Manulife Smart Defensive Equity ETF (CDEF.TO) ETF Analysis

Fund Overview

Manulife Smart Defensive Equity ETF (CDEF.TO) is an exchange-traded fund. Total net assets stand at CA$7.50M. Manulife Investment Management is the fund family on file. The inception date on file is November 8, 2021.

Its biggest positions are Sun Life Financial Inc (SLF.TO), Great-West Lifeco Inc (GWO.TO), and Royal Bank of Canada (RY). Sun Life Financial Inc alone accounts for 3.84% of the portfolio. The ten largest positions together make up 28.76% of the fund.

Performance Analysis

The most recent close on file for CDEF.TO is CA$14.88, dated September 3, 2026. Over the trailing twelve months the price has returned +20.19%. Measured over 3 years, that is +19.93% a year compounded. The trailing distribution yield is 2.38%.

The strongest complete calendar year on file is 2025 at +23.43%; the weakest is 2022 at −5.41%. Of the 4 complete calendar years on file, 3 finished higher. 2026 is still running; the price is +12.46% year to date.

Price & Risk Profile

The 52-week range on file runs from CA$12.76 to CA$15.13. The latest close sits 16.61% above that 52-week low. Daily returns over the trailing 4 years annualize to a volatility of 9.12%. The reported beta is 0.69. The volatility figure is calculated from the stored daily closes, the same series the charts on this page use.