ITA ETF — iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)

Updated October 16, 2026.

ITA is an ETF that tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. its distribution rate is 0.16%, its trailing-12-month yield is 0.09%, its expense ratio is 0.37%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 70/100 (Generally safe). Total return is 898.6% over the past 20.4 years, 161.0 points ahead of SPY at 737.6%.

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index, holding the major publicly traded companies in the U.S. aerospace and defense sector. The fund carries a modest expense ratio of 0.37% and distributes quarterly with a low current distribution rate. It appeals to investors seeking sector-specific equity exposure to the aerospace and defense industry.

ITA performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 898.6% over the past 20.4 years, 161.0 points ahead of SPY at 737.6%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 1.6%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 19.5%.

ITA key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

70 · Generally safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

0.11%

Issuer

iShares

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

05/01/2006

Expense ratio

0.37%

Distribution rate

0.16%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

0.09%

Last close

$209.07 (stale; as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$12,087,464,633

Average volume

1655500.0

Dividend

$0.08351

Ex-dividend date

09/15/2026

Payment date

09/18/2026

Beta

0.98

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (0.16%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (0.09%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: iShares or company page; Index: Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

ITA risks and drawbacks

ITA's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are quarterly, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 19.5%.

Who may consider ITA — and who may not

It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (ITA pays quarterly); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

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Compare ITA

ITA vs similar funds:

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Frequently asked questions

More securities from iShares.