Data as of .
ITA vs WDEF: which is really different?
ITA and WDEF hold 10% of their weight in the same names, and ITA returned more over the year.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: WDEF 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, ITA and WDEF hold 10% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ITA | WDEF |
|---|---|---|
| AAR | 0.34% | 5.34% |
| Only in ITA | Only in WDEF |
|---|---|
| GE AEROSPACE 20.42% | BAE SYSTEMS PLC 10.21% |
| RTX 16.38% | THALES SA 10.14% |
| BOEING 7.72% | RHEINMETALL AG 8.70% |
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP 4.69% | SAFRAN SA 5.62% |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 4.66% | ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC 5.57% |
| GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 4.59% | SAAB AB 4.83% |
| HOWMET AEROSPACE 4.53% | LEONARDO SPA 4.79% |
| TRANSDIGM GROUP 4.43% | KONGSBERG GRUPPEN ASA 4.61% |
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 Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITA | WDEF | ITA | WDEF | ITA | WDEF | |
| 3 months | −10.4% | +2.9% | −12.7 pts | +0.7 pts | −7.9 pts | +5.4 pts |
| 6 months | −3.7% | −6.0% | −21.8 pts | −24.1 pts | −28.0 pts | −30.3 pts |
| 1 year | +5.6% | −7.6% | −10.9 pts | −24.1 pts | −16.1 pts | −29.4 pts |
| 3 years | +100.0% | not published | +21.6 pts | not published | +1.9 pts | not published |
| Since launch | +884.1% | −2.7% | +80.5 pts | −25.7 pts | −806.1 pts | −31.8 pts |
| ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF Holds 52 stocks in defense, 79% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | WDEF WisdomTree Europe Defense Fund Holds 42 stocks in defense, 0% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | iShares | WisdomTree |
| Theme | Defense | Defense |
| In the S&P 500 | 79.3% | 0.0% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 97.9% | 100.0% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 2.9% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 52 | 42 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 77.3% | 63.9% |
| Expense ratio | 0.37% | 0.45% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.38% | 0.45% |
| Total return, 1 year | +5.6% | −7.6% |
| vs the S&P 500 | −10.9 pts | −24.1 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −16.1 pts | −29.4 pts |
| Below its high | −15.4% | −15.7% |
| Net assets | $12.5bn | $83m |
ITA in plain words
By weight, 79% 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 77% of the fund across 52 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +5.6% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 10.9 pts. It sits 15.4% below its all-time high of Aug 14, 2026.
WDEF in plain words
By weight, 0% of WDEF'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 64% of the fund across 42 positions, as filed for Jun 30, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned −7.6% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 24.1 pts. It sits 15.7% below its all-time high of Jan 27, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Do ITA and WDEF 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, ITA or WDEF?
- ITA has 79% of its weight in S&P 500 names and WDEF has 0%, so WDEF differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, ITA or WDEF?
- ITA charges 0.37% a year and WDEF charges 0.45%, 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, ITA against WDEF, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/ita-vs-wdef Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.