ITA Dividend: Yield, Schedule, and What to Expect

Last updated July 2026

Short answer

ITA's approximate ~0.9% yield (as of early 2026) makes it a growth-first, low-yield fund, about $90 a year on a $10,000 position before tax. It tracks Dow Jones US Select Aerospace & Defense and passes through the income its holdings generate, usually quarterly, net of the 0.40% expense ratio. If income is your goal, look to dedicated dividend funds for more; ITA is built for total return, not yield. If total return is the goal, the yield matters less than cost and what it holds. Yield is a recent snapshot, not a promise; verify the current figure with iShares (BlackRock).

How does the ITA dividend work?

ITA holds what is in Dow Jones US Select Aerospace & Defense, collects the income those holdings generate, and distributes it to shareholders on the schedule the fund sets, most often quarterly, net of its 0.40% fee. The yield you see is trailing distributions divided by price, so it drifts as both change: a falling price raises the quoted yield without a single extra dollar being paid out.

Tracks the Dow Jones US Select Aerospace & Defense Index. Heavily concentrated in the major US defense primes (RTX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman). Used as the standard passive proxy for defense spending exposure.

What ITA's dividend pays on a real position

Approximate yield: ~0.9% (early 2026).
Income on $10,000: roughly $90 a year before tax, or about $900 on $100,000.
Versus the market: the S&P 500 yields around 1.2%, so ITA pays about the same.
Schedule: set by the fund, most often quarterly. iShares (BlackRock) publishes the exact ex-dividend and pay dates.
Fee: the 0.40% expense ratio comes out before you receive anything, so the yield above is already net of it.

How ITA distributions are taxed

A large share of ITA's distributions are usually qualified dividends, taxed at long-term capital-gains rates rather than as ordinary income, provided the holding-period tests are met by both the fund and you. Some portion can still be ordinary, and REIT or option-income components generally are. iShares (BlackRock)'s annual 1099 shows the actual split. Inside an IRA, Roth, or 401(k) none of it applies while the money stays in the account. Full detail is in how dividends are taxed. This is not tax advice.

If income is your goal, compare ITA against dividend-focused funds. See the best dividend ETFs roundup and best ETFs for monthly income, or analyze how ITA's income fits your real portfolio in Walnut.

The bottom line on the ITA dividend

The bottom line: at an approximate ~0.9% yield, ITA is a growth-first, low-yield fund. If income is your goal, dedicated dividend funds pay more; ITA is the wrong tool for yield and the right one for total-return Dow Jones US Select Aerospace & Defense exposure. If total return is the goal, the yield matters less than cost and what it holds. Treat the figure as a moving snapshot, not a fixed rate, and verify the current yield with iShares (BlackRock).

More on ITA

What is ITA? (holdings, cost, performance, and the themes it covers)
Is ITA a buy? (what you are buying, the case for it, and what to weigh)

Investing in ITA with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how ITA fits what you actually hold: what it overlaps with, what it leaves you exposed to, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

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FAQ

What is ITA's dividend yield?

Approximately ~0.9% as of early 2026. On a $10,000 position that is roughly $90 of distributions a year before tax. The S&P 500 yields around 1.2%, so ITA pays about the same as the broad market. Yield is trailing distributions divided by price, so it moves when either changes; verify the current figure on iShares (BlackRock)'s fund page.

How often does ITA pay a dividend?

Equity ETFs like ITA most often distribute quarterly, though the schedule is set by the fund, not by a rule, and some funds pay monthly, semi-annually, or annually. iShares (BlackRock) publishes ITA's distribution calendar with the exact ex-dividend and pay dates; that is the authoritative source. The mechanic that matters either way: you have to own the shares before the ex-dividend date to receive a given distribution.

Does ITA pay monthly dividends?

Probably not. ITA is an equity fund, and equity ETFs generally distribute quarterly; monthly distributions are the norm for bond, Treasury, and option-income funds instead. Check iShares (BlackRock)'s distribution calendar for ITA's actual schedule, and see our roundup of the best ETFs for monthly income if the cadence is what you are after.

Where does ITA's dividend come from?

ITA tracks Dow Jones US Select Aerospace & Defense and holds names such as RTX, BA, LMT, GD, NOC. The fund collects the income those holdings generate and passes it through to you. The 0.40% expense ratio is taken out along the way, so the yield you see is already net of the fee: you do not pay it separately.

When is ITA's ex-dividend date?

iShares (BlackRock) sets and publishes it on ITA's fund page, and it moves with each distribution, so we do not quote a fixed date here. What it means is the cutoff: buy on or after the ex-dividend date and the seller keeps that distribution. Buying just before the ex-date to capture a payment is not free money, because the fund's price typically drops by roughly the distribution amount when it goes ex.

Can I reinvest ITA dividends?

Yes. Most brokers let you turn on automatic dividend reinvestment (a DRIP) so ITA distributions buy more shares, often fractional ones, without you doing anything. It compounds the position over time. It does not change the tax treatment: in a taxable account the distribution is taxable in the year it is paid, whether you reinvest it or take the cash.

Is ITA a good choice for dividend income?

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. ITA yields roughly ~0.9%, which is modest, so income is a side effect rather than the point. At that rate, $100,000 in ITA generates roughly $900 a year before tax. If income is the goal, dedicated dividend and income ETFs target more; ITA is built for total return. See the best dividend ETFs roundup to compare.

Are ITA dividends qualified?

Usually a large share of them are. Dividends passed through from US companies are qualified, and so taxed at long-term capital-gains rates, when the fund and you both meet the holding-period tests. Some portion can still be ordinary income, and option-income and REIT distributions generally are. iShares (BlackRock)'s annual 1099 shows the actual split. In an IRA or Roth the distinction does not matter. This is not tax advice.

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Dividend yields and schedules are approximate, stamped to early 2026, and change; verify current figures with iShares (BlackRock) or your broker.