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Performance
Performance Chart
The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in iShares Gold Trust, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.
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Returns By Period
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has returned 8.34% so far this year and 49.18% over the past 12 months. Looking at the last ten years, IAU has achieved an annualized return of 14.14%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.29% per year.
iShares Gold Trust
- 1D
- -1.94%
- 1M
- -8.32%
- YTD
- 8.34%
- 6M
- 21.05%
- 1Y
- 49.18%
- 3Y*
- 32.68%
- 5Y*
- 21.72%
- 10Y*
- 14.14%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 0.11%
- 1M
- -3.43%
- YTD
- -3.84%
- 6M
- -1.98%
- 1Y
- 16.08%
- 3Y*
- 16.86%
- 5Y*
- 10.37%
- 10Y*
- 12.29%
Monthly Returns
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jan 28, 2005, IAU's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +1.03%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 5.6 years.
Historically, 53% of months were positive and 47% were negative. The best month was Nov 2009 with a return of +12.7%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -16.3%. The longest winning streak lasted 7 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 7 months.
On a daily basis, IAU closed higher 52% of trading days. The best single day was Sep 17, 2008 with a return of +11.7%, while the worst single day was Jan 30, 2026 at -10.2%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12.36% | 8.63% | -11.01% | -0.25% | 8.34% | ||||||||
| 2025 | 6.79% | 1.89% | 9.45% | 5.44% | -0.02% | 0.32% | -0.56% | 4.98% | 11.78% | 3.60% | 5.33% | 2.22% | 63.95% |
| 2024 | -1.38% | 0.42% | 8.69% | 3.07% | 1.59% | -0.14% | 5.39% | 2.12% | 5.12% | 4.31% | -3.07% | -1.47% | 26.85% |
| 2023 | 5.78% | -5.38% | 7.94% | 0.91% | -1.35% | -2.18% | 2.23% | -1.21% | -4.79% | 7.43% | 2.53% | 1.27% | 12.84% |
| 2022 | -1.69% | 6.11% | 1.43% | -2.14% | -3.25% | -1.61% | -2.51% | -2.96% | -2.87% | -1.74% | 8.46% | 2.95% | -0.63% |
| 2021 | -3.20% | -6.32% | -1.09% | 3.63% | 7.60% | -7.03% | 2.52% | -0.09% | -3.24% | 1.56% | -0.74% | 3.36% | -4.00% |
Benchmark Metrics
iShares Gold Trust has an annualized alpha of 12.92%, beta of 0.05, and R² of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since January 31, 2005.
- This ETF captured 27.99% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -26.82%) — a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
- Beta of 0.05 may look defensive, but with R² of 0.00 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index — low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
- R² of 0.00 means this ETF moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index — capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 12.92%
- Beta
- 0.05
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 27.99%
- Downside Capture
- -26.82%
Expense Ratio
IAU has an expense ratio of 0.25%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
IAU ranks 79 for risk / return — better than 79% of ETFs on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).
| IAU | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.78 | 0.88 | +0.90 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.21 | 1.37 | +0.85 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.33 | 1.21 | +0.12 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.58 | 1.39 | +1.19 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.32 | 6.43 | +2.88 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Explore IAU risk-adjusted metrics in detail
Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.
Dividends
Dividend History
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the iShares Gold Trust. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the iShares Gold Trust was 45.14%, occurring on Dec 2, 2015. Recovery took 1169 trading sessions.
The current iShares Gold Trust drawdown is 13.42%.
Depth | Start | To Bottom | Bottom | To Recover | End | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -45.14% | Aug 23, 2011 | 1077 | Dec 2, 2015 | 1169 | Jul 27, 2020 | 2246 |
| -29.23% | Mar 18, 2008 | 168 | Nov 12, 2008 | 211 | Sep 16, 2009 | 379 |
| -21.99% | May 12, 2006 | 23 | Jun 14, 2006 | 317 | Sep 18, 2007 | 340 |
| -21.82% | Aug 7, 2020 | 538 | Sep 26, 2022 | 360 | Mar 4, 2024 | 898 |
| -19.18% | Jan 30, 2026 | 39 | Mar 26, 2026 | — | — | — |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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Build a portfolio with IAU
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