iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF vs. State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF: These Defense ETFs Have a Surprising Difference Investors Should Know for 2027

The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) and State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) both provide exposure to military spending and commercial aviation, but differ significantly in their investment approaches. ITA concentrates heavily on industry giants like GE Aerospace, RTX, and Boeing, while XAR spreads investments more evenly across 50 companies using modified equal-weighting. For long-term investors, XAR appears to be the better choice due to its lower expense ratio (0.35% vs 0.37%), more balanced risk profile, and reduced dependence on a few major companies, though both funds face risks from defense budget uncertainty and aviation demand fluctuations.