AMAX.TO vs. IAU

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Hamilton Gold Producer YIELD MAXIMIZER ETF (AMAX.TO) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU).

AMAX.TO and IAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AMAX.TO is an actively managed fund by Hamilton Capital. It was launched on Feb 6, 2024. IAU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold Price. It was launched on Jan 21, 2005.

Performance

AMAX.TO vs. IAU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Hamilton Gold Producer YIELD MAXIMIZER ETF (AMAX.TO) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AMAX.TO vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
AMAX.TO Hamilton Gold Producer YIELD MAXIMIZER ETF	4.61%	113.79%	29.88%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	10.08%	56.43%	37.41%

Different Trading Currencies

AMAX.TO is traded in CAD, while IAU is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the IAU values have been converted to CAD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AMAX.TO achieves a 4.61% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 10.08% return.

AMAX.TO

• 1D: 5.62%
• 1M: -18.54%
• YTD: 4.61%
• 6M: 13.47%
• 1Y: 68.98%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

IAU

• 1D: 3.69%
• 1M: -9.26%
• YTD: 10.08%
• 6M: 21.04%
• 1Y: 44.54%
• 3Y*: 34.39%
• 5Y*: 24.31%
• 10Y*: 14.84%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AMAX.TO vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison

AMAX.TO has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.

AMAX.TO

Hamilton Gold Producer YIELD MAXIMIZER ETF

IAU

iShares Gold Trust

Return for Risk

AMAX.TO vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AMAX.TO

AMAX.TO Risk / Return Rank: 84
AMAX.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
AMAX.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
AMAX.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 82
AMAX.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
AMAX.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 83

IAU

IAU Risk / Return Rank: 87
IAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
IAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
IAU Omega Ratio Rank: 86
IAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
IAU Martin Ratio Rank: 87

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AMAX.TO vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Hamilton Gold Producer YIELD MAXIMIZER ETF (AMAX.TO) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU). 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.

	AMAX.TO	IAU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.75	1.73	+0.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.10	2.17	-0.07
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.32	-0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.47	2.75	-0.28
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.13	9.54	-0.41
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AMAX.TO vs. IAU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AMAX.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.75, which is comparable to the IAU Sharpe Ratio of 1.73. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AMAX.TO and IAU, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AMAX.TO	IAU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.75	1.73	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.48	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.98	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.96	0.67	+1.29

Correlation

The correlation between AMAX.TO and IAU is 0.72, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

AMAX.TO vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison

AMAX.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.91%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024
AMAX.TO Hamilton Gold Producer YIELD MAXIMIZER ETF	6.91%	7.11%	11.22%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

AMAX.TO vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AMAX.TO drawdown since its inception was -28.60%, smaller than the maximum IAU drawdown of -33.38%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AMAX.TO and IAU.

Drawdown Indicators

	AMAX.TO	IAU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.60%	-45.14%	+16.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-28.60%	-19.18%	-9.42%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-20.93%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-21.82%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-18.54%	-13.20%	-5.34%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.66%	-15.98%	+11.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.74%	5.18%	+2.56%

Volatility

AMAX.TO vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison

Hamilton Gold Producer YIELD MAXIMIZER ETF (AMAX.TO) has a higher volatility of 16.54% compared to iShares Gold Trust (IAU) at 10.79%. This indicates that AMAX.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IAU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AMAX.TO	IAU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	16.54%	10.79%	+5.75%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	33.06%	23.06%	+10.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	39.73%	25.99%	+13.74%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	33.11%	16.54%	+16.57%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	33.11%	15.26%	+17.85%