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ITA vs SHLD

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

ITAACboe

Global X Defense Tech ETF

SHLDBNYSE Arca

Overlap

Expense ratio

ITA −0.13pt a year

ITA0.37%SHLD0.50%

Avg volume · 30D

SHLD 1.6×the volume

ITA747KSHLD1.18M

3Y return · a year

SHLD +9.9pt

ITA+24.8%SHLD+34.7%

ITA vs SHLD Performance

Oct 31, 2025 – Nov 2, 2026

−0.3%ITA−6.3%SHLD

Oct 31, 2025 to Nov 2, 2026. ITA −0.3%. SHLD −6.3%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−15%−10%5%10%15%Oct 2025May 2026Nov 2026
Expense ratio
ITA 0.37%, better
SHLD 0.50%
Fund size
ITA $12.2B
SHLD $6.6B
1Y total return
ITA −0.3%, better
SHLD −6.3%
Yield (12M)
ITA 0.26%
SHLD 0.67%, better
Holdings
ITA 52
SHLD 53
Avg volume (30D)
ITA 747K sh
SHLD 1.18M sh, better
NAV per share
ITA $209.66
SHLD $63.88
52W range

ETF.net Grade

ITA: Cost 80, Risk 62, Mission 76, Tradability 96, Holdings 34, Durability 98. SHLD: Cost 52, Risk 46, Mission not scored, Tradability 80, Holdings 29, Durability 84.
Pillar letters and Scores for ITA, SHLD, with each pillar’s weight
PillarITASHLD
Cost30% weightA80HigherC52
Mission25% weightA76Not scored
Risk15% weightB62HigherC46
Tradability15% weightA96HigherA80
Holdings10% weightD34HigherD29
Durability5% weightA98HigherA84

Rank among Defense & Aerospace funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. ITA and SHLD are both graded against the same 25 Defense & Aerospace funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Defense & Aerospace⁠

Category · 25 funds
See all 25 ›

ITA ranks 2nd and SHLD 8th of 25 funds in the Defense & Aerospace Category.

  1. Rank 1AXARState Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETFScore 78
  2. Rank 2AITAiShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETFScore 74
  3. Rank 3BFLDZTrueShares Patriot Defense ETFScore 62
  4. Rank 7BWDGFWisdomTree Global Defense FundScore 56
  5. Rank 8BSHLDGlobal X Defense Tech ETFScore 55
  6. Rank 9CMISLFirst Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETFScore 52

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

ITAAiShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

SHLDBGlobal X Defense Tech ETF

In short

ITA The 2006 original in aerospace and defense, and still the anchor fund of the category. It follows a market-cap-weighted index of U.S. aircraft, parts and weapons makers, so the big primes carry most of the weight.

SHLD Most 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

ITA The fund is designed to follow an index of U.S. equity companies focused on aerospace and defense.

SHLD 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

  • ITA Charges 0.37% a year, below the typical defense-fund fee and a whisker off the cheapest large rival, XAR at 0.35%.
  • Trading since 2006 and now a multi-billion-dollar, actively traded fund: the long-standing incumbent in U.S. aerospace and defense.
  • The index weights by market cap but caps any single company's weight, so the biggest primes lead without swallowing the whole portfolio.spglobal.com
  • One of the strongest builds in a crowded defense peer group, with a plain-vanilla index mandate and quarterly payouts.
  • SHLD 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

  • ITA About 50 stocks, cap-weighted: a few primes drive most of the ride. XAR's modified equal weight spreads exposure further down the size ladder.ssga.com
  • One U.S. industry, running on two engines: government procurement and commercial aircraft demand. Narrower than a broad-market fund by design.ishares.com
  • Holds a representative sample of the index rather than every constituent, which can leave small gaps versus the benchmark.sec.gov
  • SHLD 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.

Full ITA profile⁠

Full SHLD profile⁠

ITA vs SHLD Holdings

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

ITA vs SHLD Cost

Overpaying SHLD vs ITA

$2,466

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

  • ITA 0.37%

    $7,513

  • SHLD 0.50%

    $9,979

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • ITA 0.37%
  • SHLD 0.50%
  • 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 $9,979ITA $7,513

Year by year

YearITASHLDOverpaying
10$670$900$230
20$2,590$3,460$870
30$7,513$9,979$2,466

Expense ratio

  • 0.37%ITA, cheaper
  • 0.50%SHLD
  • Middle half of Defense & Aerospace funds
  • Median 0.50%

ITA 5th cheapest of 25 funds

SHLD 12th cheapest of 25 funds

ITA vs SHLD Dividends

Last 12 months to Nov 2, 2026
Yield (12M)
ITA 0.26%
SHLD 0.67%, better
Payout (12M)
ITA $0.57
SHLD $0.42
Last payment
ITA $0.25
SHLD $0.19
Ex-dividend
ITA Sep 15, 2026
SHLD Jun 29, 2026
Paid on
ITA Sep 18, 2026
SHLD Jul 7, 2026
Frequency
ITA Quarterly
SHLD Twice a year

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

ITAQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll ITA payments⁠
One bar per payment. 39 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Mar 24, 2017 $0.16; Jun 27, 2017 $0.19; Sep 26, 2017 $0.35; Dec 19, 2017 $0.16; Mar 22, 2018 $0.21; Jun 26, 2018 $0.22; Sep 26, 2018 $0.43; Dec 17, 2018 $0.11; Mar 20, 2019 $0.29; Jun 17, 2019 $0.31; Sep 24, 2019 $0.29; Dec 16, 2019 $0.53; Dec 30, 2019 $0.29; Mar 25, 2020 $0.39; Jun 15, 2020 $0.21; Sep 23, 2020 $0.20; Dec 14, 2020 $0.20; Mar 25, 2021 $0.32; Jun 10, 2021 $0.19; Sep 24, 2021 $0.18; Dec 13, 2021 $0.16; Mar 24, 2022 $0.16; Jun 9, 2022 $0.28; Sep 26, 2022 $0.38; Dec 13, 2022 $0.24; Mar 23, 2023 $0.28; Jun 7, 2023 $0.24; Sep 26, 2023 $0.22; Dec 20, 2023 $0.43; Mar 21, 2024 $0.27; Jun 11, 2024 $0.30; Sep 25, 2024 $0.23; Dec 17, 2024 $0.44; Mar 18, 2025 $0.25; Jun 16, 2025 $0.17; Sep 16, 2025 $0.75; Mar 17, 2026 $0.15; Jun 15, 2026 $0.16; Sep 15, 2026 $0.25. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.502017202020232026YTD
SHLDTwice a year · 6 paymentsAll SHLD payments⁠
One bar per payment. 6 payments from 2017 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.$0$0.502017202020232026YTD

ITA vs SHLD Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
ITA 18.5%, betterSHLD 21.7%
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
ITA 1.06SHLD 1.35, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
ITA −20.0%SHLD −25.4%since Sep 2023
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
ITA 0.98SHLD 0.28

ITA and SHLD in the news

All news⁠

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