Deep Dive
Defense & Aerospace ETFs nearly doubled in three years. September's losses came from different names
Global X - Defense Tech ETF
$59.34−0.49 (−0.82%)
- 0.50%
- $6.3B
- −11.5%
- 0.71%
- 1.3M sh
- $59.89
- low $57.89high $78.49
The ETF.net SHLD Grade
C
Score 53 out of 100
- 9 of 26
Score 53 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.C52 out of 100Rank 12 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.C40 out of 100Rank 16 of 26Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A78 out of 100Rank 5 of 26Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.D28 out of 100Rank 23 of 26Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A82 out of 100Rank 5 of 26
Our read on SHLD
CMost defense ETFs are a bet on American aerospace primes. SHLD goes global and leans into the tech side of modern war: cybersecurity, AI and big data, drones and advanced military hardware, wherever it gets built.
The Fund seeks results that generally track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Global X Defense Tech Index.
Why people hold it
- The mandate reaches past US airframes to global companies building cybersecurity systems, applying AI and big data, and making advanced military hardware like robotics and aircraft.globalxetfs.com
- At 0.50%, the fee sits right at the middle of the defense-theme pack. The global, tech-tilted twist doesn't cost extra versus the typical rival.
- A multi-billion-dollar fund that trades actively, which puts it among the easier names in this niche to move in and out of.
- Index-tracking and rules-based: it follows the Global X Defense Tech Index rather than a manager's hunch about which contractor wins next.
Worth knowing
- Cheaper US-centric alternatives exist. XAR (0.35%) and ITA (0.37%) cover aerospace and defense for less, with a narrower, more domestic lineup.
- About 50 stocks in one theme driven by government budgets and geopolitics. Concentration sharpens the exposure in both directions.
- Launched in 2023, so the record is short by cycle standards, and cash comes back once or twice a year rather than monthly.
SHLD Holdings
- Stocks
- 55
- 65%
- PLTR
Sectors
- Industrials84.0%
- Technology16.0%
Geography
- United States66.76%
- United Kingdom6.37%
- Korea (the Republic of)6.33%
- Germany5.04%
- France4.85%
- Italy3.57%
- Israel3.12%
- Norway2.16%
- 1.82%
Developed 68% · Emerging 32%
SHLD 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.
SHLD$8,852
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 | SHLD |
|---|---|
| Year to date | −7.4% |
| 1 month | −3.1% |
| 3 months | −2.2% |
| 1 year | −11.5% |
| 3 years | +33.3% |
| 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 | SHLD |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | −7.4% | |
| 2025 | +74.2% | |
| 2024 | +35.0% | |
| 2023 | +12.9% |
SHLD in the news
SHLD Dividends
- 0.71%
- $0.42
- $0.19 per share
- Twice a year
Distribution history
SHLD Risk
- 21.7%
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.
- 1.33
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.
- −25.4%
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.
- 0.28
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
SHLD Cost
0.50%
SHLD0.50%
- The middle half of Defense & Aerospace funds
- Median 0.50%
11 of the 25 Defense & Aerospace funds charge less.
Other funds in Defense & Aerospace
- BIDEFiShares Defense Industrials ActExpense ratio 0.55%1 year return −1.7%
- BWDGFWisdomTree Global Defense FundExpense ratio 0.45%1 year return −6.9%
- CMISLFirst Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETFExpense ratio 0.60%1 year return −0.2%
- 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%