Skip to content
etf.net

Launched

iShares Defense Industrials Act

IDEFNasdaqiSharesB

$30.18+0.09 (+0.30%)

At close: Nov 2, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

B58/ 100

Rank 7 of 26 in Defense & Aerospace

B58/100Rank 7 of 26inDefense & Aerospace
Intraday session: up, 79 prints from 30.09 to 30.18. Range 30.18 to 30.57. Use the arrow keys to read each point.30.3030.4030.5010 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.55%
Fund size
$3.67B
1Y total return
−6.5%
Yield · Last 12 months
No data
Holdings
165
Avg volume · 30D
982K sh
52W range
low $28.54high $36.88
Launched

The ETF.net IDEF Grade

Based on 5 of 6 pillars

B

Score 58 out of 100

Category
Defense & Aerospace⁠
Rank
7 of 26
Six-pillar profile for IDEF. Scores out of 100: Cost 44, Risk 56, Mission not scored, Tradability 62, Holdings 87, Durability 82. Strongest: Holdings (87). Weakest: Cost (44). Based on 5 of 6 pillars.

Score 58 of 100 falls in the B band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.

  • Cost

    The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.
    C44 out of 100
    Rank 15 of 26

  • Mission

    Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.
    Not scored

  • Risk

    How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.
    B56 out of 100
    Rank 11 of 26

  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    B62 out of 100
    Rank 7 of 26

  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    A87 out of 100
    Rank 2 of 26

  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    A82 out of 100
    Rank 6 of 26

Our read on IDEF

ETF.net Research

In short

BBlackRock's active answer to index-tracking defense funds: a stock picker's portfolio of global aerospace, cyber and defense-infrastructure names, with no US-only benchmark holding the leash.

Stated mandate

The fund seeks to invest at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of U.S. and non-U.S. defense and related industrial companies.

Why people hold it

  • Active and global by design: at least 80% of assets go to US and non-US defense and related industrial companies, so European rearmament names are in bounds.ishares.com
  • Spreads across about 120 holdings, reaching past the classic primes into aerospace, cybersecurity and infrastructure suppliers.ishares.com
  • Crossed a billion dollars in assets and trades actively, an unusually quick start for a fund launched in 2025.
  • Holds its own in a crowded defense field, landing in the upper half of its peer group on our review.

Worth knowing

  • At 0.55%, it costs more than index rivals like ITA (0.37%) and XAR (0.35%). The stock picking is what the extra buys.
  • Launched in 2025 with no declared index, so there is a short record and no benchmark to measure the manager's picks against.
  • Distributions come once or twice a year rather than quarterly.

IDEF Holdings

Holdings pillarA87 out of 100Rank 2 of 26 in Defense & Aerospace
Asset class
Stocks
Holdings
165
Top-10 weight
38%
Largest holding
RTX7.3%

Sectors

  • Industrials77.8%
  • Technology16.4%
  • Communication3.0%
  • Materials1.6%
  • Consumer Discretionary0.9%
  • Energy0.3%
  • Utilities0.0%

Geography

  • United States64.77%
  • France6.69%
  • Japan5.55%
  • United Kingdom5.47%
  • South Korea4.53%
  • Germany2.80%
  • Sweden2.30%
  • Israel1.86%
  • Other countries (4)6.02%

Developed 82% · Emerging 18% of the foreign sleeve

The fund’s holdings, weight-ordered — page 1 of 11.
#TickerCompanyWeight %SharesMarket valueHeld by ETFs
1RTXRtx7.29%1,344,278$269M409
2LMTLockheed Martin5.42%313,608$200M415
3GDGeneral Dynamics Corp4.39%434,207$162M379
4NOCNorthrop Grumman Corp4.00%264,113$147M352
5BABoeing3.53%758,623$130M311
6RR.LRolls-Royce Holdings PLC3.09%6,861,805$114M149
7PLTRPalantir Technologies Class A2.82%564,642$104M531
8SPCXSpace Exploration Technologies Cor2.67%730,627$98.4M299
9AIR.PAAirbus Group2.36%404,903$87M129
10HO.PAThales SA2.18%305,135$80.3M124
11SAAB-B.STSaab Class B1.93%1,037,934$71.3M79
12GEGe Aerospace1.76%214,982$64.9M404
13LDO.MILeonardo Finmeccanica Spa1.64%1,044,817$60.4M103
147011.TMitsubishi Heavy Industries1.55%2,632,900$57.1M129
156503.TMitsubishi Electric1.43%1,787,400$52.7M143

Showing 1–15 of 165 holdings

IDEF Performance

Launched May 19, 2025

Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.

Not enough history yet.Not enough history yet.Not enough history yet.
IDEF$9,347
SPY tracks large US stocks. It provides market context, rather than representing this fund’s strategy, asset class or investment benchmark.$11,199
Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. IDEF $9,347. SPY $11,199. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$9,000$10,000$11,000Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

Returns run to the Oct 30, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.

Trailing total return for IDEF. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodIDEF
Year to date−2.2%
1 month−3.7%
3 months−7.1%
1 year−6.5%
3 yearsFund is under 3 years oldper yearNo data
5 yearsFund is under 5 years oldper yearNo data
10 yearsFund is under 10 years oldper yearNo data

With distributions reinvested.

Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.

Annual total returns for IDEF
YearReturn barIDEF
2026 YTD−2.2%
2025+23.1%

History from May 21, 2025

IDEF in the news

IDEF Dividends

Last payment
$0.05 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Twice a year

Distribution data unavailable.

Distribution history

2025–2026

One bar per payment. 2 payments from 2025 to 2026 YTD. Dec 16, 2025 $0.05; Jun 15, 2026 $0.05. Use the arrow keys to read each point.20252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Jun 15, 2026Jun 18, 2026$0.05
Dec 16, 2025Dec 19, 2025$0.05

$10,000 in IDEF 1 year ago paid $32.82 in dividends.

IDEF Risk

Risk pillarB56 out of 100Rank 11 of 26 in Defense & Aerospace
How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
20.8%
Annualised · 17 months to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: standard deviation

The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.

Return above 3-month US Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
0.42
vs 3-month T-bills · 17 months to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio

Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.

Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.

The largest fall from a peak to the low that followed.
−18.9%
17 months · trough Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown

The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.

Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.

How strongly the fund’s returns move with its asset-class index.
0.82
vs its asset-class index
How it’s calculated: beta

The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.

FMP measures it over up to five years of monthly returns.

IDEF Cost

Compare IDEF and XAR

Overpaying vs XAR, tied cheapest in Defense & Aerospace

$3,778

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • IDEF 0.55%

    $10,904

  • XAR 0.35% Tied cheapest

    $7,126

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • IDEF 0.55%
  • XAR 0.35%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2.5K$5K$7.5K$10K$12.5K051015202530IDEF $10,904XAR $7,126

Year by year

YearIDEFXAROverpaying
10$988$634$354
20$3,790$2,454$1,336
30$10,904$7,126$3,778

Other funds in Defense & Aerospace

See others