First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL)
Market Price (8/23/2026): $45.505
First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL)
Market Price (8/23/2026): $45.505
Key Takeaways
- MISL has returned +6.4% YTD vs +12.6% for SPY; +17.5% over the past 12 months (SPY +19.7%). details →
- Priced in gold, MISL has returned -17.1% over the past 3 years, vs +99.7% in dollars — its dollar gains have lagged gold. details →
- Over the past month, MISL has seen net outflows of −$22M (−2.9% of assets). details →
- MISL's portfolio trades at 34.2x forward earnings — a 305% premium to SPY (8.5x). details →
- MISL's top 10 holdings represent 61% of the fund vs 37% for SPY — a more concentrated portfolio. details →
Asset Allocation with MISL
Moderate — 55% equity / 25% bonds / 20% alternatives
10Y Return (ann.)
+8.0%
Volatility
7.9%
Sharpe
0.66
YTD
+6.0%
Modeled with monthly rebalancing to target weights; 10-year figures are annualized from monthly returns. Illustrative only — past performance is not indicative of future results.
Learn More →
Tailored Asset Allocation
[1] Personalized 5 Level Risk Tolerance Assessment
[2] Asset Allocation for My Risk Tolerance
Learn More →
Protect Wealth
[1] Defensive Portfolios
[2] Tax-Efficient Strategies
Top 20 Holdings for MISL
Total Weights Top 5: 41.3% | Top 10: 61.2% | Top 20: 86.8%
| Ticker | Holding | ETF Weight | Sales Weight | Earnings Weight | Fwd P/S | Fwd P/E | Fwd Sales Growth | Fwd Earnings Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 99.73% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 3.0 | 34.2 | +11.3% | +15.5% | |
| Top 20 | 86.76% | 80.05% | 86.91% | 3.2 | 35.3 | +12.0% | +15.6% | |
| PLTR | Palantir Technologies | 10.13% | 0.49% | 3.02% | 39.8 | 98.8 | +49.4% | +40.0% |
| RTX | RTX | 8.42% | 9.41% | 9.81% | 2.8 | 27.1 | +7.4% | +8.8% |
| GE | GE Aerospace | 7.65% | 3.63% | 8.09% | 6.7 | 40.2 | +11.1% | +12.8% |
| BA | Boeing | 7.57% | 14.24% | 4.64% | 1.6 | 96.4 | +14.8% | — |
| SPCX | Space Exploration Technologies | 7.49% | 0.65% | — | 9.6 | 210.2 | +139.0% | +260.6% |
| LMT | Lockheed Martin | 4.22% | 8.50% | 8.73% | 1.5 | 17.6 | +5.7% | +6.9% |
| HWM | Howmet Aerospace | 3.97% | 1.13% | 2.92% | 9.9 | 44.6 | +13.4% | +20.3% |
| HEI | Heico | 3.94% | 1.32% | 2.68% | 8.6 | 51.3 | +10.2% | +13.2% |
| NOC | Northrop Grumman | 3.93% | 7.30% | 9.64% | 1.7 | 18.4 | +6.9% | +4.1% |
| GD | General Dynamics | 3.88% | 6.95% | 7.16% | 1.8 | 21.0 | +4.9% | +9.0% |
| RKLB | Rocket Lab | 3.77% | 0.22% | — | 36.6 | — | +46.0% | — |
| TDG | TransDigm | 3.57% | 1.76% | 4.70% | 6.0 | 25.0 | +10.1% | +17.5% |
| LHX | L3Harris Technologies | 3.56% | 5.58% | 5.69% | 2.0 | 20.4 | +7.0% | +15.0% |
| ASTS | AST SpaceMobile | 2.77% | 0.05% | — | 38.6 | — | +351.0% | — |
| CW | Curtiss-Wright | 2.58% | 1.36% | 2.54% | 5.9 | 38.1 | +8.2% | +10.2% |
| FTAI | FTAI Aviation | 2.34% | 1.15% | 2.30% | 3.9 | 22.1 | +65.6% | +103.4% |
| WWD | Woodward | 2.21% | 1.54% | 2.55% | 4.4 | 31.5 | +8.9% | +12.3% |
| LDOS | Leidos | 1.79% | 6.02% | 5.91% | 0.9 | 10.6 | +4.7% | +4.6% |
| TXT | Textron | 1.53% | 5.50% | 4.24% | 0.9 | 11.5 | +3.7% | +12.4% |
| CACI | CACI International | 1.44% | 3.26% | 2.30% | 1.3 | 18.7 | +6.7% | +12.3% |
[1] Total and Top 20 rows are weighted aggregates across constituents.
