ETF Evaluator:
Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF (AINF)
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(as of Sep 17)
Best Performing in Technology Over the Last Year
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ETF Details
Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF Overview
Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF (AINF) is a passively managed Sector Equity Technology exchange-traded fund (ETF). Defiance ETFs LLC launched the ETF in 2026.
The investment seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the BITA AI Inference Chip Select Index (the “Index”).
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the fund’s net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in AI Chip Companies. The fund is non-diversified.
About Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF (AINF)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.04 years: Brett Johnson (2026) and Christopher Mullen (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: BITA AI Inference Chip Select TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF has 4 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 107.8% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is -7.7% (-7.7% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF has 107.8% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $463 million in total assets, which is below the $3 billion average for the Technology category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
AINF Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Technology category. Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF has an expense ratio of 0.65%, which is 18% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 40% for the Technology category.
Recently, in the month of August 2026, Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF returned 0.0%, which earned it a grade of NA, as the Technology category had an average return of 5.6%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Defiance Inference AI Chip ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 0.44% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
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AINF Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 8/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| AINF Return (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| AINF Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Technology Avg | 5.6% | -3.8% | 38.1% | 26.6% | 11.4% | 19.4% |
| AINF Grade (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| AINF Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
AINF Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 8/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| AINF Return (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| AINF Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Technology Avg | 28.2% | 23.1% | 20.0% | 43.5% | -35.4% | 17.3% | 51.6% | 37.9% | -3.3% | 32.3% | 15.5% |
| AINF Grade (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 0 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 0 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.65% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | BITA AI Inference Chip Select TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.0 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.0 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Johnson Brett (2026), Mullen Christopher (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 8/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 4 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 107.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | -7.7% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | -0.1% |
| Cash: | 107.8% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Defiance ETFs LLC |
| Phone Number: | 800-617-0004 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | August 17, 2026 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.65% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.55% |