Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Thematic ETFs

IDEF vs MISL: Holdings Overlap & Returns

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, IDEF returned −5.8% to MISL's −2.3%; 41% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets: $3.6bn on Nov 4, 2026 for iShares Defense Industrials and Tech Active ETF, and $685m on Nov 3, 2026 for First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF.

At a glance
40.1%
IDEF in the S&P 500
65.9%
MISL in the S&P 500
−5.8%
IDEF total return, 1 year
−2.3%
MISL total return, 1 year
IDEF · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 60% of its weight is outside the S&P 500
60% of its weight is outside the S&P 50040% of IDEF's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 60% is outside the index. Holdings as of Nov 3, 2026.40%60%of its weight in S&P 500 companiesof its weight outside the S&P 500active share 93% · top ten 36% of the fund · 162 holdings as published by its issuer for Nov 3, 2026 · Nasdaq-100: 11% in60% of its weight is outside the S&P 50040% of IDEF's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 60% is outside the index. Holdings as of Nov 3, 2026.40%60%in the S&P 500outside the S&P 500active share 93% · Nasdaq-100: 11% in

40% of IDEF's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 60% is outside the index. Holdings as of Nov 3, 2026.

MISL · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 34% of its weight is outside the S&P 500
34% of its weight is outside the S&P 50066% of MISL's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 34% is outside the index. Holdings as of Nov 3, 2026.66%34%of its weight in S&P 500 companiesof its weight outside the S&P 500active share 97% · top ten 60% of the fund · 44 holdings as published by its issuer for Nov 3, 2026 · Nasdaq-100: 21% in34% of its weight is outside the S&P 50066% of MISL's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 34% is outside the index. Holdings as of Nov 3, 2026.66%34%in the S&P 500outsideactive share 97% · Nasdaq-100: 21% in

66% of MISL's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 34% is outside the index. Holdings as of Nov 3, 2026.

Pair scorecard

IDEF costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.5 points; IDEF is 5.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

IDEF vs MISL: Holdings Overlap & Returns
MeasureIDEFMISL
Return
Total return, 1 year−5.8%−2.3%
Drawdown
Below its all-time high19.2%, high on Mar 2, 202619.1%, high on Jan 16, 2026
Against its benchmark
What it tracksDefenseDefense
Against the S&P 500, 1 yearbehind by 17.1 pts
Its benchmark, total return, 1 year+14.8%
Against its benchmark, 1 yearbehind by 17.1 pts
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.55%0.60%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$3.7bn$685m
Holdings
Holdings in common41%

Method

Risk and return

May 30, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 74 weekly returns
IDEF MISL
Return
Total return edge MISL +16.1% +20.8%
Annualized edge MISL +11.0% +14.2%
Price return edge MISL +15.7% +20.3%
Risk
Volatility edge IDEF (slight) 22.3% 23.0%
Max drawdown edge IDEF −17.1% −20.0%
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge MISL 0.40 0.52
Sortino edge MISL 0.62 0.81
Calmar edge MISL (slight) 0.65 0.71
Reading

From May 2025 to Oct 2026, MISL returned more: +20.8% to +16.1%. IDEF swung slightly less: 22.3% to 23.0%. IDEF fell less at its worst: −17.1% to −20.0%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured
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Risk and return: IDEF vs MISL: Holdings Overlap & Returns
MeasureIDEFMISLEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+16.1%+20.8%MISLPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+11.0%+14.2%MISLTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+15.7%+20.3%MISLPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility22.3%23.0%IDEF (slight)Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation14.6%14.7%TieLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−17.1%−20.0%IDEFDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.400.52MISLReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.620.81MISLReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar0.650.71MISL (slight)Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 74 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

41%

By the books each fund has filed, IDEF and MISL hold 41% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Nov 3, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

41% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IDEF MISL
RTX 7.41% 8.62%
LOCKHEED MARTIN 5.42% 4.93%
GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 4.39% 4.45%
NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP 3.93% 4.50%
SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES COR 2.77% 6.84%
PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES CLASS A 2.67% 6.60%
BOEING 1.30% 7.16%
TRANSDIGM GROUP 1.12% 4.29%
HOWMET AEROSPACE 0.86% 3.90%
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES 0.75% 4.61%
HONEYWELL AEROSPACE INC 0.60% 3.92%
GE AEROSPACE 0.59% 8.18%
Only in one fund ↓
Only in IDEF
THALES SA 3.76%
ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC 2.27%
SAAB CLASS B 1.95%
PALO ALTO NETWORKS 1.74%
RHEINMETALL AG 1.67%
LEONARDO FINMECCANICA SPA 1.63%
CROWDSTRIKE HOLDINGS CLASS A 1.62%
MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES 1.51%
Only in MISL
FTAI Aviation Ltd. 2.18%
CACI International Inc. 1.59%
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 1.53%
Loar Holdings Inc. 0.68%
Firefly Aerospace Inc. 0.30%
Astronics Corporation 0.28%
Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Class A) 0.25%
Applied Aerospace & Defense, Inc. 0.20%
Check overlap with more funds →

Window by window

Window by window: IDEF vs MISL: Holdings Overlap & Returns
Total returnvs its benchmark
WindowIDEFMISLIDEFMISL
3 months−14.0%−10.2%not measured−10.1 pts vs VOO
6 months−12.4%−7.5%not measured−12.5 pts vs VOO
1 year−5.8%−2.3%not measured−17.1 pts vs VOO
3 years–+79.3%–−4.0 pts vs VOO
Since launchNot the same days: IDEF May 2025 · MISL Oct 2022+18.8%+103.7%not measured−8.3 pts vs VOO

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Side by side

IDEF iShares Defense Industrials and Tech Active ETF · Holds 162 stocks in defense, 40% of its weight in S&P 500 companies MISL First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF · Holds 44 stocks in defense, 66% of its weight in S&P 500 companies
Theme Defense Defense
In the S&P 500 40.1% 65.9%
Active share vs the S&P 500 92.6% 97.4%
In the Nasdaq-100 11.2% 20.5%
Holdings 162 44
Top ten, share of the fund 36.3% 60.2%
Expense ratio 0.55% 0.60%
Fee for the differing part 0.59% 0.62%
Total return, 1 year −5.8% −2.3%
vs its benchmark not measured −17.1 pts vs VOO
Below its high −19.2% −19.1%
Net assets, IDEF as of Nov 4, 2026 and MISL as of Nov 3, 2026 $3.6bn $685m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

41% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.

Client brief:

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About each fund
IDEF

By weight, 40% of IDEF's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 93%. The top ten holdings are 36% of the fund across 162 positions, as published by its issuer for Nov 3, 2026. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026 the fund returned −5.8% with distributions reinvested. It sits 19.2% below its all-time high of Mar 2, 2026.

MISL

By weight, 66% of MISL's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 97%. The top ten holdings are 60% of the fund across 44 positions, as published by its issuer for Nov 3, 2026. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026 the fund returned −2.3% with distributions reinvested against +14.8% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, so a holder was behind by 17.1 pts. It sits 19.1% below its all-time high of Jan 16, 2026.

Questions people ask

Do IDEF and MISL hold the same stocks?
By their latest filings, 41% of their books are the same securities at the same weight. Overlap is the sum of the smaller weight of every security they share.
Which is more different from the S&P 500, IDEF or MISL?
IDEF has 40% of its weight in S&P 500 names and MISL has 66%, so MISL differs more from the index.
Which is cheaper, IDEF or MISL?
IDEF charges 0.55% a year and MISL charges 0.60%, so IDEF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, IDEF against MISL, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/idef-vs-misl

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