WisdomTree has expanded its thematic range with the launch of two new exchange-traded funds (ETF), including a ‘world first’ European Defence ETF.

The WisdomTree Europe Defence UCITS ETF (WDEF) and the WisdomTree Uranium and Nuclear Energy UCITS ETF (NCLR) were initially listed on Börse Xetra and Borsa Italiana, and will list on the London Stock Exchange today (12 March 2025).

The WDEF looks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Europe Defence UCITS Index.

This index aims to track the performance of European companies in the defence sector, and exclude firms involved in weapons banned by international law.

WisdomTree stated that the WDEF is the first ETF of its kind that is solely focused on European defence companies.

Recent global events have resulted in European countries committing to increased defence budgets, and WisdomTree argued that this shift has created long-term opportunities in areas such as defence manufacturing, technological innovation, and space defence, offering “significant growth potential”.

Meanwhile, the NCLR seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Uranium and Nuclear Energy UCITS Index.

This index is designed to track the performance of companies involved in the ‘most critical’ components of the uranium and nuclear energy value chain.

The NCLR ETF invests across the value chain, offering exposure to uranium miners, companies involved in the construction, development, and maintenance of nuclear energy infrastructure, and reactors.

WisdomTree said that nuclear energy was regaining prominence amid rising global energy demand and the push for net-zero emissions.

“Nuclear power is increasingly seen to have a significant role to play in the future energy mix due to the political focus on the energy transition, the rise of geopolitical tensions with Russia and China, and the fast-growing energy demand from data centres, AI and cryptocurrencies,” commented WisdomTree head of research, Europe, Pierre Debru.

“Defence and security are underrepresented in many portfolios and have faced decades of underinvestment in Europe, resulting in a significant capability gap.

“A structural shift is underway in Europe as nations increase defence budgets to meet NATO targets and respond to geopolitical challenges. WDEF is the first ETF dedicated to providing exposure to the European defence industry and is built around a timely and urgent theme focused on Europe’s push for strategic autonomy in defence amid rising geopolitical tensions.”

WisdomTree CEO, Europe, Alexis Marinof, added: “The true scale of our research capabilities is reflected in these new launches, which leverage proprietary indices with stock selection grounded in our in-house subject matter expertise.

“While off-the-shelf indices have a role in portfolios, our focus remains on intelligent ETF innovation—bringing pure-play, differentiated exposures to investors.”

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