VanEck Global Defence ETF
Performance
Total return to 23 Oct 2026, distributions reinvested, before franking. ASX figures are to 30 Sept 2026 and gross of franking, so they run higher for franked Australian funds.
What it costs to hold
Management fee plus trading costs, compared with similar funds.
A typical fund among Global ex-Australia equity funds would cost $297 (0.59% a year), so DFND is $48 dearer.
Spread is the average gap between buying and selling prices on the ASX. Fees are shown on a flat balance, not compounded on growth. Excludes tax and any adviser or platform fees.
Calendar-year returns
Where the money is
Look-through exposure as at 3 Sept 2026 · 45 securities · top 10 = 61.1%
Country
Monthly returns
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12.8 | −4.1 | −5.8 | −2.2 | 0.9 | −10.8 | 2.7 | 4.4 | −5.2 | −3.4 | −12.0YTD | ||
| 2025 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 8.6 | 4.1 | 3.3 | −0.4 | 10.0 | −1.5 | −7.4 | 1.9 | 56.5 |
| 2024 | 13.9 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 16.8 |
Total return each month in %, distributions reinvested, before franking. The latest month runs to the last price date. The first year starts from listing.
Top holdings
Most similar funds
Overlap is the share of the portfolio held in common, look-through. Correlation is of daily returns. High overlap means close substitutes.
DFND questions answered
Written from the latest data on this page. General information only, not financial advice.
How diversified is VanEck Global Defence ETF?
VanEck Global Defence ETF holds 45 securities, and its ten largest positions make up 61.1% of the fund, more concentrated than the 35.9% typical of Global ex-Australia equity funds. That makes it fairly concentrated.
Its largest country exposure is United States at 54.7%, based on holdings as at 3 Sept 2026.
Which ETFs does DFND double up with most?
DFND shares the most holdings with Global X Defence Tech ETF (DTEC) (53% overlap), Betashares Global Defence ETF (ARMR) (46% overlap) and Global X FANG+ ETF (FANG) (10% overlap). Overlap is the share of the portfolio the two funds hold in common, looking through to the underlying securities.
At 53%, owning both DFND and DTEC would mostly double up on the same investments rather than spread your money further. Of these, DTEC has the lowest fee, at 0.50% a year against 0.65% for DFND.
How is VanEck Global Defence ETF managed – active or passive?
VanEck Global Defence ETF is passively managed: it follows an index and holds what that index holds, rather than relying on a manager's stock picks.
Among Global ex-Australia equity funds, active funds charge a median 0.75% a year and index funds 0.45%.
What will I pay in fees for DFND?
DFND charges a management fee of 0.65% a year, about $65 for every $10,000 invested. Only 27% of the 471 ASX ETFs we track charge more, and the median fee is 0.44%. Among Global ex-Australia equity funds, the median is 0.55%.
Lower-cost funds with a similar focus include Betashares Global Defence ETF (ARMR) at 0.55% and Global X Defence Tech ETF (DTEC) at 0.50%.
The fee is taken from the fund's assets and is already reflected in its returns. You'll also pay brokerage when you buy or sell, and the bid-ask spread, which has averaged 0.20% for DFND.
Does VanEck Global Defence ETF follow a theme?
Yes. VanEck Global Defence ETF focuses on defence. Thematic funds are narrower than the broad market, so they can rise or fall much more than it does.
Other ASX funds with a defence focus include Betashares Global Defence ETF (ARMR) and Global X Defence Tech ETF (DTEC).
What is under the hood of DFND?
As at 3 Sept 2026, DFND's ten largest holdings are Palantir Technologies Inc (10.5%), Rtx Corp (9.1%), Thales Sa (7.1%), Leonardo Spa (6.4%), Hanwha Aerospace Co Ltd (5.9%), Saab Ab (5.7%), Elbit Systems Ltd (5.1%), Curtiss-Wright Corp (4.4%), Leidos Holdings Inc (3.6%) and Kongsberg Gruppen Asa (3.4%). Together they make up 61.1% of the fund.
It follows an index; the issuer's PDS sets out how that index chooses and weights its holdings. Its top 10 weighting of 61.1% compares with 35.9% for Global ex-Australia equity funds.
How well has VanEck Global Defence ETF performed?
Based on its category, VanEck Global Defence ETF aims to grow your capital in line with the index it tracks.
To 23 Oct 2026, with distributions reinvested, it returned −17.2% over 1 year (median 6.3%; ranked 116 of 121). The medians and rankings compare it with Global ex-Australia equity funds. Since listing in 2024 it has returned 25.6% a year.
Tracking difference is the gap between a fund's return and its index's return. We don't hold index returns, so we can't measure it for DFND; the issuer reports it in the monthly fact sheet. As a guide, a well-run index fund trails its index by about its fee, here 0.65% a year, and a much bigger gap is a warning sign.
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.