WisdomTree has bolstered its suite of defence ETFs with two further launches in response to investor demand.
According to the group, the $5.258bn WisdomTree Europe Defence UCITS ETF (WDEF), which launched in March 2025, was the fastest equity ETF ever in Europe to reach $3bn in AUM and has seen $1.3bn in net flows this year.
The WisdomTree Asia Defence UCITS ETF (WDAF) and the WisdomTree Global Defence UCITS ETF (WDGF) seek to track the price and yield performance of the WisdomTree Asia Defence UCITS Index and the WisdomTree Global Defence UCITS Index, respectively, before fees. The indices incorporate screens that exclude companies involved in certain controversial weapons.
WDAF targets defence companies across the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China) and aims to capitalise on Asian governments’ expanding budgets, while WDGF is exposed to global companies that derive a meaningful portion of their revenues from defence activities, such as manufacturing, systems and technologies.
WDAF has a total expense ratio of 0.5% while WDGF has a TER of 0.4%. Both ETFs listed on Börse Xetra, Borsa Italiana, Euronext Paris and SIX Swiss Exchange today (31 March) and will list on the London Stock Exchange on 1 April 2026.
Pierre Debru, head of research, Europe, WisdomTree, said: “Defence has become a structural investment theme rather than a short-term reaction to geopolitical events. Governments are embedding defence spending into long-term security strategies, creating sustained procurement pipelines and industrial investment cycles.
“With these new ETFs, investors can access the theme through both a global strategy that captures multiple rearmament cycles and a dedicated Asia strategy focused on a region where defence spending is accelerating rapidly.”
