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Launched · SEC filings

Global X Defense Tech ETF

SHLDNYSE ArcaGlobal XB

$63.56−0.22 (−0.34%)

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

B55/ 100

Rank 9 of 26 in Defense & Aerospace

B55/100Rank 9 of 26inDefense & Aerospace
Intraday session: down, 79 prints from 63.78 to 63.56. Range 63.49 to 64.15. Use the arrow keys to read each point.63.7063.9064.0064.1010 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.50%
Fund size
$6.6B
1Y total return
−6.0%
Yield · Last 12 months
0.66%
Holdings
54
Avg volume · 30D
1.18M sh
52W range
low $57.89high $78.49
Launched
Filings
SEC EDGAR

The ETF.net SHLD Grade

Based on 5 of 6 pillars

B

Score 55 out of 100

Category
Defense & Aerospace⁠
Rank
9 of 26
Six-pillar profile for SHLD. Scores out of 100: Cost 52, Risk 46, Mission not scored, Tradability 80, Holdings 29, Durability 84. Strongest: Durability (84). Weakest: Holdings (29). Based on 5 of 6 pillars.

Score 55 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.
    C52 out of 100
    Rank 12 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.
    C46 out of 100
    Rank 14 of 26

  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    A80 out of 100
    Rank 5 of 26

  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    D29 out of 100
    Rank 22 of 26

  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    A84 out of 100
    Rank 4 of 26

Our read on SHLD

ETF.net Research

In short

BMost 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.

Stated mandate

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 Performance

Launched Sep 11, 2023

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$9,401
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. SHLD $9,401. 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 SHLD. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodSHLD
Year to date−1.2%
1 month+6.2%
3 months+0.8%
1 year−6.0%
3 yearsper year+36.4%
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 SHLD
YearReturn barSHLD
2026 YTD−1.2%
2025+74.2%
2024+35.0%
2023+12.9%

History from Sep 13, 2023

SHLD in the news

SHLD Dividends

Adds up every distribution paid per share over the last 12 months, divided by the last completed close. Distributions are counted by ex-date. Data through Oct 30, 2026.
0.66%Last 12 months
Payout per share
$0.42Last 12 months
Last payment
$0.19 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Twice a year

Distribution history

2023–2026

One bar per payment. 6 payments from 2023 to 2026 YTD. Dec 28, 2023 $0.07; Jun 27, 2024 $0.06; Dec 30, 2024 $0.14; Jun 27, 2025 $0.12; Dec 30, 2025 $0.24; Jun 29, 2026 $0.19. Use the arrow keys to read each point.2023202420252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Jun 29, 2026Jul 7, 2026$0.19
Dec 30, 2025Jan 7, 2026$0.24
Jun 27, 2025No data$0.12
Dec 30, 2024Jan 7, 2025$0.14
Jun 27, 2024Jul 5, 2024$0.06
Dec 28, 2023Jan 8, 2024$0.07

— Pay date not on file.

$10,000 in SHLD 3 years ago paid $305 in dividends.

SHLD Risk

Risk pillarC46 out of 100Rank 14 of 26 in Defense & Aerospace
How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
21.7%
Annualised · 36 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.
1.35
vs 3-month T-bills · 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.
−25.4%
37 months · trough Jun 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.
0.28
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.

SHLD Cost

Compare SHLD and XAR

Overpaying vs XAR, tied cheapest in Defense & Aerospace

$2,853

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

  • SHLD 0.50%

    $9,979

  • XAR 0.35% Tied cheapest

    $7,126

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • SHLD 0.50%
  • XAR 0.35%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2K$4K$6K$8K$10K051015202530SHLD $9,979XAR $7,126

Year by year

YearSHLDXAROverpaying
10$900$634$266
20$3,460$2,454$1,006
30$9,979$7,126$2,853

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