UFO vs other similar ETFs
10/23/2025 10:10am
🚀 **Quick verdict:** Over the past year, Procure Space ETF (UFO) has outpaced its closest rivals — ARKX and ROKT — on both absolute and risk-adjusted returns. If you want the purest and most turbo-charged play on the commercial-space boom (and you’re comfortable paying a higher fee for it), UFO stands tall. ARKX offers a slightly broader “space-enabled tech” mix at a lower expense ratio, while ROKT trades cost efficiency and lower volatility for less upside.
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## 1. Hard numbers at a glance
Below is how the three leading space funds stack up from 22 Oct 2024 → 22 Oct 2025:
```reference
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```
Key takeaways
• UFO delivered the strongest **~92 % total return** and the **best Sharpe ratio (~2.58)**, rewarding risk with ample excess return.
• ARKX followed closely, but with a similar volatility/fee profile and a slightly lower risk-adjusted score (~2.34).
• ROKT lagged on returns, yet offered the **lowest fee (0.45 %)** and meaningfully lower volatility (~25 % vs. low-30 s for the others).
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## 2. Price performance visualized
All three funds rebased to 100 on 22 Oct 2024:
```reference
[{"type":"plotly-json","id":11}]
```
The chart shows UFO (blue) separating from the pack since mid-summer as satellite/launch pure-plays (RKLB, ASTS, SATS) ripped higher on bullish sell-side calls and SpaceX’s successful Starship test.
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## 3. What’s driving the gap?
| Catalyst | Impact on UFO | Impact on ARKX | Impact on ROKT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity of exposure | ~80 % revenue from space-derived businesses → direct beneficiary of launch/satellite boom | Broader “aero + AI drones” tilt dilutes pure-space beta | ~50 % weight in deep-sea & defense lowers sensitivity |
| Recent holdings winners | RKLB (+700 % Y/Y), SATS (+260 %) boost fund-level returns | RKLB & PLTR help, but large caps moderate upside | BA, NOC, GD solid but less explosive |
| Fee drag | 0.94 % expense ratio - highest | 0.75 % | 0.45 % – advantage over time |
| Liquidity (AUM) | ~$450 M – healthiest secondary-market trading | ~$300 M | ~$35 M → wider bid/ask spreads |
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## 4. Positioning ideas for your portfolio
1. **Core + satellite approach** (fits your high risk tolerance & 5-yr horizon):
• Core 4 %-6 % in UFO for pure-play space growth.
• Optional 2 %-3 % in ROKT to dampen volatility and trim fees.
• Keep ARKX only if you want active management and its crossover AI holdings.
2. **Guardrails:**
• Expect 30 %+ annualized swings; size positions so a 25 % drawdown doesn’t derail your $40 k growth capital.
• Use trailing stops (e.g., 15 %) or collars to protect gains.
3. **Catalyst watchlist:**
• Q4 U.S. defense appropriations vote (could lift satellite budgets).
• Private-space IPO pipeline (Firefly, Sierra Space) → valuation comps.
• Next Starship orbital test (SpaceX) — any setback can spark profit-taking.
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## 5. Bottom line for you 🏁
With your **quality-growth mindset** and willingness to shoulder volatility for outsized gains, UFO remains the most potent single-ticket exposure to the commercial-space renaissance. Just keep an eye on that 0.94 % fee and consider pairing it with a lower-cost or broader industrial ETF if you’d like to moderate the ride.
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🤔 **Your next step:** Which matters more to you right now — maximizing pure space upside (UFO), minimizing fees/volatility (ROKT), or blending in broader “space-enabled” tech (ARKX)? Let me know, and we can fine-tune position size, entry levels, or even explore individual high-conviction satellite/launch stocks to complement your ETF choice!
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: Search result ID 2 – Benzinga article on Rocket Lab boosting space ETFs
: Search result ID 3 – Nasdaq article citing UFO’s 80 % Y/Y gain, top holdings
: Search result ID 4 – Nasdaq article listing ETF fees
: Search result ID 5 – Benzinga article detailing ETF fees and performance
: CodeInterpreter summary of 1-year returns/volatility/sharpe for UFO, ARKX, ROKT