First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF
$41.55−0.61 (−1.45%)
- 0.60%
- $693M
- −0.2%
- 0.07%
- 0.1M sh
- $42.23
- low $31.26high $51.10
The ETF.net MISL Grade
C
Score 51 out of 100
- 10 of 26
Score 51 of 100 falls in the C 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.D34 out of 100Rank 17 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.B55 out of 100Rank 11 of 26Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A83 out of 100Rank 4 of 26Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.D39 out of 100Rank 18 of 26Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A84 out of 100Rank 4 of 26
Our read on MISL
CFirst Trust's aerospace-and-defense sleeve: roughly 50 US-listed names tracking the Indxx US Aerospace & Defense Index. A 2022 arrival in a crowded aisle, priced a notch above the category median.
The Fund seeks investment results corresponding generally to the price and yield of the Indxx US Aerospace & Defense Index and normally invests at least 80% of net assets in the stocks comprising that index.
Why people hold it
- Roughly 50 US aerospace and defense stocks, with at least 80% of net assets in the index names. Rules-based tracking, no manager hunches.ftportfolios.com
- Moderately traded rather than thin, which generally shows up as workable spreads on retail-size orders.
- Live since 2022 and run by First Trust, a long-established ETF shop. It sits in the upper half of the defense-theme funds we grade.
Worth knowing
- 0.60% a year sits above the category median of 0.50%, and cheaper US aerospace-and-defense trackers exist: XAR at 0.35%, ITA at 0.37%.
- One theme, one country. Results ride on defense budgets and aerospace cycles, and with about 50 names each holding carries real weight.
- Built for exposure, not income: distributions land annually or semiannually.
MISL Holdings
- Stocks
- 40
- 65%
- PLTR
Sectors
- Industrials79.7%
- Technology17.8%
- Communication2.5%
Geography
- United States100.00%
MISL 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.
MISL$9,983
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 | MISL |
|---|---|
| Year to date | −1.4% |
| 1 month | −1.0% |
| 3 months | −5.3% |
| 1 year | −0.2% |
| 3 years | +23.8% |
| 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 | MISL |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | −1.4% | |
| 2025 | +41.2% | |
| 2024 | +20.5% | |
| 2023 | +14.8% | |
| 2022 | +8.2% |
MISL in the news
MISL Dividends
- 0.07%
- $0.03
- $0.03 per share
- Twice a year
Distribution history
MISL Risk
- 18.6%
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.
- 1.05
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.
- −18.4%
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.
- 0.90
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
MISL Cost
0.60%
MISL0.60%
- The middle half of Defense & Aerospace funds
- Median 0.50%
15 of the 25 Defense & Aerospace funds charge less.
Other funds in Defense & Aerospace
- BWDGFWisdomTree Global Defense FundExpense ratio 0.45%1 year return −6.9%
- CSHLDGlobal X - Defense Tech ETFExpense ratio 0.50%1 year return −11.5%
- CEUADSelect STOXX Europe Aerospace & Defense ETFExpense ratio 0.50%1 year return −10.6%
- CWDAFWisdomTree Asia Defense FundExpense ratio 0.45%1 year return −7.0%
- CWDEFWisdomTree Europe Defense FundExpense ratio 0.45%1 year return −14.8%