Data as of .
GRID vs ITA: which is really different?
ITA holds 79.5% of its weight in S&P 500 companies and GRID 40.0%.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: ITA 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, GRID and ITA hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in GRID | Only in ITA |
|---|---|
| Schneider Electric SE 9.13% | GE AEROSPACE 21.81% |
| Eaton Corporation Plc 8.86% | RTX 17.21% |
| Johnson Controls International Plc 8.45% | BOEING 9.36% |
| ABB Ltd 7.72% | GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 4.82% |
| Quanta Services, Inc. 7.54% | LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 4.69% |
| E.ON SE 4.16% | NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP 4.44% |
| National Grid Plc 4.10% | TRANSDIGM GROUP 4.31% |
| Prysmian SpA 3.57% | HOWMET AEROSPACE 4.24% |
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRID | ITA | GRID | ITA | GRID | ITA | |
| 3 months | −4.0% | −6.3% | −7.3 pts | −9.6 pts | −3.2 pts | −5.5 pts |
| 6 months | +9.9% | −4.4% | −6.1 pts | −20.4 pts | −10.8 pts | −25.1 pts |
| 1 year | +22.9% | +10.0% | +5.4 pts | −7.5 pts | 0.0 pts | −13.0 pts |
| 3 years | +88.9% | +103.7% | +11.0 pts | +25.8 pts | −6.2 pts | +8.6 pts |
| Since launch | +560.9% | +906.7% | −243.5 pts | +102.3 pts | −1113.0 pts | −767.2 pts |
| GRID First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure Index Fund Holds 122 stocks in electrification and the grid, 40% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF Holds 51 stocks in defense, 80% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | iShares |
| Theme | Electrification and the grid | Defense |
| In the S&P 500 | 40.0% | 79.5% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 92.0% | 97.9% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 8.5% | 3.0% |
| Holdings | 122 | 51 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 58.8% | 77.5% |
| Expense ratio | 0.56% | 0.37% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.61% | 0.38% |
| Total return, 1 year | +22.9% | +10.0% |
| vs the S&P 500 | +5.4 pts | −7.5 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | 0.0 pts | −13.0 pts |
| Below its high | −9.2% | −13.5% |
GRID in plain words
By weight, 40% of GRID's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 92%. The top ten holdings are 59% of the fund across 122 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +22.9% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 5.4 pts. It sits 9.2% below its all-time high of May 11, 2026.
ITA in plain words
By weight, 80% of ITA's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 78% of the fund across 51 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +10.0% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 7.5 pts. It sits 13.5% below its all-time high of Aug 14, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which is more different from the S&P 500, GRID or ITA?
- GRID has 40% of its weight in S&P 500 names and ITA has 80%, so ITA differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, GRID or ITA?
- GRID charges 0.56% a year and ITA charges 0.37%, so ITA 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, GRID against ITA, data as of Sep 11, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/grid-vs-ita Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.