[2] Forward P/S and P/E ratios use consensus sales and earnings for the 12 months ending 8/31/27. Individual constituent FY1 and FY2 consensus figures adjusted to align with 8/31/27.
[3] Forward Sales and Non-GAAP Earnings Growth are calculated as next fiscal year (FY2) consensus growth over current fiscal year (FY1) consensus. They are not derived from the forward P/S and P/E multiples shown.
[2] Forward P/S and P/E ratios use consensus sales and earnings for the 12 months ending 8/31/27. Individual constituent FY1 and FY2 consensus figures adjusted to align with 8/31/27.
[3] Forward Sales and Non-GAAP Earnings Growth are calculated as next fiscal year (FY2) consensus growth over current fiscal year (FY1) consensus. They are not derived from the forward P/S and P/E multiples shown.
Performance for MISL Top Holdings
| Ticker | Holding | Weight | Mkt Price8/22 | 1D Rtn | 1M Rtn | YTD Rtn | 1Y Rtn | 3Y Rtn | 5Y Rtn | 10Y Rtn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MISL | First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF | 100.00% | 45.53 | 0.0% | 4.8% | 6.4% | 17.5% | 99.7% | ||
| PLTR | Palantir Technologies | 10.13% | 179.94 | 0.0% | 45.9% | 1.2% | 13.4% | 1,076.1% | 625.0% | |
| RTX | RTX | 8.42% | 209.91 | 0.0% | 0.7% | 15.7% | 36.3% | 159.0% | 175.1% | 316.8% |
| GE | GE Aerospace | 7.65% | 348.37 | 0.0% | -0.2% | 13.4% | 31.4% | 291.0% | 462.1% | 157.7% |
| BA | Boeing | 7.57% | 214.20 | 0.0% | 2.4% | -1.3% | -6.9% | -6.3% | -2.4% | 74.7% |
| SPCX | Space Exploration Technologies | 7.49% | 136.97 | 0.0% | 15.8% | |||||
| LMT | Lockheed Martin | 4.22% | 563.57 | 0.0% | -0.9% | 17.9% | 29.7% | 34.4% | 80.5% | 195.9% |
| HWM | Howmet Aerospace | 3.97% | 271.68 | 0.0% | -5.3% | 32.7% | 59.2% | 457.4% | 756.0% | 1,134.0% |
| HEI | Heico | 3.94% | 355.04 | 0.0% | 4.3% | 9.8% | 14.8% | 115.2% | 177.4% | 846.4% |
| NOC | Northrop Grumman | 3.93% | 551.03 | 0.0% | 3.3% | -2.6% | -5.5% | 33.3% | 64.6% | 202.3% |
| GD | General Dynamics | 3.88% | 384.29 | 0.0% | 0.7% | 15.7% | 22.4% | 81.4% | 115.5% | 213.4% |
| RKLB | Rocket Lab | 3.77% | 72.57 | 0.0% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 63.5% | 1,123.8% | 555.6% | |
| TDG | TransDigm | 3.57% | 1,200.35 | 0.0% | -1.1% | -9.7% | -8.9% | 62.2% | 139.5% | 575.6% |
| LHX | L3Harris Technologies | 3.56% | 266.73 | 0.0% | -11.0% | -8.5% | -1.7% | 58.8% | 26.7% | 253.6% |
| ASTS | AST SpaceMobile | 2.77% | 68.65 | 0.0% | 16.0% | -5.5% | 45.8% | 1,721.0% | 641.4% | |
| CW | Curtiss-Wright | 2.58% | 634.99 | 0.0% | -15.3% | 15.3% | 32.2% | 210.1% | 445.9% | 639.9% |
| FTAI | FTAI Aviation | 2.34% | 209.70 | 0.0% | -3.1% | 7.1% | 43.1% | 498.2% | 981.0% | 3,565.1% |
| WWD | Woodward | 2.21% | 343.26 | 0.0% | -16.6% | 13.8% | 38.9% | 174.7% | 196.5% | 494.8% |
| LDOS | Leidos | 1.79% | 141.39 | 0.0% | 28.2% | -21.2% | -21.4% | 53.2% | 56.5% | 314.2% |
| TXT | Textron | 1.53% | 82.95 | 0.0% | -11.0% | -4.8% | 1.8% | 9.8% | 16.6% | 105.1% |
| CACI | CACI International | 1.44% | 647.39 | 0.0% | 34.7% | 21.5% | 34.5% | 95.6% | 151.4% | 564.1% |
Guidance Updates for MISL Top Holdings
| Ticker | Company | Earnings Date | Guidance Metric | Midpoint Value | % Change | Guidance Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CACI_8052026 | CACI | CACI International | 8/5/2026 | 2027 Revenue | 10.75 Bil | 12.6% | Higher NewNew Guidance Higher than Prior Actual of 9.55 Bil for 2026 |
| HWM_8062026 | HWM | Howmet Aerospace | 8/6/2026 | Q3 2026 Revenue | 2.58 Bil | 7.3% | Higher NewNew Guidance Higher than Prior Actual of 2.40 Bil for Q2 2026 |
