New

Keep tabs on your favorite ETFs with a personalized weekly tracker. Create a Watchlist now →

Advertisement
ETF Central logo
Advertisement

ITAvsGCADETF Comparison

ETF 1
ITA

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

This fund is part of
US Large Cap
-1.51%
Full ITA fund page
VS
ETF 2
GCAD

Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF

Full GCAD fund page

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) belongs to the US Large Cap segment. Gabelli Commercial Aerospace & Defense ETF (GCAD) is part of the segment. ITA's top 3 sector exposures are Industrials, Materials and Information Technology. In contrast, GCAD's top sector exposures are Industrials, Materials  ITA is less expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.38%, versus 0.9% for GCAD. ITA is up 7.83% year-to-date (YTD) with +$2.09B in YTD flows. GCAD performs better with 15.15% YTD performance, and +$10M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of ITA and GCAD below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.

Find out how industry players manage ETF portfolios.  Discover our library of Model portfolios

ITA vs GCAD performance and flow charts

Performance

0.02.04.06.08.0%Feb 11Feb 19Feb 26Mar 5Mar 12

Cumulative Flows

0 M200 M400 M600 M800 M1,000 MFeb 11Feb 19Feb 26Mar 5Mar 12

Get all the metrics on this page, and more, through a reliable ETF data feed

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

Historic performance and flows
Data as of 03/12/2026
1M3MYTD1Y3Y5Y
Perf.
ITA
GCAD
-0.53%+1.68%
+10.57%+16.33%
+7.83%+15.15%
+55.92%+61.74%
+110.85%+128.99%
+128.99%n/a
Flows
ITA
GCAD
+$943M+$2M
+$2.36B+$10M
+$2.09B+$10M
+$5.79B+$14M
+$4.59B+$17M
+$7.07B-
Volatility and drawdown
3M1Y3Y5Y
Volatility
ITA
GCAD
+23.89%+20.31%
+22.92%+20.48%
+18.60%+17.69%
+19.66%n/a
Max drawdown
ITA
GCAD
-7.57%-5.11%
-15.22%-13.68%
-15.22%-16.22%
-18.75%n/a
Max drawdown duration
ITA
GCAD
10d9d
37d37d
37d91d
227dn/a
Trading data

Create an account to view trading data

Join for free
ITA
GCAD
Last sale
3/12/2026 at 1:30 PM
$231.49
$52.02
Previous close
03/12/2026
$238.68
$53.38
Consolidated volume
03/12/2026
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

Create an account to view replication metrics

Join for free

GCAD
is actively managed and doesn’t replicate an index

Create an account to view replication quality

Join for free
ITA
GCAD
Tracking error
Tracking difference
1 year cumulative return difference
Best
Worst
Daily return difference
Average
Worst
Advertisement
Main metrics
Last update 3/12/2026 at 1:30 PM
Live
Closed
ITA
GCAD
Last price
$231.49
$52.02
1D performance
-3.01%
-2.55%
AuM$15.88 B$27.22 M
E/R0.38%0.9%
Characteristics
ITA
GCAD
Management strategyPassiveActive
ProvideriSharesGabelli Funds
BenchmarkDow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index-
N° of holdings3537
Asset classEquities-
Trailing 12m distribution yield
Join
Join
Inception dateMay 1, 2006January 3, 2023
ESGNoNo
Advertisement
Exposure

Countries

ITA
USA
100.01%
Other
-0.01%
GCAD
USA
87.67%
Other
12.33%

Sectors

ITA
Industrials
91.61%
Other
8.39%
GCAD
Industrials
85.68%
Other
14.32%
Advertisement

Diversification

ITA

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

85.29%
GCAD

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

62.4%

Top 15 holdings

Data as of January 31, 2026
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%
GCAD
BOEING U
6.66%
LOCKHEED MARTIN
5.86%
NORTHROP GRUMMAN
5.63%
MOOG
5.30%
ALBANY INTERNATIONAL
4.99%
HEXCEL
4.49%
TEXTRON
4.41%
HONEYWELL INTL
4.06%
MERCURY SYSTEMS INC
3.57%
DUCOMMUN
3.43%
L3 HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES
3.42%
GENERAL DYNAMICS
2.80%
US912797RT68
2.66%
TRANSDIGM GROUP
2.58%
ASTRONICS
2.53%
Frequently asked questions about ITA and GCAD

How have the ITA and GCAD ETFs performed in 2026?

As of March 12, 2026, ITA is up 7.83% year-to-date (YTD), while GCAD has returned 15.15%. That puts GCAD better performer ahead so far this year.

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

Year-to-date, the ITA ETF saw +$2.09B in flows, compared to +$10M for GCAD.

Which ETF is more volatile: ITA or GCAD?

Over the past year, ITA had a volatility of 22.92%, while GCAD experienced 20.48%.

Which ETF is bigger: ITA or GCAD?

As of March 12, 2026, ITA holds $15.88 B in assets under management (AUM), while GCAD manages $27.22 M.

What sectors do the ITA and GCAD ETFs invest in?

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

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

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

Which ETF is more diversified: ITA or GCAD?

ITA holds 42 securities with 85.29% of its assets in the top 15. GCAD has 39 securities and a top 15 weight of 62.4%.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Webcast on Demand

Calamos Investments Powers the Next Phase of the Autocallable Revolution

Join J.P. Morgan’s Bram Kaplan, Head of Americas Equity Derivatives Strategy and Matt Kaufman from Calamos Investments as they dive into the growing global opportunity in autocallable income—an increasingly dominant strategy within structured products, now available through ETFs.

Accepted for 1 CE Credit

Calamos Webcast