MarketVector Global Defense Industry vs EQM Future of Defence
- DFNS holds defense industry (us-tilted) (MarketVector Global Defense Industry); NATO holds defence companies (EQM Future of Defence).
- NATO is cheaper at 0.49% a year versus 0.55% for DFNS, and lower fees compound in your favour over time.
- Over the past five years DFNS returned +186% versus +163% for NATO, in USD.
Shown in USD. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future results.
- Annual fee (TER)
- 0.55%
- 0.49%
- Tracks
- MarketVector Global Defense Industry
- EQM Future of Defence
- Distribution
- Accumulating
- Accumulating
- Domicile
- Ireland · UCITS
- Ireland · UCITS
- Risk
- Higher (4/5)
- Higher (4/5)
- Trades in
- LSE (USD)
- LSE (USD)
- Provider
- VanEck
- HANetf
The big defense contractors: Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Boeing, L3Harris. More US-tilted than the HANetf NATO fund. Listed in March 2023 so it caught the post-Ukraine rally early.
See full DFNS details →Weapons makers and defence contractors based in NATO countries: Lockheed Martin, RTX (Raytheon), Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Rheinmetall. Has surged since the Russia-Ukraine war as European countries rebuild their militaries. Launched in 2023, so limited history through tough times.
See full NATO details →Both DFNS and NATOare Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs, so dividends from their US holdings are taxed at 15% under Ireland's US treaty, rather than the 30% that applies to US-domiciled funds for many non-US investors, and they sit outside US estate tax. Your own local tax still depends on where you live, so check your country's rules; for most investors the main ongoing cost to watch is each fund's annual fee.
Available on Interactive Brokers
Buy DFNS, NATO and thousands of other UCITS ETFs on Interactive Brokers.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, DFNS.L or NATO.L?
NATO.L is cheaper. DFNS.L charges 0.55% per year and NATO.L charges 0.49%. Both are inexpensive index funds, but a lower fee compounds in your favour over the long run.
Are DFNS.L and NATO.L accumulating or distributing?
DFNS.L is accumulating, so dividends are reinvested automatically inside the fund. NATO.L is accumulating, so dividends are reinvested automatically inside the fund. Accumulating funds suit investors who want hands-off compounding with no cash dividends to reinvest manually.
Are DFNS.L and NATO.L both UCITS ETFs?
Yes, both are UCITS ETFs (DFNS.L domiciled in Ireland, NATO.L in Ireland), so both give non-US investors the 15% US dividend withholding rate and sit outside US estate tax, unlike US-domiciled ETFs.