Data as of .
IDEF vs WAR: which is really different?
IDEF and WAR hold 10% of their weight in the same names.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: IDEF 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
10% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IDEF and WAR hold 10% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IDEF | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC | 3.34% | 4.09% |
| PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES CLASS A | 4.96% | 3.19% |
| CROWDSTRIKE HOLDINGS CLASS A | 1.41% | 3.35% |
| AMPHENOL CORP CLASS A | 1.27% | 1.17% |
| ELECTRO OPTIC SYSTEMS HOLDINGS | 0.31% | 4.11% |
| KARMAN HOLDINGS INC | 0.27% | 3.71% |
| MILDEF GROUP | 0.24% | 7.21% |
| DRONESHIELD | 0.21% | 5.04% |
| Only in IDEF | Only in WAR |
|---|---|
| RTX 6.50% | Astera Labs Inc 9.50% |
| BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY 3.70% | Axon Enterprise Inc 8.76% |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 3.63% | Micron Technology Inc 8.59% |
| BOEING 3.16% | Intuitive Machines Inc 4.98% |
| GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 2.96% | Teradyne Inc 4.96% |
| AIRBUS GROUP 2.57% | Lattice Semiconductor Corp 4.08% |
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP 2.55% | BE Semiconductor Industries NV 3.84% |
| SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES COR 2.46% | NVIDIA Corp 3.67% |
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 Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 17, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDEF | WAR | IDEF | WAR | IDEF | WAR | |
| 3 months | −1.6% | −7.9% | −3.9 pts | −10.2 pts | +0.9 pts | −5.4 pts |
| 6 months | −5.7% | not published | −23.8 pts | not published | −30.0 pts | not published |
| 1 year | +4.4% | not published | −12.2 pts | not published | −17.4 pts | not published |
| Since launch | +27.2% | −9.7% | −5.6 pts | −11.7 pts | −14.2 pts | −8.6 pts |
| IDEF iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF Holds 155 stocks in defense, 36% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | WAR U.S. Global Technology and Aerospace & Defense ETF Holds 28 stocks in defense, 38% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | iShares | U.S. Global |
| Theme | Defense | Defense |
| In the S&P 500 | 36.2% | 38.3% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 95.9% | 92.4% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 9.2% | 31.5% |
| Holdings | 155 | 28 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 35.8% | 61.3% |
| Expense ratio | not published | 0.60% |
| Fee for the differing part | not published | 0.65% |
| Total return, 1 year | +4.4% | −9.7% (since launch on May 26, 2026) |
| vs the S&P 500 | −12.2 pts | −11.7 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −17.4 pts | −8.6 pts |
| Below its high | −13.4% | −13.8% |
| Net assets | $4.3bn | $41m |
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 36% of the fund across 155 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 17, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +4.4% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 12.2 pts. It sits 13.4% below its all-time high of Mar 2, 2026.
WAR in plain words
By weight, 38% of WAR'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 61% of the fund across 28 positions, as filed for Jun 30, 2026. Since it launched on May 26, 2026 the fund returned −9.7% with distributions reinvested against +2.0% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 11.7 pts. It sits 13.8% below its all-time high of Jun 2, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Do IDEF and WAR hold the same stocks?
- By their latest filings, 10% 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, IDEF or WAR?
- IDEF has 36% of its weight in S&P 500 names and WAR has 38%, so IDEF 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, IDEF against WAR, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/idef-vs-war Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.