| PLTR_8032026 | PLTR | Palantir Technologies | 8/3/2026 | 2026 Revenue | 8.15 Bil | 6.5% | RaisedRaised Prior Guidance of 7.66 Bil for 2026 |
| RKLB_8102026 | RKLB | Rocket Lab | 8/10/2026 | Q3 2026 Revenue | 257.50 Mil | 10.8% | Higher NewNew Guidance Higher than Prior Actual of 232.50 Mil for Q2 2026 |
Price Returns Compared
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||
| MISL Return | - | 8% | 15% | 20% | 41% | 6% | 123% |
| Peers Return | 15% | -20% | 33% | 13% | 40% | 40% | 175% |
| S&P 500 Return | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 12% | 103% |
Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||
| MISL Win Rate | - | 100% | 58% | 58% | 83% | 50% | |
| Peers Win Rate | 58% | 45% | 62% | 58% | 67% | 70% | |
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 67% | 50% | |
Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||
| MISL Max Drawdown | - | - | -10% | -10% | -16% | -17% | |
| Peers Max Drawdown | -20% | -37% | -19% | -18% | -26% | -18% | |
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -5% | -25% | -10% | -8% | -19% | -9% | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2021
[2] Peers: SMH, SOXX, IBB, XBI, ITA.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2026 data is for the year up to 8/21/2026 (YTD)
Sharpe Ratios Compared
One measure of reward vs. risk is a Sharpe ratio. A higher ratio indicates better risk-adjusted returns. Most funds have Sharpe ratios < 1.0.
Results as of 7312026.
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Current Dip Buy Opportunities Across ETFs
ETFs currently down 5% or more from trailing 6M peaks.
| Ticker | Name | Dip % | Mkt Price | Price Date | Peak Price | Peak Date | # Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAGS | Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF | -5.2% | 67.28 | 8222026 | 70.94 | 5142026 | 100 |
| IEMG | iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | -5.2% | 81.57 | 8222026 | 86.00 | 6222026 | 61 |
| EEM | iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | -5.7% | 67.12 | 8222026 | 71.21 | 6222026 | 61 |
| ASHR | Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF | -7.5% | 34.49 | 8222026 | 37.30 | 6222026 | 61 |
| EWY | iShares MSCI South Korea ETF | -18.6% | 178.34 | 8222026 | 219.20 | 6212026 | 62 |
| EWZ | iShares MSCI Brazil ETF | -16.0% | 35.06 | 8222026 | 41.73 | 4142026 | 130 |
| FXI | iShares China Large-Cap ETF | -7.6% | 35.86 | 8222026 | 38.81 | 2222026 | 181 |
| ILF | iShares Latin America 40 ETF | -9.0% | 34.68 | 8222026 | 38.10 | 4142026 | 130 |
| KWEB | KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF | -18.5% | 26.66 | 8222026 | 32.70 | 2222026 | 181 |
| MTUM | iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF | -11.6% | 305.17 | 8222026 | 345.22 | 6222026 | 61 |
| SPMO | Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF | -8.0% | 148.73 | 8222026 | 161.66 | 6222026 | 61 |
| URA | Global X Uranium ETF | -20.9% | 46.07 | 8222026 | 58.26 | 5062026 | 108 |
| BOTZ | Global X Funds Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF | -13.4% | 36.04 | 8222026 | 41.63 | 5132026 | 101 |
| ROBO | ROBO Global Robotics & Automation Index ETF | -10.2% | 81.17 | 8222026 | 90.34 | 6022026 | 81 |
| LIT | Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF | -16.4% | 76.61 | 8222026 | 91.62 | 5112026 | 103 |
| ICLN | iShares Global Clean Energy ETF | -25.9% | 17.59 | 8222026 | 23.75 | 6022026 | 81 |
| ARKQ | ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF | -12.7% | 125.58 | 8222026 | 143.82 | 5282026 | 86 |
| ARKX | ARK Space & Defense Innovation ETF | -11.9% | 33.25 | 8222026 | 37.74 | 5282026 | 86 |
