At a glance
WBAT charges 0.45% a year, below the 0.54% average of the 4 funds most like it (the 2nd cheapest of 5). It has $2.6M in assets, the 5th largest of that group. Over the past year it returned +0.0% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 4th of those 5 funds; over three years it returned +3.3% a year. Its ten largest positions make up 34.9% of the fund, out of 114 in all.
The short version
WisdomTree Battery Value Chain and Innovation Fund (WBAT) is an exchange-traded fund tracking the WisdomTree Battery Value Chain and Innovation Index, a global mix of battery-materials, battery-making and battery-using companies plus broader “innovation” stocks. Its 0.45% expense ratio undercuts Global X's LIT (0.75%) and Amplify's BATT (0.59%). But it was tiny, with about $2.6 million in net assets as of March 31, 2025, and paid no income in the year to October 27, 2026.
Price history
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WBAT 0.0% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBAT price data to Oct 27, 2026 | 0.0% | 0.0% | +3.3% | — | — | -6.3% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, WBAT returned 0.0%, 4th of 5 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (-11.7%); its best was 2025 (+5.4%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 44.2% (Apr 4, 2022 to Apr 8, 2025), not yet recovered.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data |
|---|---|
| 2025 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | -11.7% |
| 2023 | -3.0% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $0.3500 | -52.7% |
| 2023 | $0.7400 |
What's inside
As of Mar 31, 2025, the fund held 114 securities; the ten largest made up 34.89% of assets. It also reported 3.82% in a money-market fund, most likely cash collateral from lending out shares rather than uninvested money.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Bloom Energy Corp | 6.78% | |
| Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC | 4.76% | |
| Joby Aviation Inc | 4.34% | |
| Bayerische Motoren Werke AG | 3.87% | |
| EnerSys | 3.50% | |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Lt | 2.86% | |
| Kongsberg Gruppen ASA | 2.42% | |
| Aurubis AG | 2.34% | |
| E.ON SE | 2.07% | |
| Airbus SE | 1.95% | |
| ChargePoint Holdings Inc | 1.81% | |
| Sociedad Quimica y Minera de C | 1.75% | |
| BP PLC | 1.73% | |
| Umicore SA | 1.68% | |
| Shell PLC | 1.64% |
By country
United States 23.2%China 22.24%Japan 12.28%Germany 11.18%United Kingdom 8.13%By asset type
Stocks 99.66%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Mar 31, 2025, investors added a net $0.00 (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.64%, +0.41%, -3.31%.
How it works
WBAT is an index fund. It does not pick stocks; it tracks the WisdomTree Battery Value Chain and Innovation Index. WisdomTree, Inc. created the index and is the parent of the fund's adviser, WisdomTree Asset Management. The index sorts battery companies into four groups: raw materials (mining and processing battery materials), manufacturing (cells, packs and components), enablers (recycling, grid and charging products, electric vehicles, consumer electronics) and emerging technologies (new storage methods or uses). It also admits “innovation” companies that bring new technology-enabled products or services to market.
To qualify, a company must earn at least 50% of its revenue from those battery activities or from innovation. It must also be worth at least $250 million on the stock market and trade a median of at least $1 million in shares a day in each of the prior three months. WisdomTree expects battery companies to make up at least half the index's weight, leaving room for other innovation stocks. Membership and weights are reset twice a year. The prospectus reported 43% portfolio turnover (the share of holdings replaced in a year).
The mix reaches beyond battery makers. As of March 31, 2025, the fund held 114 companies. The largest were Bloom Energy (6.8%), Rolls-Royce (4.8%), Joby Aviation (4.3%) and BMW (3.9%). US companies made up 23.2% and China 22.2%. It used no leverage or derivatives.
What it really costs
- WBAT charges 0.45% a year, versus an average of 0.54% for the similar funds below (2nd of 5, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $46 in the first year and $567 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBAT | $46 | $144 | $252 | $567 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a narrow global theme fund with no income, a short record and a 44.2% fall it had not recovered from as of October 27, 2026, so it fits a small side position rather than a foundation.
