How Geopolitics Is Reshaping Defense Tech, and Why SHLD Is Built for It – Global X ETFs – 4.14.26

Summary:

The global security backdrop is becoming more unstable, more asymmetric, and more technology driven. As Iran and Ukraine have shown, regional conflict is no longer defined solely by conventional military power, but increasingly by the use of low-cost drones, missiles, and other expendable systems that can strain far more expensive defensive infrastructure. That dynamic is putting new pressure on inventories, exposing procurement bottlenecks, and forcing militaries to rethink how they detect, intercept, respond, and prepare for future threats. In our view, this has major implications for the near $3 trillion global defense market¹, as the next phase of defense spending moves beyond traditional platforms and increasingly favors the technologies built for a faster-moving, more contested threat environment.

In this webinar, we will cover:

• How geopolitics is reshaping defense demand and reinforcing the case for defense tech
• Why inventory burn, cost asymmetry, and replenishment cycles are becoming central to the investment story, as low-cost offensive systems force the use of much more expensive interceptors and accelerate procurement needs
• The areas of the market positioned to benefit, including air and missile defense, counter-drone systems, autonomy, and the broader industrial base.

This webinar will also explore the Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD), reviewing the ETF’s sector unconstrained and geo-agnostic thematic construction, and why SHLD is built to capture the defense tech opportunity emerging from this new geopolitical era.

Accepted for 1 CFP / IWI / CFA CE Credit

Speakers:

Tejas Dessai leads Global X’s Thematic Research efforts as Director of Research. Tejas joined Global X in 2022 as a Research Analyst, covering technology themes and products, with a focus on disruptive technologies including artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, social media, gaming, and digital advertising.

His research has been extensively covered in the tech and financial press, including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Business Insider, and Reuters. He routinely publishes his insights on the Global X website, covering disruption and structural trends transforming the global economy, with focus on themes such as defense technology, artificial intelligence, and data centers.

Prior to joining Global X, Tejas worked as an Associate for SSR LLC, an independent research provider, covering mega and large cap TMT equities, specifically focusing on disruptive technology and emerging trends. Tejas holds a BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Goa and earned his MEng in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University at Raleigh.

Scott joined Global X in 2022. He is responsible for delivering actionable insights and innovative investment strategies to clients, researching trends at the intersection of accelerating technological, demographic, and environmental change. Previously, Scott was responsible for building out the ProShares line-up of thematic ETFs. Prior to that, he served as Head of Thematic Portfolios and Co-Head of Market Research and Strategy at Morgan Stanley, launching the firm’s thematic research and portfolios, while managing a team that developed global multi-asset investment advice. Scott also held prior roles at BNY Mellon, Credit Suisse First Boston, and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. His work has appeared in numerous media outlets including Barron’s, Bloomberg, and Foreign Affairs. Scott is the co-chair of the Business and Security Roundtable at Fordham University’s Center for National Security and is a Fellow at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at Auburn University. He served as an Assistant Professor of Social Science at the U.S. Military Academy and the Director of Research at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center, working across 60 government offices. He is also a member of the Economic Club of New York and was a Term/Corporate Member in the Council on Foreign Relations. Scott holds a Joint Doctorate in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of Michigan, an MA in War Studies from King’s College (London), and a BBA in Finance from The George Washington University.