Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF (PPA)

It's a sad statement on the world, but this ETF works rather well as a hedge against geopolitical tensions. Global conflicts tend to wreak havoc on markets, but these companies tend to benefit. It can be an ethical investing decision as, in fact, many of these companies are screened out of ESG investing. Efficient exposure. 59 bps is a bit expensive. You can get exposure through a plain industrial ETF like XLI at 10 bps, plus he likes the diversification, as it avoids idiosyncratic risk of holding individual stocks.

Buy the top holdings instead? He's not an ETF expert, but yes he would own a few of the top holdings in this ETF, including Airbus and Raytheon--which he owns.