FAFDX vs. IAU
FAFDX (Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class A) and IAU (iShares Gold Trust) are both funds - FAFDX is a Financials Equities fund managed by BlackRock, while IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price. Over the past 10 years, FAFDX returned 13.28%/yr vs 13.31%/yr for IAU. At a correlation of -0.00, they often move in opposite directions. FAFDX charges 1.03%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for IAU.
Performance
FAFDX vs. IAU - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FAFDX achieves a -2.07% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 2.98% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with FAFDX having a 13.28% annualized return and IAU not far ahead at 13.31%.
FAFDX
- 1D
- 0.19%
- 1M
- -0.14%
- YTD
- -2.07%
- 6M
- 1.39%
- 1Y
- 8.44%
- 3Y*
- 23.17%
- 5Y*
- 10.49%
- 10Y*
- 13.28%
IAU
- 1D
- -0.98%
- 1M
- -1.62%
- YTD
- 2.98%
- 6M
- 5.50%
- 1Y
- 32.20%
- 3Y*
- 31.29%
- 5Y*
- 18.32%
- 10Y*
- 13.31%
FAFDX vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAFDX Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class A | -2.07% | 14.91% | 39.01% | 14.03% | -8.93% | 32.90% | -0.25% | 33.77% | -16.09% | 20.17% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 2.98% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 12.91% |
Correlation
The correlation between FAFDX and IAU is 0.06, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.06 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.08 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.07 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.04 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 31, 2005 | -0.00 |
The correlation between FAFDX and IAU shifts across timeframes, from -0.04 (10 years) to 0.08 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
FAFDX vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank
FAFDX
IAU
FAFDX vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class A (FAFDX) 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.
| FAFDX | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.65 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.75 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.11 | 1.24 | -0.13 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.70 | 1.69 | -0.99 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.00 | 4.19 | -2.19 |
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
| FAFDX | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.57 | 1.23 | -0.65 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.50 | 1.03 | -0.53 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.56 | 0.84 | -0.28 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.30 | 0.62 | -0.32 |
Drawdowns
FAFDX vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FAFDX drawdown since its inception was -75.69%, which is greater than IAU's maximum drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FAFDX and IAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FAFDX | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -75.69% | -45.14% | -30.55% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.04% | -19.18% | +6.14% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.41% | -19.18% | -0.23% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -25.14% | -20.93% | -4.21% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.99% | -21.82% | -24.17% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.02% | -17.70% | +12.68% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -17.65% | -15.96% | -1.69% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.55% | 7.71% | -3.16% |
Volatility
FAFDX vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class A (FAFDX) is 3.38%, while iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a volatility of 5.50%. This indicates that FAFDX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky 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
| FAFDX | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.38% | 5.50% | -2.12% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.78% | 23.02% | -11.24% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 15.86% | 26.42% | -10.56% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.09% | 17.95% | +3.14% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 23.85% | 15.90% | +7.95% |
FAFDX vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
FAFDX has a 1.03% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.
Dividends
FAFDX vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison
FAFDX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.08%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAFDX Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund Class A | 7.08% | 6.93% | 9.59% | 2.29% | 5.93% | 4.21% | 2.47% | 1.21% | 4.00% | 0.06% | 0.21% | 0.53% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FAFDX and IAU have a correlation of 0.06, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IAU has higher volatility (5.50%) compared to FAFDX (3.38%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FAFDX dropped -75.69% vs IAU's -45.14%.
IAU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.23 vs 0.57), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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