ETF Evaluator:
Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Industrials Over the Last Year
| 115.3% | Leverage Shares 2X Long UNH Daily ETF (UNHG) |
| 63.0% | Stt Strt® SPDR® S&PKenshoFnlFrntrsETF (ROKT) |
| 58.9% | SonicShares™ Global Shipping ETF (BOAT) |
| 45.9% | Aztlan NA Nearshoring Stk Sel ETF (NRSH) |
| 39.7% | US Global Sea to Sky Cargo ETF (SEA) |
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ETF Details
Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF Overview
Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO) is a passively managed Sector Equity Industrials exchange-traded fund (ETF). Themes ETF Trust launched the ETF in 2024.
The investment seeks to track the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Solactive Transatlantic Aerospace and Defense Index.
The index is designed to provide exposure to companies that have business operations in the aerospace and defense industry and are headquartered in a country that is a member of NATO. The fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities that comprise the index and ADRs and GDRs based on the securities in the index. The fund is non-diversified.
About Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF (NATO)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 1.81 years: Dingxun(Kevin) Shao (2024), Calvin Tsang (2024) and Paul Bartkowiak (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: Solactive Trans Aero & Defense TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF has 94 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 60.3% 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.
Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF has 31.2% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 68.4% There is 31.2% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF has 0.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $102 million in total assets, which is below the $1 billion average for the Industrials 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.
NATO 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 Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Industrials category. Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF has an expense ratio of 0.35%, which is 31% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. 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. Themes Transatlantic Defense 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 Industrials category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF returned 2.0%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Industrials category had an average return of -4.0%. 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.
Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF has a trailing yield of 0.42%, which is below the 1.11% 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.
Themes Transatlantic Defense ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 9.1%, 3.5 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 15.3% over the past year (grade of D).
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NATO Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| NATO Return (NAV) | 2.0% | 7.1% | 15.3% | na | na | na |
| NATO Return (Price) | 2.3% | 7.5% | 15.8% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.358% | -0.391% | -0.553% | na | na | na |
| Industrials Avg | -4.0% | -1.4% | 24.7% | 17.8% | 11.5% | 13.6% |
| NATO Grade (NAV) | B | A | D | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 5.9% | 8.6% | -9.4% | na | na | na |
| NATO Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.2% | na | na | na |
NATO Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| NATO Return (NAV) | 9.1% | 50.0% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NATO Return (Price) | 8.6% | 50.9% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.057% | 0.019% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Industrials Avg | 12.6% | 27.1% | 14.2% | 21.4% | -12.8% | 20.7% | 15.4% | 30.3% | -13.4% | 22.8% | 22.1% |
| NATO Grade (NAV) | D | A | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -3.5% | 22.9% | 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: | 0.4% |
| Total Assets: | $ 103 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 103 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.35% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | Solactive Trans Aero & Defense 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: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 1.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 1.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Shao Dingxun(Kevin) (2024), Tsang Calvin (2024), Bartkowiak Paul (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 94 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 60.3% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 31.2% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 68.4% |
| Foreign Stock: | 31.2% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.4% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Themes ETF Trust |
| Phone Number: | 866-584-3637 |
| Website: | www.ThemesETFs.com |
| Inception Date: | October 10, 2024 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.35% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.51% |
