GOAU vs. IAU
Compare and contrast key facts about US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU).
GOAU and IAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GOAU is a passively managed fund by US Global that tracks the performance of the U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners Index. It was launched on Jun 27, 2017. 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 GOAU 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
GOAU vs. IAU - Performance Comparison
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GOAU vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GOAU US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF | 9.07% | 126.68% | 13.78% | 10.67% | -11.66% | -9.23% | 14.13% | 54.17% | -11.88% | 7.92% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 10.48% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 3.99% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GOAU achieves a 9.07% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 10.48% return.
GOAU
- 1D
- 4.64%
- 1M
- -17.24%
- YTD
- 9.07%
- 6M
- 14.84%
- 1Y
- 87.28%
- 3Y*
- 39.02%
- 5Y*
- 20.93%
- 10Y*
- —
IAU
- 1D
- 1.72%
- 1M
- -10.66%
- YTD
- 10.48%
- 6M
- 23.05%
- 1Y
- 52.36%
- 3Y*
- 33.88%
- 5Y*
- 22.19%
- 10Y*
- 14.27%
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GOAU vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
GOAU has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
GOAU vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank
GOAU
IAU
GOAU vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU) 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.
| GOAU | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.88 | 1.90 | -0.03 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.17 | 2.33 | -0.16 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.32 | 1.35 | -0.03 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.78 | 2.72 | +0.06 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.55 | 9.95 | -0.40 |
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
| GOAU | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.88 | 1.90 | -0.03 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.58 | 1.26 | -0.68 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.90 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.50 | 0.65 | -0.15 |
Correlation
The correlation between GOAU and IAU is 0.75, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
GOAU vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison
GOAU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.86%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GOAU US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF | 0.86% | 0.94% | 2.11% | 0.99% | 1.55% | 1.28% | 0.74% | 0.16% | 0.47% | 0.27% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
GOAU vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GOAU drawdown since its inception was -55.41%, which is greater than IAU's maximum drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GOAU and IAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GOAU | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -55.41% | -45.14% | -10.27% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -31.15% | -19.18% | -11.97% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -48.52% | -20.93% | -27.59% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -21.82% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -17.43% | -11.71% | -5.72% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -18.77% | -15.98% | -2.79% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 9.06% | 5.23% | +3.83% |
Volatility
GOAU vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison
US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU) has a higher volatility of 17.04% compared to iShares Gold Trust (IAU) at 10.44%. This indicates that GOAU'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
| GOAU | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 17.04% | 10.44% | +6.60% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 39.44% | 24.15% | +15.29% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 46.73% | 27.64% | +19.09% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 35.96% | 17.70% | +18.26% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 35.37% | 15.83% | +19.54% |