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See exactly how KDEF's revenue becomes profit — a Sankey that traces revenue (and its reported segments) through gross profit, operating expenses, and net profit, with the year-over-year change on every line.
The same diagram the Chart Builder draws, right on the Summary tab. Upgrade to unlock it for KDEF and 80,000+ other tickers.
This investment product typically allocates its capital to the underlying assets that constitute its benchmark index. That index is specifically engineered to reflect the financial results of South Korean enterprises with a strong connection to the defense sector, officially referred to as "Korea Defense Companies." During standard operating periods, the fund is obligated to invest a minimum of 80% of its total net assets—encompassing any borrowed funds utilized for investment—in the constituent securities of this index. It functions as a non-diversified portfolio.
The PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF is a unique international aerospace and defense fund. The ETF seems relatively cheap compared to other industrial ETFs, given the solid fundamentals of the portfolio's underlying holdings. However, the fund's hyper-specific niche does cause it to face some idiosyncratic risks.
Investors are focusing on AI developments in North Asia. China is coming out of more than three years of deflation measured by the producer price index.
Key Takeaways: Defense ETFs now hold $42 billion in assets with $9 billion in inflows this year amid rising geopolitical tensions. Eight out of nine new defense ETF launches since 2025 have been global or international offerings.
VettaFi explores how defense ETFs have expanded beyond traditional contractors into international, space, and drone investment opportunities.
PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF (KDEF) has outperformed peers, tripling in price since inception and delivering 1.5-1.9x higher returns than unleveraged Korean ETFs. KDEF targets South Korean defense stocks poised to benefit from rising global military spending, leveraging advanced manufacturing and rapid order fulfillment capabilities. Despite strong growth prospects, KDEF trades at a significant valuation premium (24x earnings, 10.1x cash flow) versus diversified peer EWY, with higher volatility and liquidity risks.