XARETF

XAR and PPA are aerospace and defense ETFs with different strategies. XAR uses a modified equal-weight approach with a lower 0.35% expense ratio and has delivered stronger 5-year returns (112% vs 81%), making it more appealing to cost-conscious investors. PPA uses market-cap weighting, has higher fees at 0.58%, but offers a higher dividend yield of 0.4% versus XAR's 0.2%.

The State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) is analyzed as a smart beta ETF with $5.52 billion in assets and a low expense ratio of 0.35%. However, the fund has underperformed recently, declining 5.84% year-to-date and 8.96% over the past year as of October 9, 2026.

With a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 23.92%, it presents medium risk. Alternative aerospace & defense ETFs like Invesco's PPA and iShares' ITA are also discussed.

The article compares two aerospace and defense ETFs: ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF (ARKX) and State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR). While ARKX delivers higher 3-year returns (30.4% annualized), XAR is recommended as the better buy due to its lower expense ratio (0.35% vs 0.75%), broader diversification across 50 holdings, lower volatility, and superior 5 and 10-year performance.

The U.S. defense sector experienced a nearly 19% decline from early August through mid-October 2026 due to rising Treasury yields, military spending uncertainty ahead of midterms, and supply-chain constraints. Despite headwinds, the Aerospace sector is expected to report 11.8% earnings growth supported by NATO spending commitments and strong backlogs. Key defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and RTX are scheduled to report Q3 results, with investors focusing on cash flow generation and contract execution amid a higher cost of capital environment.

Escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are expected to increase demand for air-defense systems, missiles, and radar technology. Following a $142 billion U.S. defense agreement and a $2 billion package approved in July 2026, major defense contractors are positioned to benefit from increased orders. Defense-focused ETFs offer diversified exposure to these contractors without single-stock risk.