Data as of .
FOWF vs XDEF: which is really different?
FOWF and XDEF hold 13% of their weight in the same names.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: XDEF scores higher
How much of it is not the index it is sold as an alternative to?
A percentile among the 379 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
13% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, FOWF and XDEF hold 13% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | FOWF | XDEF |
|---|---|---|
| BAE Systems PLC | 3.98% | 7.30% |
| Leonardo SpA | 0.71% | 3.98% |
| Kongsberg Gruppen ASA | 0.69% | 3.92% |
| Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC | 0.67% | 8.64% |
| Safran SA | 0.62% | 8.26% |
| Thales SA | 0.62% | 4.40% |
| Airbus SE | 0.61% | 8.69% |
| MTU Aero Engines AG | 0.53% | 4.29% |
| Saab AB | 0.53% | 3.87% |
| Rheinmetall AG | 0.52% | 6.95% |
| Kongsberg Maritime AS | 0.13% | 0.69% |
| Only in FOWF | Only in XDEF |
|---|---|
| General Dynamics Corp 7.55% | DSV A/S 4.70% |
| Boeing Co/The 7.51% | MELROSE INDUSTRIES PLC 4.28% |
| RTX Corp 6.76% | DASSAULT AVIATION SA 3.71% |
| Lockheed Martin Corp 6.39% | BABCOCK INTERNATIONAL GROUP PLC 3.69% |
| Northrop Grumman Corp 5.58% | HENSOLDT AG 3.63% |
| L3Harris Technologies Inc 3.24% | INDRA SISTEMAS SA 3.41% |
| Dell Technologies Inc 2.10% | RENK GROUP AG 3.27% |
| Leidos Holdings Inc 2.08% | SES SA 2.22% |
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 Apr 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOWF | XDEF | FOWF | XDEF | FOWF | XDEF | |
| 3 months | +2.2% | +1.8% | −0.1 pts | −0.5 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
| 6 months | +5.6% | −0.4% | −12.4 pts | −18.5 pts | −18.6 pts | −24.7 pts |
| 1 year | +12.7% | not published | −3.9 pts | not published | −9.1 pts | not published |
| Since launch | +43.5% | −99.1% | +10.6 pts | −111.5 pts | +2.6 pts | −117.1 pts |
| FOWF Pacer Solactive Whitney Future of Warfare ETF Holds 86 stocks in defense, 74% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | XDEF Xtrackers Europe Defense Technologies ETF Holds 30 stocks in defense, 0% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Pacer | Xtrackers |
| Theme | Defense | Defense |
| In the S&P 500 | 73.5% | 0.0% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 88.4% | 100.0% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 13.7% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 86 | 30 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 46.9% | 61.5% |
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.35% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.55% | 0.35% |
| Total return, 1 year | +12.7% | −99.1% (since launch on Jan 2, 2026) |
| vs the S&P 500 | −3.9 pts | −111.5 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −9.1 pts | −117.1 pts |
| Below its high | −8.4% | −99.2% |
| Net assets | $15m | $4m |
FOWF in plain words
By weight, 74% of FOWF's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 88%. The top ten holdings are 47% of the fund across 86 positions, as filed for Apr 30, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +12.7% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 3.9 pts. It sits 8.4% below its all-time high of Aug 14, 2026.
XDEF in plain words
By weight, 0% of XDEF'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 62% of the fund across 30 positions, as filed for May 31, 2026. Since it launched on Jan 2, 2026 the fund returned −99.1% with distributions reinvested against +12.4% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 111.5 pts. It sits 99.2% below its all-time high of Jan 16, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Do FOWF and XDEF hold the same stocks?
- By their latest filings, 13% of their books are the same securities at the same weight, which is mostly different names. Overlap is the sum of the smaller weight of every security they share.
- Which is more different from the S&P 500, FOWF or XDEF?
- FOWF has 74% of its weight in S&P 500 names and XDEF has 0%, so XDEF differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, FOWF or XDEF?
- FOWF charges 0.49% a year and XDEF charges 0.35%, so XDEF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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, FOWF against XDEF, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/fowf-vs-xdef Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.