FGDL vs. VTIP
FGDL (Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF) and VTIP (Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - FGDL is a Precious Metals fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt), while VTIP is a Inflation-Protected Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) 0-5 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, FGDL returned 29.18%/yr vs 5.25%/yr for VTIP. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. FGDL charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for VTIP.
Performance
FGDL vs. VTIP - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FGDL achieves a -2.81% return, which is significantly lower than VTIP's 1.85% return.
FGDL
- 1D
- -0.20%
- 1M
- -9.80%
- YTD
- -2.81%
- 6M
- -2.54%
- 1Y
- 22.12%
- 3Y*
- 29.18%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
VTIP
- 1D
- -0.04%
- 1M
- -0.12%
- YTD
- 1.85%
- 6M
- 1.95%
- 1Y
- 4.51%
- 3Y*
- 5.25%
- 5Y*
- 3.37%
- 10Y*
- 3.09%
FGDL vs. VTIP - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FGDL Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF | -2.81% | 64.15% | 27.31% | 12.92% | 0.72% |
VTIP Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF | 1.85% | 6.07% | 4.74% | 4.62% | -1.44% |
Correlation
The correlation between FGDL and VTIP is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 30, 2022 | 0.37 |
The correlation between FGDL and VTIP shifts across timeframes, from 0.24 (1 year) to 0.37 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
FGDL vs. VTIP — Risk / Return Rank
FGDL
VTIP
FGDL vs. VTIP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| FGDL | VTIP | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.19 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -4.01 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.18 | 1.65 | -0.47 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.97 | 6.57 | -5.60 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.78 | 25.36 | -22.58 |
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Drawdowns
FGDL vs. VTIP - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FGDL drawdown since its inception was -24.73%, which is greater than VTIP's maximum drawdown of -6.27%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FGDL and VTIP.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FGDL | VTIP | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -24.73% | -6.27% | -18.46% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -24.73% | -0.70% | -24.03% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -24.73% | -0.98% | -23.75% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -5.50% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -6.27% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -22.35% | -0.22% | -22.13% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.97% | -1.04% | -2.93% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.64% | 0.18% | +8.46% |
Volatility
FGDL vs. VTIP - Volatility Comparison
Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL) has a higher volatility of 8.01% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) at 0.40%. This indicates that FGDL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VTIP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FGDL | VTIP | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.01% | 0.40% | +7.61% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 24.16% | 1.04% | +23.12% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.60% | 1.50% | +26.10% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 19.27% | 2.77% | +16.50% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 19.27% | 2.74% | +16.53% |
FGDL vs. VTIP - Expense Ratio Comparison
FGDL has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than VTIP's 0.03% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
FGDL vs. VTIP - Dividend Comparison
FGDL has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VTIP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.59%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FGDL Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VTIP Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF | 3.59% | 3.81% | 2.70% | 2.86% | 6.84% | 4.68% | 1.20% | 1.95% | 2.45% | 1.52% | 0.76% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FGDL and VTIP have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FGDL has higher volatility (8.01%) compared to VTIP (0.40%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FGDL dropped -24.73% vs VTIP's -6.27%.
On 3-year performance, FGDL leads with 29.18% vs 5.25% for VTIP. On fees, VTIP is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, VTIP has been the lower-risk option at 0.40%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 3-year period, FGDL has performed better with a 29.18% return vs 5.25%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
VTIP is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for FGDL.
VTIP has the higher dividend yield at 3.59%, compared with 0.00% for FGDL.
FGDL is categorized as Precious Metals, while VTIP is Inflation-Protected Bonds. FGDL tracks LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt), while VTIP tracks Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) 0-5 Year Index. They also come from different issuers: Franklin Templeton and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for FGDL and 0.03% for VTIP.
VTIP currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.07 vs 0.87), 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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