ETF Evaluator:
WisdomTree Global Defense Fund ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 25)
Best Performing in Industrials Over the Last Year
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| 39.7% | US Global Sea to Sky Cargo ETF (SEA) |
Risk
Index
Risk
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ETF Details
WisdomTree Global Defense Fund Overview
WisdomTree Global Defense Fund (WDGF) is a passively managed Sector Equity Industrials exchange-traded fund (ETF). WisdomTree launched the ETF in 2025.
The investment seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Global Defense Index (the “Index”).
Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in constituents of the index and/or investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially similar to the economic characteristics of such constituents. The index has between 20 and 100 constituents with a maximum weight of 5% for “Exposure Score 2” constituents and 2.5% for “Exposure Score 1” constituents. The fund is non-diversified.
About WisdomTree Global Defense Fund (WDGF)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.89 years: Marlene Walker-Smith (2025), David France (2025), Todd Frysinger (2025), Vlasta Sheremeta (2025) and Michael Stoll (2025). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: WisdomTree Gbl Defense GR USD index with a weighting of 100%. WisdomTree Global Defense Fund has 103 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 48.4% 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.
WisdomTree Global Defense Fund is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. WisdomTree Global Defense Fund has 45.4% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 54.5% There is 45.4% 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). WisdomTree Global Defense Fund has 0.7% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $5 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.
WDGF 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 WisdomTree Global Defense Fund expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Industrials category. WisdomTree Global Defense Fund has an expense ratio of 0.45%, which is 12% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. 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. WisdomTree Global Defense Fund has a portfolio turnover rate of 28%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 40% for the Industrials category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, WisdomTree Global Defense Fund returned 3.3%, which earned it a grade of A, 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.
WisdomTree Global Defense Fund has a trailing yield of 0.00%, 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.
WisdomTree Global Defense Fund Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 3.0%, 9.7 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F.
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WDGF 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 |
|
| WDGF Return (NAV) | 3.3% | -3.6% | na | na | na | na |
| WDGF Return (Price) | 3.2% | -4.1% | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.106% | 0.415% | na | na | na | na |
| Industrials Avg | -4.0% | -1.4% | 24.7% | 17.8% | 11.5% | 13.6% |
| WDGF Grade (NAV) | A | D | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 7.3% | -2.2% | na | na | na | na |
| WDGF Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
WDGF Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| WDGF Return (NAV) | 3.0% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| WDGF Return (Price) | 2.9% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.012% | na | 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% |
| WDGF Grade (NAV) | F | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -9.7% | 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: | $ 6 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 6 Mil |
| Turnover: | 28.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.45% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | WisdomTree Gbl Defense GR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 5 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.9 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.9 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Walker-Smith Marlene (2025), France David (2025), Frysinger Todd (2025), Sheremeta Vlasta (2025), Stoll Michael (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 3/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 103 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 48.4% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 45.4% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 54.5% |
| Foreign Stock: | 45.4% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | -0.6% |
| Cash: | 0.7% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | WisdomTree |
| Phone Number: | 866-909-9473 |
| Website: | www.wisdomtree.com |
| Inception Date: | September 10, 2025 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.45% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.51% |
