The best defense ETF to buy now

Defense exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are index funds that hold stocks of companies within the aerospace and defense sector. ETFs can help supplement your portfolio by giving you exposure to stocks known for their growth, stability and dividends. Because of the growing demand for aviation, increases in defense spending and developing interest in the space industry, we’ve curated a list of the best defense ETFs to buy now.⁽¹⁾

Our top picks for where to buy defense ETFs

Top pick for banking + investing in one app

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Disclaimer

The probability of a member receiving $3,000 is 0.028%. If you don’t make a selection in 45 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Members must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify. The probability percentage is subject to decrease. Members are only eligible for the Stock Award promotion upon opening their first brokerage account; subsequent cash brokerage accounts are ineligible for the promo, including for members with multiple accounts.

Terms and conditions apply*. For 401k rollovers, existing SoFi IRA members must complete 401k rollovers via this link See full terms and For SoFi members without a SoFi IRA, a SoFi IRA must first be opened, and 401k rollover must be completed utilizing Capitalize via this link. SoFi and Capitalize will charge no additional fees to process a 401(k) rollover to a SoFi IRA. SoFi is not liable for any costs incurred from the existing 401k provider for rollover. Please check with your 401k provider for any fees or costs associated with the rollover. For IRA contributions, only deposits made via ACH and cash transfer from SoFi Bank accounts are eligible for the match. Click here for the 1% Match terms and conditions.

Must be a SoFi Plus member at the time a recurring deposit is received into your SoFi Active or Automated investing account to qualify. Bonus calculated on net monthly recurring deposits made via ACH and paid out as Rewards Points. See Rewards Terms of Service. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time without notice. See terms and limitations. https://www.sofi.com/sofiplus/invest/#disclaimers

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eToro securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (‘the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. Finder is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the BD.

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Disclaimer

Up to 2% bonus on stock transfers until January 31, 2026. See full terms and conditions here.

Top Defense & Aerospace EFTs Stocks

• Methodology: How we choose the best stocks

  Finder’s investments experts analyze all S&P 500-listed stocks to curate a list of the best performing stocks. The companies are ranked in average order of both their year-to-date and month-over-month performance.

How to invest in defense ETFs

If you’re wondering how to get started with investing in defense stocks, follow these steps:

1. Choose a platform. Choose from our Top Picks above or jump straight to the best ETF brokers of 2024.
2. Open your account. Provide your personal information and sign up.
3. Confirm your payment details. Fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
4. Research ETFs. The platform should provide the latest information available.
5. Buy your ETFs. Place a market order or limit order with your preferred number of shares. It’s that simple.

Frequently asked questions about defense ETFs

• What is the highest rated defense ETF?

  Based on our analysis, as of October 2023, the highest rated defense ETF is ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX). This ETF ranked number 1 in our analysis based on YTD returns.

• Is there an ETF for defense stocks?

  Yes. See our table above for our list of best defense ETFs.

Bottom line

Defense ETFs offer a convenient way to gain exposure to stocks of companies in the aerospace and defense sector without having to buy each stock individually. With growing demand across the aviation and space industry and ever-increasing defense spending, investors may want to consider if defense ETFs should have a place in their portfolio.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Matt Miczulski

Investments editor and market analyst

Matt Miczulski is an investments editor and market analyst at Finder. With over 450 bylines, Matt dissects and reviews brokers and investing platforms to expose perks and pain points, explores investment products and concepts and covers market news, making investing more accessible and helping readers to make informed financial decisions. Before joining Finder in 2021, Matt covered everything from finance news and banking to debt and travel for FinanceBuzz. His expertise and analysis on investing and other financial topics has been featured on Yahoo Finance, CBS, MSN, Best Company and Consolidated Credit, among others. Matt holds a BA in history from William Paterson University. See full bio

Matt's expertise

Matt has written 282 Finder guides across topics including:

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