and Technology. Meanwhile, ITA focuses on Industrials.
What are the top holdings of the IDEF ETF and ITA ETF?
IDEF top holdings include RTX Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp. and General Dynamics Corp.. ITA holds in its top three: GE Aerospace, RTX Corp. and The Boeing Co..
Which ETF is more diversified: IDEF or ITA?
IDEF holds 118 securities with 50.22% of its assets in the top 15. ITA has 45 securities and a top 15 weight of 84.98%.
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