| NASA | Tema Space Innovators ETF | -41.2% | 24.64 | 8222026 | 41.89 | 5272026 | 87 |
| AGIX | KraneShares Artificial Intelligence ETF | -9.2% | 44.85 | 8222026 | 49.40 | 6012026 | 82 |
| VGT | Vanguard Information Technology ETF | -5.7% | 118.42 | 8222026 | 125.62 | 6022026 | 81 |
| XLK | State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | -7.5% | 183.31 | 8222026 | 198.21 | 6022026 | 81 |
| XLC | State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF | -6.5% | 111.40 | 8222026 | 119.10 | 4192026 | 125 |
| XLU | State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF | -9.8% | 42.77 | 8222026 | 47.40 | 3012026 | 174 |
| SMH | VanEck Semiconductor ETF | -16.2% | 560.42 | 8222026 | 668.91 | 6222026 | 61 |
| SOXX | iShares Semiconductor ETF | -20.6% | 520.05 | 8222026 | 655.01 | 6222026 | 61 |
| ITA | iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | -6.3% | 237.34 | 8222026 | 253.22 | 8162026 | 6 |
| MISL | First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF | -10.1% | 45.53 | 8222026 | 50.66 | 3022026 | 173 |
| RING | iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF | -8.6% | 90.85 | 8222026 | 99.42 | 3012026 | 174 |
| SOXQ | Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF | -19.7% | 92.42 | 8222026 | 115.11 | 6222026 | 61 |
| TLT | iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | -8.0% | 82.05 | 8222026 | 89.15 | 3012026 | 174 |
| VGLT | Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF | -6.7% | 52.75 | 8222026 | 56.53 | 3012026 | 174 |
| SPTL | State Street SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF | -7.1% | 25.09 | 8222026 | 26.99 | 3012026 | 174 |
| TLH | iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -6.2% | 96.69 | 8222026 | 103.08 | 3012026 | 174 |
| EDV | Vanguard World Funds Extended Duration ETF | -11.7% | 59.51 | 8222026 | 67.42 | 3012026 | 174 |
| SPLB | State Street SPDR Portfolio Long Term Corporate Bond ETF | -5.3% | 21.33 | 8222026 | 22.52 | 2262026 | 177 |
| GSG | iShares GSCI Commodity | -5.8% | 30.01 | 8222026 | 31.85 | 3182026 | 157 |
| GLD | SPDR Gold Trust | -13.6% | 423.36 | 8222026 | 490.00 | 3022026 | 173 |
| IAU | iShares Gold Trust | -13.5% | 86.79 | 8222026 | 100.38 | 3022026 | 173 |
| GLDM | SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | -13.5% | 91.32 | 8222026 | 105.54 | 3022026 | 173 |
| SGOL | ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares | -12.1% | 44.66 | 8222026 | 50.81 | 3022026 | 173 |
| BAR | Direxion Daily Gold Bull 3X Shares | -15.6% | 44.34 | 8222026 | 52.53 | 3022026 | 173 |
| SLV | iShares Silver Trust | -26.2% | 62.72 | 8222026 | 84.99 | 3012026 | 174 |
| SIVR | ETFS Physical Silver Shares Trust ETF | -6.6% | 83.39 | 8222026 | 89.26 | 3012026 | 174 |
| PPLT | ETFS Physical Platinum Shares | -20.7% | 17.02 | 8222026 | 21.47 | 3012026 | 174 |
| CPER | United States Copper Index Fund ETV | -9.6% | 33.33 | 8222026 | 36.88 | 3012026 | 174 |
| PALL | ETFS Physical Palladium Shares | -24.9% | 24.45 | 8222026 | 32.54 | 2242026 | 179 |
| USO | United States Oil Fund LP | -12.0% | 134.64 | 8222026 | 152.96 | 5192026 | 95 |
| UNG | United States Natural Gas Fund LP | -23.4% | 9.99 | 8222026 | 13.04 | 3122026 | 163 |
| BNO | United States Brent Oil Fund LP ETV | -7.1% | 55.85 | 8222026 | 60.13 | 5042026 | 110 |
| IBIT | iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | -6.0% | 43.68 | 8222026 | 46.47 | 5112026 | 103 |
| FBTC | Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund | -6.1% | 67.02 | 8222026 | 71.35 | 5112026 | 103 |
ETF Fund Flows
Largest fund inflows and outflows across ETFs, with the asset-allocation rotation they imply.
