Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Thematic ETFs

NLR vs SHLD: Holdings Overlap & Returns

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, NLR returned −35.8% to SHLD's −6.5%; 3% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets: $3.1bn on Oct 26, 2026 for VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF, and $6.3bn on Oct 12, 2026 for Global X Defense Tech ETF.

At a glance
15.1%
NLR in the S&P 500
44.6%
SHLD in the S&P 500
−35.8%
NLR total return, 1 year
−6.5%
SHLD total return, 1 year
NLR · 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 85% of its weight is outside the S&P 500
85% of its weight is outside the S&P 50015% of NLR's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 85% is outside the index. Holdings as of Jun 30, 2026.15%85%in the S&P 500of its weight outside the S&P 500active share 100% · top ten 61% of the fund · 25 holdings as filed for Jun 30, 2026 · Nasdaq-100: 8% in85% of its weight is outside the S&P 50015% of NLR's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 85% is outside the index. Holdings as of Jun 30, 2026.15%85%inof its weight outside the S&P 500active share 100% · Nasdaq-100: 8% in

15% of NLR's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 85% is outside the index. Holdings as of Jun 30, 2026.

SHLD · 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 55% of its weight is outside the S&P 500
55% of its weight is outside the S&P 50045% of SHLD's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 55% is outside the index. Holdings as of May 31, 2026.45%55%of its weight in S&P 500 companiesof its weight outside the S&P 500active share 99% · top ten 59% of the fund · 48 holdings as filed for May 31, 2026 · Nasdaq-100: 7% in55% of its weight is outside the S&P 50045% of SHLD's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 55% is outside the index. Holdings as of May 31, 2026.45%55%in the S&P 500outside the S&P 500active share 99% · Nasdaq-100: 7% in

45% of SHLD's weight is in S&P 500 companies and 55% is outside the index. Holdings as of May 31, 2026.

Pair scorecard

SHLD costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 29.3 points; SHLD is 1.9 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

NLR vs SHLD: Holdings Overlap & Returns
MeasureNLRSHLD
Return
Total return, 1 year−35.8%−6.5%
Drawdown
Below its all-time high41.6%, high on Jan 28, 202618.6%, high on Mar 9, 2026
Against its benchmark
What it tracksNuclear and uraniumDefense
Its benchmark, total return, 1 year+13.4%
Against its benchmark, 1 yearbehind by 49.2 pts
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.52%0.50%
Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026$3.4bn$6.3bn
Holdings
Holdings in common3%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Sep 22, 2023 to Oct 23, 2026 · 161 weekly returns
NLR SHLD
Return
Total return edge SHLD +36.7% +161.2%
Annualized edge SHLD +10.6% +36.4%
Price return edge SHLD +26.6% +156.8%
Risk
Volatility edge SHLD 33.3% 24.0%
Max drawdown edge SHLD −40.8% −25.1%
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge SHLD 0.33 1.23
Sortino edge SHLD 0.49 2.17
Calmar edge SHLD 0.26 1.45
Reading

SHLD returned more: +161.2% to +36.7%. SHLD swung less: 24.0% to 33.3%. SHLD fell less at its worst: −25.1% to −40.8%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: NLR vs SHLD: Holdings Overlap & Returns
MeasureNLRSHLDEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+36.7%+161.2%SHLDPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+10.6%+36.4%SHLDTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+26.6%+156.8%SHLDPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility33.3%24.0%SHLDSpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation22.6%13.5%SHLDLike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−40.8%−25.1%SHLDDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.331.23SHLDReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.492.17SHLDReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar0.261.45SHLDAnnualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 161 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

3%

By the books each fund has filed, NLR and SHLD hold 3% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

3% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first NLR SHLD
BWX Technologies Inc 6.78% 3.05%
Only in one fund ↓
Only in NLR
Cameco Corp 8.41%
Constellation Energy Corp 8.04%
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc 7.09%
Fortum Oyj 5.75%
Oklo Inc 5.22%
Centrus Energy Corp 5.05%
Uranium Energy Corp 4.99%
NexGen Energy Ltd 4.97%
Only in SHLD
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION 8.41%
RTX CORPORATION 7.75%
GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION 7.67%
PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC. 7.07%
Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft 5.76%
BAE SYSTEMS PLC 4.88%
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 4.69%
HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD. 4.40%
Check overlap with more funds →

Window by window

Window by window: NLR vs SHLD: Holdings Overlap & Returns
Total returnvs its benchmark
WindowNLRSHLDNLRSHLD
3 months−6.5%+2.0%−10.9 pts vs ACWInot measured
6 months−30.2%−4.7%−37.6 pts vs ACWInot measured
1 year−35.8%−6.5%−49.2 pts vs ACWInot measured
3 years+54.0%+156.5%−34.9 pts vs ACWInot measured
Since launchNot the same days: NLR Aug 2007 · SHLD Sep 2023+66.1%+160.2%not measurednot measured

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Side by side

NLR VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF · Holds 25 stocks in nuclear and uranium, 15% of its weight in S&P 500 companies SHLD Global X Defense Tech ETF · Holds 48 stocks in defense, 45% of its weight in S&P 500 companies
Theme Nuclear and uranium Defense
In the S&P 500 15.1% 44.6%
Active share vs the S&P 500 99.8% 98.7%
In the Nasdaq-100 8.0% 7.1%
Holdings 25 48
Top ten, share of the fund 61.1% 59.3%
Expense ratio 0.52% 0.50%
Fee for the differing part 0.52% 0.51%
Total return, 1 year −35.8% −6.5%
vs its benchmark −49.2 pts vs ACWI not measured
Below its high −41.6% −18.6%
Net assets, NLR as of Oct 26, 2026 and SHLD as of Oct 12, 2026 $3.1bn $6.3bn

As of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

3% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-493820B9A4

NLR and SHLD are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. Theme. NLR covers Nuclear and uranium and SHLD covers Defense.
  2. What each follows. NLR follows Nuclear and uranium and SHLD follows Defense.
  3. Holdings in common. 3% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026).

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund
NLR

By weight, 15% of NLR'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 61% of the fund across 25 positions, as filed for Jun 30, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned −35.8% with distributions reinvested against +13.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI Index, so a holder was behind by 49.2 pts. It sits 41.6% below its all-time high of Jan 28, 2026.

SHLD

By weight, 45% of SHLD's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 99%. The top ten holdings are 59% of the fund across 48 positions, as filed for May 31, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned −6.5% with distributions reinvested. It sits 18.6% below its all-time high of Mar 9, 2026.

Questions people ask

Do NLR and SHLD hold the same stocks?
By their latest filings, 3% 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, NLR or SHLD?
NLR has 15% of its weight in S&P 500 names and SHLD has 45%, so NLR differs more from the index.
Which is cheaper, NLR or SHLD?
NLR charges 0.52% a year and SHLD charges 0.50%, so SHLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, NLR against SHLD, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/nlr-vs-shld

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