DUST vs. IAU
Compare and contrast key facts about Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 2X Shares (DUST) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU).
DUST and IAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DUST is a passively managed fund by Direxion that tracks the performance of the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (-300%). It was launched on Apr 1, 2020. IAU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold Price. It was launched on Jan 21, 2005. Both DUST and IAU are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
DUST vs. IAU - Performance Comparison
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DUST vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DUST Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 2X Shares | -30.64% | -88.72% | -29.51% | -27.63% | -22.70% | -4.82% | -85.75% | -75.11% | -3.27% | -51.00% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 8.61% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 12.91% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DUST achieves a -30.64% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 8.61% return. Over the past 10 years, DUST has underperformed IAU with an annualized return of -58.51%, while IAU has yielded a comparatively higher 14.08% annualized return.
DUST
- 1D
- -13.77%
- 1M
- 45.77%
- YTD
- -30.64%
- 6M
- -52.34%
- 1Y
- -85.24%
- 3Y*
- -62.31%
- 5Y*
- -51.05%
- 10Y*
- -58.51%
IAU
- 1D
- 3.80%
- 1M
- -11.01%
- YTD
- 8.61%
- 6M
- 21.15%
- 1Y
- 49.53%
- 3Y*
- 33.12%
- 5Y*
- 21.78%
- 10Y*
- 14.08%
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DUST vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
DUST has a 1.07% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
DUST vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank
DUST
IAU
DUST vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 2X Shares (DUST) 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.
| DUST | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.93 | 1.80 | -2.73 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.36 | 2.24 | -4.59 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.75 | 1.33 | -0.58 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.93 | 2.69 | -3.63 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.28 | 9.97 | -11.24 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| DUST | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.93 | 1.80 | -2.73 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.72 | 1.24 | -1.96 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.66 | 0.89 | -1.55 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | -0.51 | 0.64 | -1.15 |
Correlation
The correlation between DUST and IAU is -0.76. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.
Dividends
DUST vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison
DUST's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.40%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DUST Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 2X Shares | 9.40% | 12.51% | 4.99% | 4.47% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 3.60% | 2.50% | 0.37% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
DUST vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DUST drawdown since its inception was -100.00%, which is greater than IAU's maximum drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DUST and IAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DUST | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -100.00% | -45.14% | -54.86% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -91.57% | -19.18% | -72.39% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -98.68% | -20.93% | -77.75% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -99.99% | -21.82% | -78.17% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -100.00% | -13.20% | -86.80% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -83.16% | -15.98% | -67.18% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 67.00% | 5.18% | +61.82% |
Volatility
DUST vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison
Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 2X Shares (DUST) has a higher volatility of 35.65% compared to iShares Gold Trust (IAU) at 11.02%. This indicates that DUST'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.
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Volatility by Period
| DUST | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 35.65% | 11.02% | +24.63% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 73.40% | 24.11% | +49.29% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 91.64% | 27.62% | +64.02% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 70.84% | 17.69% | +53.15% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 89.14% | 15.82% | +73.32% |