FTSD vs. FGDL
FTSD (Franklin Short Duration U.S. Government ETF) and FGDL (Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - FTSD is a Mortgage Backed Securities fund actively managed by Franklin Templeton, while FGDL is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt). FTSD is actively managed, while FGDL is passively managed. Over the past 3 years, FTSD returned 5.00%/yr vs 27.62%/yr for FGDL. Their 0.27 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. FTSD charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for FGDL.
Performance
FTSD vs. FGDL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FTSD achieves a 1.24% return, which is significantly higher than FGDL's -6.20% return.
FTSD
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.05%
- 6M
- 0.99%
- YTD
- 1.24%
- 1Y
- 3.75%
- 3Y*
- 5.00%
- 5Y*
- 2.57%
- 10Y*
- 2.10%
- ALL TIME*
- 1.80%
FGDL
- 1D
- -1.15%
- 1M
- -1.37%
- 6M
- -16.26%
- YTD
- -6.20%
- 1Y
- 20.79%
- 3Y*
- 27.62%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- 21.68%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.02M | $929.90K | $1.28M | |
| $2.17M | $2.80M | $2.13M |
FTSD vs. FGDL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FTSD Franklin Short Duration U.S. Government ETF | 1.24% | 5.66% | 5.20% | 4.84% | -0.52% |
FGDL Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF | -6.20% | 64.15% | 27.31% | 12.92% | 0.72% |
Correlation
The correlation between FTSD and FGDL is 0.13, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.13 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.17 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 30, 2022 | 0.27 |
The correlation between FTSD and FGDL shifts across timeframes, from 0.13 (1 year) to 0.27 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
FTSD vs. FGDL — Risk / Return Rank
FTSD
FGDL
FTSD vs. FGDL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Franklin Short Duration U.S. Government ETF (FTSD) and Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL). 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.
| FTSD | FGDL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +2.06 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +3.24 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.58 | 1.17 | +0.41 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 8.64 | 0.85 | +7.78 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 32.41 | 1.84 | +30.58 |
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Drawdowns
FTSD vs. FGDL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FTSD drawdown since its inception was -5.32%, smaller than the maximum FGDL drawdown of -26.58%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTSD and FGDL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FTSD | FGDL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -5.32% | -26.58% | +21.26% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.45% | -26.58% | +26.13% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -0.93% | -26.58% | +25.65% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -4.95% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -5.32% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -25.05% | +25.05% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.60% | -4.63% | +4.03% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.12% | 12.33% | -12.21% |
Volatility
FTSD vs. FGDL - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Franklin Short Duration U.S. Government ETF (FTSD) is 0.32%, while Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL) has a volatility of 6.14%. This indicates that FTSD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FGDL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FTSD | FGDL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.32% | 6.14% | -5.82% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.09% | 23.68% | -22.59% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.36% | 28.25% | -26.89% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 1.87% | 19.40% | -17.53% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 1.76% | 19.40% | -17.64% |
FTSD vs. FGDL - Expense Ratio Comparison
FTSD has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than FGDL's 0.15% 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
FTSD vs. FGDL - Dividend Comparison
FTSD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.48%, while FGDL has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% | 0.00% |
FTSD Franklin Short Duration U.S. Government ETF | 4.05% | 4.67% | 4.75% | 4.14% | 1.73% | 1.01% | 1.54% | 2.90% | 2.63% | 2.24% | 1.92% | 1.52% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FTSD and FGDL have a correlation of 0.13, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FGDL has higher volatility (6.14%) compared to FTSD (0.32%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FTSD dropped -5.32% vs FGDL's -26.58%.
On 3-year performance, FGDL leads with 27.62% vs 5.00% for FTSD. On fees, FGDL is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, FTSD has been the lower-risk option at 0.32%. 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 27.62% return vs 5.00%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
FGDL is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for FTSD.
FTSD has the higher dividend yield at 4.05%, compared with 0.00% for FGDL.
FTSD is categorized as Mortgage Backed Securities, while FGDL is Gold. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for FTSD and 0.15% for FGDL.
FTSD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.86 vs 0.80), 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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