Data as of .
ITA vs XT: which is really different?
ITA holds 79.5% of its weight in S&P 500 companies and XT 64.0%.
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, ITA and XT hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ITA | XT |
|---|---|---|
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP | 4.44% | 0.73% |
| BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY | 0.06% | 0.11% |
| USD CASH | 0.06% | 0.04% |
| Only in ITA | Only in XT |
|---|---|
| GE AEROSPACE 21.81% | MICROSOFT 4.21% |
| RTX 17.21% | NVIDIA 4.18% |
| BOEING 9.36% | ELI LILLY 3.90% |
| GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 4.82% | TESLA INC 3.55% |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 4.69% | TEXAS INSTRUMENT INC 3.55% |
| TRANSDIGM GROUP 4.31% | JOHNSON & JOHNSON 3.48% |
| HOWMET AEROSPACE 4.24% | ANALOG DEVICES 2.88% |
| L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES 3.61% | AMAZON.COM INC 2.87% |
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITA | XT | ITA | XT | ITA | XT | |
| 3 months | −6.3% | +0.7% | −9.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −5.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
| 6 months | −4.4% | +18.0% | −20.4 pts | +2.0 pts | −25.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
| 1 year | +10.0% | +25.7% | −7.5 pts | +8.2 pts | −13.0 pts | +2.8 pts |
| 3 years | +103.7% | +63.3% | +25.8 pts | −14.6 pts | +8.6 pts | −31.8 pts |
| Since launch | +906.7% | +279.7% | +102.3 pts | −61.9 pts | −767.2 pts | −340.9 pts |
| ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF Holds 51 stocks in defense, 80% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | XT iShares Future Exponential Technologies ETF Holds 192 stocks in broad innovation and megatrends, 64% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| Theme | Defense | Broad innovation and megatrends |
| In the S&P 500 | 79.5% | 64.0% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 97.9% | 67.4% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 3.0% | 38.8% |
| Holdings | 51 | 192 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 77.5% | 33.8% |
| Expense ratio | 0.37% | 0.46% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.38% | 0.68% |
| Total return, 1 year | +10.0% | +25.7% |
| vs the S&P 500 | −7.5 pts | +8.2 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | −13.0 pts | +2.8 pts |
| Below its high | −13.5% | −3.2% |
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.
XT in plain words
By weight, 64% of XT's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 67%. The top ten holdings are 34% of the fund across 192 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +25.7% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 8.2 pts.
Questions people ask
- Which is more different from the S&P 500, ITA or XT?
- ITA has 80% of its weight in S&P 500 names and XT has 64%, so ITA differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, ITA or XT?
- ITA charges 0.37% a year and XT charges 0.46%, 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 XT, data as of Sep 11, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/ita-vs-xt Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.