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Weekly ETF Brief

An Investment Vision for European Defence

Geopolitical escalation and de-globalisation have created renewed focus on defence, particularly in Europe. But the industry is changing as technology drives more involvement from non-core defense companies. We explore a systematic approach to identifying companies that are involved in helping create Europe’s new defence vision. 
6 min read
Senior Equity ETF Strategist

In Defence of Europe

The global geopolitical landscape has shifted profoundly in recent years, propelling defence and security considerations to the forefront of sovereign investment and foreign policy, particularly in Europe. Finland and Sweden recently became the 31st and 32nd states to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The United States’ foreign policy is retreating from its long-standing defence commitment to the European continent. President Trump began his second term calling for European countries to assume a larger role in funding its defence. 

This renewed emphasis on defence has driven considerable investor interest in companies positioned to benefit. 

The convergence of two macro themes — geopolitical escalation and de-globalisation — has created an opportunity in European defence stocks. The new SPDR S&P Europe Defense Vision UCITS ETF (Acc) provides exposure to today’s leading European defence companies as well as those with potential to benefit from the strategic, long-term vision of the continent’s defence. 

The ETF tracks the S&P Europe Defense Vision Index, which offers diversified exposure to industrial and technology companies across Europe that are actively involved in defence. This index has displayed significant periods of high momentum and outperformance against the market benchmark, especially around critical geopolitical events (Figure 1). 

For investors seeking a European defence thematic exposure, the S&P Dow Jones Global Business Involvement Screens (BIS) provide a comprehensive assessment tool of companies’ direct and indirect revenue exposures to specific products and services. As of each rebalancing reference date, S&P assigns an exposure score based on the percentage of a company’s revenue from military contracting, as defined by BIS, with the following thresholds: 

Exposure Score 0.25 0.5 0.75 1
Military Contracting Exposure % of Revenue >=1% and <25%  >=25% and <50%  >=50% and <75%  >= 75% 

Tracking the S&P Europe Defense Vision Index methodology creates an ETF with exposure to diversified industrial and technology companies across Europe which are involved in the manufacturing, assembly, sale, and transportation of core military weaponry — and a broader range of military-related, non-weapon products and services, such as military vehicles, wearable technology, military-grade software, and communication systems. Constituents are weighted based on the product of each constituent’s float-adjusted market capitalisation and the exposure score, subject to the other selection criteria and diversification constraints.

Index Constituents

Exposure Score Stock Industry Index Weight
1.00 Rheinmetall (RHM) Aerospace & Defence 16.88%
1.00 BAE (BA/) Aerospace & Defence 14.56%
1.00 SAAB (SAABB) Aerospace & Defence 7.43%
1.00 INVISIO (IVSO) Aerospace & Defence 0.64%
1.00 Leonardo (LDO) Aerospace & Defence 11.47%
0.75 Thales (HO) Aerospace & Defence 9.26%
0.75 Dassault (AM) Aerospace & Defence 2.21%
0.75 Babcock (BAB) Aerospace & Defence 2.17%
0.75 QINETIQ (QQ/) Aerospace & Defence 1.12%
0.75 Chemring (CHG) Aerospace & Defence 0.58%
0.75 MilDef (MILDEF) Aerospace & Defence 0.31%
0.50 Rolls-Royce (RR/) Aerospace & Defence 8.25%
0.50 Kongsberg (KOG) Aerospace & Defence 3.57%
0.50 Melrose (MRO) Aerospace & Defence 1.81%
0.50 HENSOLDT (HAG) Aerospace & Defence 1.36%
0.50 Serco (SRP) Commercial Services & Supplies 0.60%
0.50 Fincantieri (FCT) Machinery 0.38%
0.25 Safran (SAF) Aerospace & Defence 5.03%
0.25 Airbus (AIR) Aerospace & Defence 4.73%
0.25  Hexagon (HEXAB) Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components 2.40%
0.25 MTU (MTX) Aerospace & Defence 2.48%
0.25 Smiths (SMIN) Industrial Conglomerates 1.15%
0.25 Indra (IDR) IT Services 0.45%
0.25 Sopra (SOP) IT Services 0.37%
0.25 SES (SESG) Media 0.23%
0.25 Bodycote (BOY) Machinery 0.16%
0.25 Kitron (KIT) Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components 0.12%
0.25 Kier  (KIE) Construction & Engineering 0.12%
0.25 Senior (SNR) Aerospace & Defence 0.11%
0.25 Avio (AVIO) Aerospace & Defence 0.05%

Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices, as of 27 May 2025 (Link). Holdings and Characteristics are as of the date indicated, are subject to change, and should not be relied upon as current thereafter.

How to Access the Theme

We expect 2025 will continue to be a critical year for investment in defending Europe. As geopolitical tensions remain high and the US continues to pursue an America First agenda, European companies have an opportunity to provide the manufacturing and technology demanded by this strategic shift. With significant investments committed by EU sovereigns — and opportunity for private company innovation — the defence sector offers compelling opportunities for growth. The SPDR S&P Europe Defense Vision UCITS ETF (Acc) provides exposure to today’s leading European defence companies and those with the potential to benefit from the strategic, long-term vision of the continent’s defence. 

Further Reading: Navigating the European Defence Investment Landscape

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