Net fund flows · as of 2026-08-21
Asset allocation rotation · Past month
- Equity ETFs drew the largest net inflows (+$50.4B), followed by Bond (+$16.7B), while Real Estate (−$122M) saw the largest outflows.
- Within the mix, money rotated into US Nasdaq Growth (+$20.1B) and out of Industry Subsector (−$2.3B).
- Relative to fund size, CNEQ drew the largest inflow (+88.2% of AUM) and FTXL the largest outflow (−69.2%).
Largest inflows
| # | Ticker | Name | Net flow | % of AUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | +$16.26B | +3.4% |
| 2 | VOO | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | +$14.81B | +1.4% |
| 3 | SGOV | iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | +$5.65B | +5.6% |
| 4 | GLD | SPDR Gold Shares | +$5.54B | +3.9% |
| 5 | SPYM | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | +$5.23B | +3.1% |
| 6 | TLT | iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | +$4.9B | +11.2% |
| 7 | VTI | Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | +$3.96B | +0.6% |
| 8 | SCHD | Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | +$3.92B | +3.7% |
| 9 | QQQM | Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF | +$3.87B | +3.8% |
| 10 | AVLV | Avantis U.S. Large Cap Value ETF | +$2.97B | +16.2% |
Largest outflows
| # | Ticker | Name | Net flow | % of AUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | -$15.73B | -1.8% |
| 2 | IEF | iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF | -$4.29B | -9.5% |
| 3 | XLF | State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF | -$1.75B | -3.0% |
| 4 | LQD | iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | -$1.49B | -4.5% |
| 5 | SOXX | iShares Semiconductor ETF | -$1.34B | -3.1% |
| 6 | SMH | VanEck Semiconductor ETF | -$1.21B | -1.8% |
| 7 | IWM | iShares Russell 2000 ETF | -$1.13B | -1.4% |
| 8 | FTXL | First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF | -$920M | -69.2% |
| 9 | EWZ | iShares MSCI Brazil ETF | -$891M | -9.9% |
| 10 | MTUM | iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF | -$821M | -3.2% |
Largest ETF fund flows across ~2622 funds (min AUM $100M). Net creations/redemptions; leveraged & inverse ETFs excluded. A ⚠ marks a day excluded as a suspected data error.
About MISL
| Holdings Count: 49Expense Ratio: 0.6%Inception Date: 2022-10-25 | First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETFThe First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF aims to mirror the financial performance, specifically the capital appreciation and income generation, of the Indxx US Aerospace & Defense Index, before factoring in its operational costs. Typically, under ordinary market circumstances, the Fund allocates a minimum of 80% of its net assets, including any capital acquired through borrowing, to the equity securities composing that benchmark index.Asset Class: Sector Equity | ETF Website |
Research & Analysis
Invest in Strategies
Wealth Management
Peer Comparisons
| Peers to compare with: |
Profile
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Asset Class | - |
| AUM ($ Bil) | 12.9 |
| Expense Ratio | 0.36% |
| 10-D Avg Volume (Mil) | 5.05 |
| Latest Day Volume (Mil) | 8.26 |
| Holdings Count | 49 |
| Inception Date | - |
Fundamentals
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Net Asset Value | - |
| Premium/Discount | -4.7% |
| Distribution Yield | 0.2% |
| Sales Yield | 10.1% |
| Earnings Yield | 2.2% |
External Quote Links
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| TradingView | Morningstar |
| SeekingAlpha | ValueLine |
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| CNBC | Etrade |
| MarketWatch | Unusual Whales |
| YCharts | Perplexity Finance |
| FinViz |
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