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IDEFvsITAETF Comparison

ETF 1
IDEF

iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF

This fund is part of
US Large Cap
-0.07%
Full IDEF fund page
VS
ETF 2
ITA

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

Full ITA fund page

iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF) belongs to the US Large Cap segment. iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is part of the segment. IDEF's top 3 sector exposures are Industrials, Information Technology and Materials. In contrast, ITA's top sector exposures are Industrials, Materials and Information Technology. IDEF is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.55%, versus 0.38% for ITA. IDEF is up 14.67% year-to-date (YTD) with +$69M in YTD flows. ITA performs worse with 11.29% YTD performance, and +$2.09B 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

0.02.04.06.08.0%Feb 11Feb 13Feb 18Feb 20Feb 25Feb 27Mar 3Mar 5Mar 9Mar 11

Cumulative Flows

0 M200 M400 M600 M800 M1,000 MFeb 11Feb 13Feb 18Feb 20Feb 25Feb 27Mar 3Mar 5Mar 9Mar 11

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Daily, global ETF data for advanced analysis or integration into apps (API), from our partner Trackinsight.

Historic performance and flows
Data as of 03/11/2026
1M3MYTD1Y3Y5Y
Perf.
IDEF
ITA
+2.70%+3.40%
+15.86%+14.68%
+14.67%+11.29%
n/a+62.04%
n/a+117.61%
n/a+142.83%
Flows
IDEF
ITA
+$55M+$966M
+$69M+$2.35B
+$69M+$2.09B
-+$5.79B
-+$4.59B
-+$7.07B
Volatility and drawdown
3M1Y3Y5Y
Volatility
IDEF
ITA
+22.74%+22.87%
n/a+22.68%
n/a+18.52%
n/a+19.65%
Max drawdown
IDEF
ITA
-7.18%-7.32%
n/a-15.22%
n/a-15.22%
n/a-18.75%
Max drawdown duration
IDEF
ITA
39d39d
n/a37d
n/a37d
n/a227d
Trading data

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IDEF
ITA
Last sale
3/11/2026 at 1:30 PM
$35.45
$238.68
Previous close
03/11/2026
$35.72
$239.72
Consolidated volume
03/11/2026
Average volume
30 days
Average discount or premium
30 days
Average Bid/Ask spread
30 days
Replication quality
Data as of February 27, 2026
1-year trailing difference

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IDEF
is actively managed and doesn’t replicate an index

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IDEF
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 3/11/2026 at 1:30 PM
Live
Closed
IDEF
ITA
Last price
$35.45
$238.68
1D performance
-0.77%
-0.43%
AuM$117.27 M$16.38 B
E/R0.55%0.38%
Characteristics
IDEF
ITA
Management strategyActivePassive
ProvideriSharesiShares
Benchmark-Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index
N° of holdings9835
Asset class-Equities
Trailing 12m distribution yield
Join
Join
Inception dateMay 19, 2025May 1, 2006
ESGNoNo
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Exposure

Countries

IDEF
USA
58.57%
United Kingdom
7.99%
Other
33.45%
ITA
USA
100.01%
Other
-0.01%

Sectors

IDEF
Industrials
78.29%
Other
21.71%
ITA
Industrials
91.61%
Other
8.39%

Diversification

IDEF

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

48.99%
ITA

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

85.29%

Top 15 holdings

Data as of January 31, 2026
IDEF
RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORD
7.18%
GENERAL DYNAMICS
5.26%
NORTHROP GRUMMAN
4.63%
LOCKHEED MARTIN
4.44%
GENERAL ELECTRIC
3.64%
PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES
3.52%
ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS
3.11%
RHEINMETALL
3.00%
MITSUBISHI HVY
2.39%
AIRBUS SE
2.20%
BAE SYSTEMS
2.12%
BOEING U
2.03%
HONEYWELL INTL
1.99%
SAFRAN
1.87%
CAMECO
1.60%
ITA
GENERAL ELECTRIC
19.21%
RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORD
16.33%
BOEING U
8.14%
LOCKHEED MARTIN
5.24%
NORTHROP GRUMMAN
4.94%
L3 HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES
4.91%
TRANSDIGM GROUP
4.30%
HOWMET AEROSPACE INC
4.28%
GENERAL DYNAMICS
4.03%
US7731211089
3.44%
AXON ENTERPRISE INC
3.43%
CURTISS WRIGHT
2.09%
HEICO
1.68%
BWX TECHNOLOGIES INC
1.64%
WOODWARD
1.63%
Frequently asked questions about IDEF and ITA

How have the IDEF and ITA ETFs performed in 2026?

As of March 11, 2026, IDEF is up 14.67% year-to-date (YTD), while ITA has returned 11.29%. That puts IDEF better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: IDEF or ITA?

Year-to-date, the IDEF ETF saw +$69M in flows, compared to +$2.09B for ITA.

Which ETF is bigger: IDEF or ITA?

As of March 11, 2026, IDEF holds $117.27 M in assets under management (AUM), while ITA manages $16.38 B.

What sectors do the IDEF and ITA ETFs invest in?

IDEF leans toward sectors like Industrials. Meanwhile, ITA focuses on Industrials.

What are the top holdings of the IDEF ETF and ITA ETF?

IDEF top holdings include RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORD, GENERAL DYNAMICS and NORTHROP GRUMMAN. ITA holds in its top three: GENERAL ELECTRIC, RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORD and BOEING U.

Which ETF is more diversified: IDEF or ITA?

IDEF holds 113 securities with 48.99% of its assets in the top 15. ITA has 42 securities and a top 15 weight of 85.29%.

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