WBAT could add battery and energy-storage companies, mostly outside the US (23.2% of assets were in US companies as of March 31, 2025). It launched February 17, 2022, after the 2022 bear market began, so it has no record for 2008 or 2020. From a peak on April 4, 2022, it fell 44.2% to a low on April 8, 2025, and had not recovered by October 27, 2026. Its worst calendar year was 2024, down 11.7%. Anyone needing cash during that slide would have cashed out shares at lower prices.
It paid no distributions in the year to October 27, 2026, so it provided no income. Its 0.45% fee means that, under the SEC's standard example ($10,000 invested, 5% yearly returns), costs total about $46 after one year and $567 after 10. Past results don't predict future ones, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting a wide battery-and-innovation mix, from Bloom Energy and EnerSys to Rolls-Royce and Airbus, at 0.45% a year versus LIT's 0.75%.
- Investors seeking mostly non-US battery exposure: as of March 31, 2025, just 23.2% of assets were in US companies and 22.2% in China.
- Investors comfortable holding a small side position through steep falls, like its 44.2% drop from April 2022 to April 2025.
Look elsewhere if
- Retirees who need portfolio income: WBAT paid no distributions in the 12 months to October 27, 2026.
- Investors wary of the closure and trading risks of tiny funds: WBAT had about $2.6 million in net assets as of March 31, 2025.
- Investors seeking a pure battery fund: the index mixes in other “innovation” stocks, and WisdomTree expects battery companies to be at least half its weight.
Close alternatives
Matched by closest holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports (no similar fund shares 20% or more of its holdings).
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBAT this fund | — | 0.45% | $2.6M | 0.0% | +3.3% |
| BATT Amplify Lithium & Battery Technology ETF | 16% | 0.59% | $125.5M | -0.4% | +12.4% |
| IBAT iShares Energy Storage & Materials ETF | 14% | 0.47% | $68.6M | +19.2% | — |
| LIT Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF | 12% | 0.75% | $1.51B | +6.2% | +10.0% |
| EFV iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF | 7% | 0.33% | $29.11B | +21.9% | +23.3% |
Questions investors ask
What does WBAT invest in?
WBAT holds stocks of companies worldwide tied to batteries and energy storage, plus broader innovation companies, by tracking the WisdomTree Battery Value Chain and Innovation Index. As of March 31, 2025, it held 114 companies. The largest were Bloom Energy (6.8%), Rolls-Royce (4.8%), Joby Aviation (4.3%), BMW (3.9%) and EnerSys (3.5%), and the top 10 made up 34.9% of assets. US companies were 23.2% of the fund, China 22.2%, Japan 12.3% and Germany 11.2%.
What is WBAT's expense ratio?
WBAT's expense ratio, the yearly fee taken from fund assets, is 0.45%, according to its prospectus filed October 28, 2024. All of it is management fee. In the SEC's standard example ($10,000 invested, 5% yearly returns, shares redeemed at the end), costs total about $46 after one year, $144 after three, $252 after five and $567 after 10. That is less than Global X's LIT (0.75%) and Amplify's BATT (0.59%), and close to iShares' IBAT (0.47%).
Does WBAT pay dividends?
WBAT paid no dividends or other distributions in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, so its trailing 12-month yield was 0%. Any return over that stretch came from share-price changes, not cash payouts. For investors who draw income from their portfolio, WBAT would not have added any. That income would have had to come from other holdings.
What's the difference between WBAT and BATT?
Both are battery-theme ETFs, but they share only about 16% of holdings. That is still WBAT's highest overlap with any similar fund. WBAT costs less (0.45% versus 0.59% for Amplify Lithium & Battery Technology ETF) and adds broader innovation stocks. BATT has the stronger record, returning 12.4% a year over three years to October 27, 2026, versus 3.3% for WBAT. BATT is far larger: about $125 million in net assets as of June 30, 2026, against WBAT's $2.6 million as of March 31, 2025.
How has WBAT performed?
Modestly, with deep swings. Over the three years to October 27, 2026, WBAT returned 3.3% a year based on share prices, about 10% in total. It lost 3.0% in 2023 and 11.7% in 2024, then gained 5.4% in 2025. Its deepest drop was 44.2%, from April 4, 2022, to April 8, 2025, and it had not regained that peak by October 27, 2026. Its prospectus lists a strongest quarter of 9.63% (ended March 31, 2023) and a weakest of −15.58% (ended September 30, 2023).