GLTR vs. IAI
GLTR (abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF) and IAI (iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - GLTR is a Precious Metals fund tracking the ETFS Physical Precious Metals Basket Index, while IAI is a Financials Equities fund tracking the DJ US Select / Investment Services. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, GLTR returned 12.08%/yr vs 19.37%/yr for IAI. At a 0.07 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. GLTR charges 0.60%/yr vs 0.41%/yr for IAI.
Performance
GLTR vs. IAI - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GLTR achieves a -4.66% return, which is significantly lower than IAI's 3.17% return. Over the past 10 years, GLTR has underperformed IAI with an annualized return of 12.08%, while IAI has yielded a comparatively higher 19.37% annualized return.
GLTR
- 1D
- 0.30%
- 1M
- -15.53%
- YTD
- -4.66%
- 6M
- 0.76%
- 1Y
- 39.78%
- 3Y*
- 29.97%
- 5Y*
- 14.04%
- 10Y*
- 12.08%
IAI
- 1D
- 1.83%
- 1M
- 3.22%
- YTD
- 3.17%
- 6M
- 2.78%
- 1Y
- 19.26%
- 3Y*
- 28.06%
- 5Y*
- 14.44%
- 10Y*
- 19.37%
GLTR vs. IAI - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GLTR abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF | -4.66% | 87.25% | 20.63% | 2.01% | -0.25% | -9.60% | 29.52% | 20.96% | -2.85% | 12.94% |
IAI iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF | 3.17% | 25.80% | 34.37% | 15.27% | -10.87% | 40.48% | 18.61% | 24.26% | -9.47% | 28.86% |
Correlation
The correlation between GLTR and IAI is 0.21, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.07 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 22, 2010 | 0.07 |
The correlation between GLTR and IAI shifts across timeframes, from 0.07 (all time) to 0.21 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
GLTR vs. IAI — Risk / Return Rank
GLTR
IAI
GLTR vs. IAI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR) and iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF (IAI). 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.
| GLTR | IAI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.05 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.04 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.22 | 1.18 | +0.05 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.17 | 1.17 | 0.00 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.88 | 3.33 | -0.45 |
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Drawdowns
GLTR vs. IAI - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GLTR drawdown since its inception was -55.70%, smaller than the maximum IAI drawdown of -75.46%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GLTR and IAI.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GLTR | IAI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -55.70% | -75.46% | +19.76% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -34.09% | -16.52% | -17.57% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -34.09% | -23.14% | -10.95% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -34.09% | -28.84% | -5.25% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.09% | -40.38% | +6.29% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -31.27% | -2.81% | -28.46% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -28.82% | -22.63% | -6.19% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 13.86% | 5.80% | +8.06% |
Volatility
GLTR vs. IAI - Volatility Comparison
abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares ETF (GLTR) has a higher volatility of 10.43% compared to iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF (IAI) at 5.98%. This indicates that GLTR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IAI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GLTR | IAI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.43% | 5.98% | +4.45% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 36.24% | 15.34% | +20.90% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 38.40% | 19.44% | +18.96% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 23.87% | 21.48% | +2.39% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 20.64% | 22.85% | -2.21% |
GLTR vs. IAI - Expense Ratio Comparison
GLTR has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than IAI's 0.41% expense ratio.
Dividends
GLTR vs. IAI - Dividend Comparison
GLTR has not paid dividends to shareholders, while IAI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.05%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GLTR abrdn Physical Precious Metals Basket Shares 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% |
IAI iShares U.S. Broker-Dealers & Securities Exchanges ETF | 1.05% | 0.95% | 1.05% | 1.80% | 2.14% | 1.31% | 1.55% | 1.52% | 1.58% | 1.37% | 1.49% | 1.31% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GLTR and IAI have a correlation of 0.21, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GLTR has higher volatility (10.43%) compared to IAI (5.98%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GLTR dropped -55.70% vs IAI's -75.46%.
On 10-year performance, IAI leads with 19.37% vs 12.08% for GLTR. On fees, IAI is cheaper at 0.41% per year. On volatility, IAI has been the lower-risk option at 5.98%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, IAI has performed better with a 19.37% return vs 12.08%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IAI is cheaper with a 0.41% expense ratio, compared with 0.60% for GLTR.
IAI has the higher dividend yield at 1.05%, compared with 0.00% for GLTR.
GLTR is categorized as Precious Metals, while IAI is Financials Equities. GLTR tracks ETFS Physical Precious Metals Basket Index, while IAI tracks DJ US Select / Investment Services. They also come from different issuers: abrdn and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.60% for GLTR and 0.41% for IAI.
GLTR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.04 vs 1.00), 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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