Xtrackers US National Critical Technologies ETF

Xtrackers US National Critical Technologies ETF (CRTC) tracks the Solactive Whitney U.S. Critical Technologies Index. As of August 31, 2026, that meant 208 large and mid-sized stocks, mostly American, tied to six technology areas the U.S. Department of War considers vital to national security. A geopolitical screen favors companies with few ties to adversarial nations. Its 0.35% expense ratio is above the 0.23% average for similar funds, and its top holdings overlap heavily with Nasdaq-100 funds.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, CRTC returned +10.9%, 7th of 9 among similar funds.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (+18.1%); its best was 2025 (+18.7%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 19.1% (Feb 18, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 6, 2025.

As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 208 securities; the ten largest made up 38.29% of assets.

By sector

• Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $8.9M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -2.12%, +0.66%, +4.60%.

CRTC is an index fund that aims to match the Solactive Whitney U.S. Critical Technologies Index, before fees. Solactive AG calculates the index, and J.H. Whitney Data Services picks its members. The starting pool is the large and mid-sized companies in the Solactive GBS Developed Markets Large & Mid Cap USD Index.

Stocks are chosen in two steps. First, J.H. Whitney links six technology areas named by a research office of the U.S. Department of War to Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, the government's industry labels. The six areas are applied artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, contested logistics, quantum and battlefield information dominance, scaled hypersonics and scaled directed energy. A company qualifies if its main code matches, or sometimes a secondary one. Second, each company gets a Geostrategic Risk Rating based on 10 factors, including where it is incorporated, where it earns revenue and who its customers and suppliers are. Ties to the Five Eyes countries (the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) score well. Ties to adversarial nations score poorly, and only high scorers get in.

Members are weighted by market value, so bigger companies count more, with caps on any single stock. The index rebalances on the second Thursday of February, May, August and November. The prospectus reports 13% portfolio turnover. The industry-code screen casts a wide net: as of August 31, 2026, Exxon Mobil and AbbVie were among the top 10 holdings alongside Microsoft and Nvidia.

• CRTC charges 0.35% a year, versus an average of 0.23% for the similar funds below (6th of 9, cheapest first).
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $36 in the first year and $443 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

It is a concentrated, technology-heavy thematic index fund with a short history, higher costs than overlapping funds and little income.

CRTC could add a tilt toward large technology, AI and defense-related companies alongside a broad core fund, though it shares about 47% of its holdings with QQQM. It launched in November 2023, so it has no record through the 2008 crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. Its worst calendar year was still a gain of about 18%, in 2024. Its deepest drop was 19.1%, from February 18 to April 8, 2025, and it recovered by June 6, 2025, about two months later. Someone who sold near that low to cover spending would have locked in losses. Future tech slumps could last longer.

Income is modest: a 0.92% trailing yield as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. Costs are 0.35% a year. In the SEC's standard example, that comes to $443 over 10 years on $10,000. Past results don't predict future returns, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.