PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF
$37.77+0.22 (+0.59%)
- 0.65%
- $103M
- −12.0%
- 0.1M sh
- $39.92
- low $33.17high $67.41
The ETF.net KDEF Grade
D
Score 29 out of 100
- 23 of 26
Score 29 of 100 falls in the D 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.D26 out of 100Rank 19 of 26Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.F24 out of 100Rank 25 of 26Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.C41 out of 100Rank 17 of 26Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.F20 out of 100Rank 26 of 26Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.B58 out of 100Rank 12 of 26
Our read on KDEF
DMost defense ETFs are a bet on American primes. KDEF points somewhere else: an index fund built entirely around South Korea's defense industry, which landed on the US shelf in 2025.
The Fund seeks investment results corresponding generally to the total return performance of the Korea Defense Industry Index before fees and expenses.
Why people hold it
- A rare single-country angle: South Korean defense specifically, not the US aerospace-and-defense names that fill XAR, ITA and PPA.
- Plain plumbing: a 1940 Act index fund tracking the Korea Defense Industry Index. No leverage, no options overlay, no swap wrapper.
- Narrow theme, but the shares change hands with moderate regularity rather than going quiet for stretches.
Worth knowing
- The 0.65% fee sits above the typical defense ETF, the toll for reaching into one overseas industry.
- Launched in 2025, so the live record is short, and the ride has been choppier than broad defense funds.
- One country, one industry: Korean policy, the won and export orders drive it, and cash comes back only once or twice a year.
KDEF Holdings
- Stocks
- 21
- 66%
- 012450.KS
Sectors
- Industrials85.3%
- Consumer Discretionary7.1%
- Technology3.9%
- Health Care3.7%
Geography
- South Korea100.00%
Developed 0% · Emerging 100%
KDEF Performance
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.
KDEF$8,799
Returns run to the Oct 12, 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.
| Period | KDEF |
|---|---|
| Year to date | −14.3% |
| 1 month | −12.8% |
| 3 months | −7.1% |
| 1 year | −12.0% |
| 3 years | — |
| 5 years | — |
| 10 years | — |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | KDEF |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | −14.3% | |
| 2025 | +120.9% |
KDEF in the news
KDEF Dividends
- $2.96 per share
- Irregular
Distribution data unavailable.
Distribution history
KDEF Risk
- 55.1%
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.
- 0.87
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.
- −48.6%
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.
- 1.67
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
KDEF Cost
0.65%
KDEF0.65%
- The middle half of Defense & Aerospace funds
- Median 0.50%
17 of the 25 Defense & Aerospace funds charge less.
Other funds in Defense & Aerospace
- DJEDIDrone and Modern Warfare ETFExpense ratio 0.69%1 year return −13.8%
- DAMMOVistaShares Defense Supercycle ETFExpense ratio 0.75%1 year return —
- DARMYTema International Defense Innovation ETFExpense ratio 0.75%1 year return —
- DUFODETF Opportunities Trust - Tuttle Capital UFO Disclosure ETFExpense ratio 0.99%1 year return —
- DWEPNNicholas Defense and Rare Earth Income ETFExpense ratio 1.11%1 year return —