Data as of .
AIRR vs IDEF: which is really different?
IDEF holds 36.1% of its weight in S&P 500 companies and AIRR 5.5%.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: AIRR scores higher
How much of it is not the index it is sold as an alternative to?
A percentile among the 371 thematic ETFs with a holdings filing. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All thematic ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, AIRR and IDEF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in AIRR | Only in IDEF |
|---|---|
| IES Holdings, Inc. 3.83% | RTX 6.72% |
| Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc 3.38% | PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES CLASS A 4.71% |
| SPX Technologies 3.10% | LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 3.62% |
| BWX Technologies, Inc. 3.09% | BOEING 3.32% |
| Owens Corning 3.03% | ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC 3.30% |
| Nextpower Inc. (Class A) 2.89% | GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 2.97% |
| Saia, Inc. 2.83% | USD CASH 2.72% |
| C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. 2.77% | THALES SA 2.61% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIRR | IDEF | AIRR | IDEF | AIRR | IDEF | |
| 3 months | −17.1% | −1.9% | −20.4 pts | −5.2 pts | −16.3 pts | −1.1 pts |
| 6 months | −1.1% | −8.5% | −17.1 pts | −24.5 pts | −21.8 pts | −29.2 pts |
| 1 year | +15.0% | +4.9% | −2.5 pts | −12.6 pts | −8.0 pts | −18.1 pts |
| 3 years | +102.4% | not published | +24.5 pts | not published | +7.3 pts | not published |
| Since launch | +460.7% | +26.5% | +56.4 pts | −6.4 pts | −312.8 pts | −13.6 pts |
| AIRR First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF Holds 58 stocks in reshoring and manufacturing, 6% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | IDEF iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF Holds 152 stocks in defense, 36% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | iShares |
| Theme | Reshoring and manufacturing | Defense |
| In the S&P 500 | 5.5% | 36.1% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 99.9% | 95.9% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 0.0% | 8.5% |
| Holdings | 58 | 152 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 30.4% | 35.2% |
| Expense ratio | 0.69% | not published |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.69% | not published |
| Total return, 1 year | +15.0% | +4.9% |
| vs the S&P 500 | −2.5 pts | −12.6 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −8.0 pts | −18.1 pts |
| Below its high | −19.5% | −13.9% |
AIRR in plain words
By weight, 6% of AIRR's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 30% of the fund across 58 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +15.0% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 2.5 pts. It sits 19.5% below its all-time high of Jun 22, 2026.
IDEF in plain words
By weight, 36% of IDEF's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 96%. The top ten holdings are 35% of the fund across 152 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +4.9% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 12.6 pts. It sits 13.9% below its all-time high of Mar 2, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which is more different from the S&P 500, AIRR or IDEF?
- AIRR has 6% of its weight in S&P 500 names and IDEF has 36%, so AIRR differs more from the index.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, AIRR against IDEF, data as of Sep 11, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/airr-vs-idef Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.