iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) is a passive exchange-traded fund (ETF) managed by BlackRock's iShares division. The fund aims to track the performance of the price of gold bullion, which is a physical asset and a store of value. IAU was first launched on January 28th, 2005. The fund holds gold bullion in London vaults, and the price of the fund's shares is based on the current market price of gold bullion. The expense ratio of IAU is 0.25%. The fund might be suitable for investors looking to gain exposure to the price of gold as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty.
ETF Info
| ISIN | US4642851053 |
|---|---|
| CUSIP | 464285105 |
| Issuer | iShares |
| Inception Date | Jan 28, 2005 |
| Category | Precious Metals, Gold |
| Index Tracked | Gold Bullion |
| ETF Home Page | www.ishares.com |
| Asset Class | Commodity |
Expense Ratio
The iShares Gold Trust has a high expense ratio of 0.25%, indicating higher-than-average management fees.
Share Price Chart
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Performance
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.
Compare to other instruments
Popular comparisons: IAU vs. GLD, IAU vs. IAUM, IAU vs. GDX, IAU vs. GLDM, IAU vs. AAAU, IAU vs. IAUF, IAU vs. SGOL, IAU vs. DBC, IAU vs. VOO, IAU vs. EMB
Return
iShares Gold Trust had a return of 1.16% year-to-date (YTD) and 10.97% in the last 12 months. Over the past 10 years, iShares Gold Trust had an annualized return of 3.25%, while the S&P 500 had an annualized return of 9.75%, indicating that iShares Gold Trust did not perform as well as the benchmark.
| Period | Return | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | -4.79% | -4.87% |
| 6 months | -6.37% | 4.35% |
| Year-To-Date | 1.16% | 11.68% |
| 1 year | 10.97% | 19.59% |
| 5 years (annualized) | 9.06% | 7.97% |
| 10 years (annualized) | 3.25% | 9.75% |
Monthly Returns Heatmap
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7.94% | 0.91% | -1.35% | -2.18% | 2.23% | -1.21% |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and S&P 500 (^GSPC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| Sharpe ratio | Sortino ratio | Omega ratio | Calmar ratio | Ulcer Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.78 | ||||
^GSPC S&P 500 | 0.89 |
Dividend History
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way.
Worst Drawdowns
The table below shows the maximum drawdowns of the iShares Gold Trust. A maximum drawdown is an indicator of risk. It shows a reduction in portfolio value from its maximum due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown since January 2010 for the iShares Gold Trust is 45.14%, recorded on Dec 2, 2015. It took 1169 trading sessions for the portfolio to recover.
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 |
| -21.63% | Aug 7, 2020 | 538 | Sep 26, 2022 | — | — | — |
| -12.71% | Dec 3, 2009 | 45 | Feb 8, 2010 | 64 | May 11, 2010 | 109 |
Volatility Chart
The current iShares Gold Trust volatility is 2.40%, representing the average percentage change in the investments's value, either up or down over the past month. The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Alternatives
| Symbol | Inception | Expense Ratio | YTD Ret. | 10Y Ann. Ret. | Div. Yield | Max. Drawdown | Sharpe Ratio | Sortino ratio | Omega ratio | Calmar ratio | Ulcer Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAAU | Jul 26, 2018 | 0.18% | 1.2% | 9.1% | 0.0% | -21.6% | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 4.2% |
| GDX | May 22, 2006 | 0.53% | -6.1% | 1.9% | 1.8% | -80.6% | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 11.8% |
| GLD | Nov 18, 2004 | 0.40% | 1.1% | 3.3% | 0.0% | -45.6% | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 4.3% |
| GLDM | Jun 25, 2018 | 0.18% | 1.3% | 7.4% | 0.0% | -21.6% | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 4.2% |
| IAUF | Jun 6, 2018 | 0.25% | 0.9% | N/A | 0.9% | -23.4% | 0.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 4.3% |
| SGOL | Sep 9, 2009 | 0.17% | 1.3% | 3.4% | 0.0% | -45.5% | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 4.3% |
Portfolios with iShares Gold Trust
| Portfolio Name | YTD Return | 10Y Return | Div. Yield | 10Y Volatility | Max. Drawdown | Expense Ratio | Sharpe Ratio | Sortino ratio | Omega ratio | Calmar ratio | Ulcer Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7Twelve Portfolio | 3.10% | 4.52% | 2.49% | 9.83% | -22.46% | 0.14% | 0.75 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.7% |
| Gone Fishin’ Portfolio | 3.79% | 5.32% | 3.04% | 12.04% | -26.03% | 0.12% | 0.84 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 3.0% |
| Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio | 3.47% | 4.48% | 1.98% | 5.79% | -16.15% | 0.06% | 0.73 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.8% |
| Pinwheel Portfolio | 2.90% | 5.19% | 2.25% | 11.09% | -23.65% | 0.09% | 0.77 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 3.1% |