iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) Performance
ITA total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −5.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −6.0% total return
- 5 years
- +14.2% a year
- 10 years
- +13.4% a year
- Since first price
- +11.7% a year since 2006
ITA trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | ITA total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −5.5% | −5.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −15.0% | −15.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −7.5% | −7.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −5.6% | −5.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −6.0% | −6.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +93.3%+24.6%/yr | +89.3% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +94.1%+14.2%/yr | +86.5% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +252.4%+13.4%/yr | +219.4% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +710.3%+15.0%/yr | +585.6% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| 20 years | +890.6%+12.1%/yr | +699.5% | +696.9%+10.9%/yr | +1,839.9%+16.0%/yr | +79.6%+3.0%/yr |
| Since inceptionMay 5, 2006 | +866.0%+11.7%/yr | +678.1% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: ITA vs SPY
From May 5, 2006: ITA grew to $96,596, SPY to $83,394.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
ITA returns by calendar year
16 of 19 full years positive. Best 2013 (+57.0%), worst 2008 (−38.6%). 2026 is year to date.
ITA annual returns table
| Year | ITA | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −5.6% | −20.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +48.6% | −15.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +15.8% | −8.8% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +14.3% | −12.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | +10.0% | −18.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +9.4% | −15.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −13.6% | −51.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +30.5% | −7.0% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −7.2% | −25.5% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +35.2% | −4.3% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +20.3% | −12.7% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | +4.1% | −14.1% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +9.9% | −10.9% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +57.0% | −5.2% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +13.9% | −11.8% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | +5.1% | −23.2% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +16.6% | −19.2% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +25.3% | −34.5% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −38.6% | −50.6% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | +27.6% | −7.8% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
ITA largest drawdowns
Now 20.0% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2007 | −59.7% | Mar 9, 2009 | Dec 10, 2012 | 1.4 years | 5.2 years |
| Feb 12, 2020 | −51.0% | Mar 23, 2020 | Feb 13, 2023 | 40 days | 3.0 years |
| Oct 3, 2018 | −25.5% | Dec 24, 2018 | Jul 12, 2019 | 3 months | 9 months |
| Aug 14, 2026 | −20.0% | Oct 23, 2026 | not yet | 2 months | 2 months so far |
| Apr 10, 2015 | −17.2% | Feb 11, 2016 | May 10, 2016 | 10 months | 1.1 years |
| Mar 2, 2026 | −15.8% | Mar 30, 2026 | Jul 6, 2026 | 28 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
ITA risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +25.9% | +15.6% | +13.5% | +12.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 18.5% | 19.7% | 21.7% | 20.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.11 | 0.66 | 0.59 | 0.62 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.92 | 1.12 | 0.90 | 0.91 |
| Best month | +13.0% | +17.6% | +22.4% | +22.4% |
| Worst month | −10.2% | −10.2% | −28.0% | −28.0% |
| Best 12 months | +58.5% | +58.5% | +58.5% | +74.8% |
| Worst 12 months | −0.7% | −11.7% | −30.1% | −45.7% |
| Positive months | 64% | 58% | 60% | 63% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.82 | 0.76 | 1.00 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.55 | 0.60 | 0.71 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
ITA rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 234 | −45.7% | +15.1% | +74.8% | 81% |
| 3-year (a year) | 210 | −8.1% | +14.6% | +33.1% | 87% |
| 5-year (a year) | 186 | −0.4% | +14.1% | +29.4% | 99% |
| 10-year (a year) | 126 | +9.7% | +13.5% | +22.0% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2006. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
ITA performance overview
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) returned −6.0% over the past year and +13.4% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2006 it has returned +11.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $96,596. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −59.7%, from Oct 9, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009, and it took 3.8 years to get back to the old high. ITA finished 16 of its 19 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2013 (+57.0%) and the worst 2008 (−38.6%). Volatility has been 20.2% a year.
Related: ITA chart, ITA holdings, ITA dividends, ITA valuation. See the ITA overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
ITA performance FAQ
What is the ITA return over the past year?
ITA returned −6.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 6.3%.
What is the average annual return of ITA?
ITA has returned +14.2% a year over 5 years, +13.4% a year over 10 years, +11.7% a year since May 5, 2006 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in ITA be worth?
$10,000 invested in ITA at its first recorded close on May 5, 2006 would be worth about $96,596 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for ITA?
The worst calendar year was 2008, with a total return of −38.6%. The best was 2013 at +57.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of ITA?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −59.7% between October 9, 2007 and March 9, 2009. It recovered to the old high on December 10, 2012, 3.8 years after the bottom.
How volatile is ITA?
Over the past 3 years ITA had an annualized volatility of 18.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.11 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).