- ISIN
- US4642851053
- CUSIP
- 464285204
- Issuer
- iShares
- Inception Date
- Jan 21, 2005
- Region
- Global (Global)
- Category
- Gold, Precious Metals
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- LBMA Gold Price
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Accumulating
- Asset Class
- Commodity
- Assets Under Management
- $70B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
IAU Performance Chart
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) is up 4.0% since the beginning of the year. IAU is currently trading at $84 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of IAU shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $2,368.
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Returns By Period
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has returned 4.00% so far this year and 32.38% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, IAU has had an annualized return of 13.42%, just under the S&P 500 Index benchmark’s 13.75%.
iShares Gold Trust
- 1D
- 0.18%
- 1M
- -2.65%
- YTD
- 4.00%
- 6M
- 6.47%
- 1Y
- 32.38%
- 3Y*
- 31.72%
- 5Y*
- 18.82%
- 10Y*
- 13.42%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 0.13%
- 1M
- 5.25%
- YTD
- 11.16%
- 6M
- 11.43%
- 1Y
- 28.20%
- 3Y*
- 21.12%
- 5Y*
- 12.66%
- 10Y*
- 13.75%
IAU Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jan 28, 2005, IAU's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +1.01%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 5.7 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% | -1.49% | -1.57% | -1.25% | 4.00% | ||||||
| 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 12.54%, beta of 0.06, and R2 of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since January 31, 2005.
- This ETF captured 26.40% 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 0.06 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
- 12.54%
- Beta
- 0.06
- R²
- 0.00
- Upside Capture
- 26.40%
- 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 32 for risk / return — below 32% of ETFs on our site. The returns aren't fully compensating for the risk involved. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but factor it into your decision — especially if you're risk-averse.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
| IAU | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.23 | 2.39 | -1.16 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.63 | 3.25 | -1.63 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.43 | -0.19 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.70 | 3.11 | -1.42 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.25 | 14.38 | -10.13 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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 16.88%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 bear market2015 | -45.14%Dec 2015 | 4y 3mo | 4y 7mo | 8y 11moAug 2011 - Jul 2020 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -29.23%Nov 2008 | 7mo 29d | 10mo 8d | 1y 6moMar 2008 - Sep 2009 |
2006 bear market2006 | -21.99%Jun 2006 | 1mo 3d | 1y 3mo | 1y 4moMay 2006 - Sep 2007 |
Bear market2022 | -21.82%Sep 2022 | 2y 1mo | 1y 5mo | 3y 7moAug 2020 - Mar 2024 |
2026 correction2026 | -19.18%Mar 2026 | 1mo 25d | — | 4mo 4dJan 2026 - now |
Drawdown Indicators
| IAU | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -45.14% | -56.78% | +11.64% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -19.18% | -9.10% | -10.08% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.18% | -18.90% | -0.28% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.93% | -25.43% | +4.50% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -21.82% | -33.92% | +12.10% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -16.88% | 0.00% | -16.88% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.96% | -10.72% | -5.24% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 7.63% | 1.97% | +5.66% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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