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Launched

WisdomTree Europe Defense Fund

WDEFNYSE ArcaWisdomTreeC

$28.98−0.06 (−0.21%)

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

C50/ 100

Rank 11 of 26 in Defense & Aerospace

C50/100Rank 11 of 26inDefense & Aerospace
Intraday session: down, 79 prints from 29.04 to 28.98. Range 28.98 to 29.47. Use the arrow keys to read each point.29.1029.2029.3029.4010 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.45%
Fund size
$84M
1Y total return
−4.9%
Yield · Last 12 months
No data
Holdings
51
Avg volume · 30D
27.9K sh
52W range
low $26.25high $34.74
Launched

The ETF.net WDEF Grade

Based on 5 of 6 pillars

C

Score 50 out of 100

Category
Defense & Aerospace⁠
Rank
11 of 26
Six-pillar profile for WDEF. Scores out of 100: Cost 66, Risk 35, Mission not scored, Tradability 48, Holdings 23, Durability 61. Strongest: Cost (66). Weakest: Holdings (23). Based on 5 of 6 pillars.

Score 50 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.
    B66 out of 100
    Rank 8 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.
    D35 out of 100
    Rank 17 of 26

  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    C48 out of 100
    Rank 10 of 26

  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    F23 out of 100
    Rank 25 of 26

  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    B61 out of 100
    Rank 11 of 26

Our read on WDEF

ETF.net Research

In short

CMost defense ETFs are a bet on US primes. WDEF goes the other way: a passive index of European-listed defense companies, weighted more heavily the more of their revenue actually comes from defense.

Stated mandate

The Fund is designed to follow the pre-expense price and yield results of the WisdomTree Europe Defense Index. It uses passive indexing and generally applies representative sampling to pursue that objective.

Why people hold it

  • Pure European exposure: the index only takes companies domiciled and listed in developed European markets that derive at least 10% of revenue from defense-related activities.wisdomtree.com
  • Conviction weighting, not just size: over 50% defense revenue earns a 3x weight multiplier, 25-50% earns 2x. Pure-plays outrank sprawling conglomerates.wisdomtree.com
  • Costs 0.45% a year, below the 0.50% median for the defense-theme funds we track.
  • Built-in guardrails: $300M minimum free float and $2M median daily dollar volume to qualify, plus per-name weight caps so one runaway winner can't swallow the basket.wisdomtree.comdividend.com

Worth knowing

  • Launched in July 2025, so any read on its risk profile rests on a short live record.
  • A smaller fund that trades thinly. Spreads can widen, so limit orders do real work here.
  • One theme, foreign-listed shares: currency moves feed into dollar returns, and broad US defense funds like XAR (0.35%) and ITA (0.37%) charge less.wisdomtree.com

WDEF Performance

Launched Jul 17, 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.
WDEF$9,513
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. WDEF $9,513. 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 WDEF. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodWDEF
Year to date+0.1%
1 month+3.9%
3 months−4.4%
1 year−4.9%
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 WDEF
YearReturn barWDEF
2026 YTD+0.1%
2025−3.4%

Since listing, Jul 17, 2025

WDEF in the news

WDEF Dividends

Last payment
$0.02 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Irregular

Distribution data unavailable.

Distribution history

2025–2026

One bar per payment. 1 payment from 2025 to 2026 YTD. Dec 26, 2025 $0.02. Use the arrow keys to read each point.20252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Dec 26, 2025Dec 30, 2025$0.02

$10,000 in WDEF 1 year ago paid $6.87 in dividends.

WDEF Risk

Risk pillarD35 out of 100Rank 17 of 26 in Defense & Aerospace
How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
31.2%
Annualised · 15 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.
0.04
vs 3-month T-bills · 15 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.
−23.9%
15 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.
0.53
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.

WDEF Cost

Compare WDEF and XAR

Overpaying vs XAR, tied cheapest in Defense & Aerospace

$1,915

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

  • WDEF 0.45%

    $9,041

  • XAR 0.35% Tied cheapest

    $7,126

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • WDEF 0.45%
  • 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$10K051015202530WDEF $9,041XAR $7,126

Year by year

YearWDEFXAROverpaying
10$812$634$178
20$3,128$2,454$674
30$9,041$7,126$1,915

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