Data as of .
ITA vs XDEF: which is really different?
ITA and XDEF hold 8% 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
8% 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 XDEF hold 8% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ITA | XDEF |
|---|---|---|
| AAR | 0.34% | 8.69% |
| Only in ITA | Only in XDEF |
|---|---|
| GE AEROSPACE 20.42% | ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC 8.64% |
| RTX 16.38% | SAFRAN SA 8.26% |
| BOEING 7.72% | BAE SYSTEMS PLC 7.30% |
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP 4.69% | RHEINMETALL AG 6.95% |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 4.66% | DSV A/S 4.70% |
| GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 4.59% | THALES SA 4.40% |
| HOWMET AEROSPACE 4.53% | MTU AERO ENGINES AG 4.29% |
| TRANSDIGM GROUP 4.43% | MELROSE INDUSTRIES PLC 4.28% |
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 May 31, 2026 and Sep 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITA | XDEF | ITA | XDEF | ITA | XDEF | |
| 3 months | −10.4% | +1.8% | −12.7 pts | −0.5 pts | −7.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
| 6 months | −3.7% | −0.4% | −21.8 pts | −18.5 pts | −28.0 pts | −24.7 pts |
| 1 year | +5.6% | not published | −10.9 pts | not published | −16.1 pts | not published |
| 3 years | +100.0% | not published | +21.6 pts | not published | +1.9 pts | not published |
| Since launch | +884.1% | −99.1% | +80.5 pts | −111.5 pts | −806.1 pts | −117.1 pts |
| ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF Holds 52 stocks in defense, 79% 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 | iShares | Xtrackers |
| 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 | 30 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 77.3% | 61.5% |
| Expense ratio | 0.37% | 0.35% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.38% | 0.35% |
| Total return, 1 year | +5.6% | −99.1% (since launch on Jan 2, 2026) |
| vs the S&P 500 | −10.9 pts | −111.5 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −16.1 pts | −117.1 pts |
| Below its high | −15.4% | −99.2% |
| Net assets | $12.5bn | $4m |
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.
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 ITA and XDEF hold the same stocks?
- By their latest filings, 8% 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 XDEF?
- ITA has 79% of its weight in S&P 500 names and XDEF has 0%, so XDEF differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, ITA or XDEF?
- ITA charges 0.37% 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, ITA against XDEF, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/ita-vs-xdef Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.