GOEX vs. IYM

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Global X Gold Explorers ETF (GOEX) and iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM).

GOEX and IYM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GOEX is a passively managed fund by Global X that tracks the performance of the Solactive Global Gold Explorers & Developers Total Return. It was launched on Nov 3, 2010. IYM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index. It was launched on Jun 20, 2000. Both GOEX and IYM 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

GOEX vs. IYM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Global X Gold Explorers ETF (GOEX) and iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GOEX vs. IYM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GOEX Global X Gold Explorers ETF	10.58%	179.50%	19.38%	1.99%	-14.63%	-14.45%	34.98%	36.73%	-14.84%	12.61%
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	16.42%	20.41%	-4.54%	12.83%	-9.15%	25.62%	17.87%	19.22%	-16.63%	24.83%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GOEX achieves a 10.58% return, which is significantly lower than IYM's 16.42% return. Over the past 10 years, GOEX has outperformed IYM with an annualized return of 20.19%, while IYM has yielded a comparatively lower 11.13% annualized return.

GOEX

• 1D: 5.30%
• 1M: -18.39%
• YTD: 10.58%
• 6M: 31.90%
• 1Y: 142.11%
• 3Y*: 49.82%
• 5Y*: 26.17%
• 10Y*: 20.19%

IYM

• 1D: 1.61%
• 1M: -5.46%
• YTD: 16.42%
• 6M: 22.01%
• 1Y: 34.61%
• 3Y*: 12.30%
• 5Y*: 8.93%
• 10Y*: 11.13%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

GOEX vs. IYM - Expense Ratio Comparison

GOEX has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is higher than IYM's 0.42% expense ratio.

GOEX

Global X Gold Explorers ETF

IYM

iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF

Return for Risk

GOEX vs. IYM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

GOEX

GOEX Risk / Return Rank: 94
GOEX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
GOEX Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
GOEX Omega Ratio Rank: 92
GOEX Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
GOEX Martin Ratio Rank: 94

IYM

IYM Risk / Return Rank: 79
IYM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
IYM Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
IYM Omega Ratio Rank: 75
IYM Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
IYM Martin Ratio Rank: 77

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

GOEX vs. IYM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Global X Gold Explorers ETF (GOEX) and iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM). 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.

	GOEX	IYM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.83	1.55	+1.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.88	2.15	+0.72
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.41	1.29	+0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.25	2.38	+1.87
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.99	8.81	+6.18
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GOEX vs. IYM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GOEX Sharpe Ratio is 2.83, which is higher than the IYM Sharpe Ratio of 1.55. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GOEX and IYM, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	GOEX	IYM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.83	1.55	+1.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.68	0.44	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50	0.52	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.04	0.33	-0.29

Correlation

The correlation between GOEX and IYM is 0.37, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

GOEX vs. IYM - Dividend Comparison

GOEX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.88%, more than IYM's 1.30% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GOEX Global X Gold Explorers ETF	1.88%	2.08%	2.46%	0.05%	1.04%	2.35%	2.62%	1.60%	0.00%	0.00%	38.91%	11.70%
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	1.30%	1.51%	1.65%	1.77%	2.14%	1.48%	1.39%	2.08%	1.68%	1.43%	1.47%	2.04%

Drawdowns

GOEX vs. IYM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GOEX drawdown since its inception was -88.83%, which is greater than IYM's maximum drawdown of -67.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GOEX and IYM.

Drawdown Indicators

	GOEX	IYM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-88.83%	-67.78%	-21.05%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-32.78%	-14.54%	-18.24%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-47.16%	-29.94%	-17.22%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-53.66%	-42.76%	-10.90%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-18.39%	-5.46%	-12.93%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-64.05%	-11.51%	-52.54%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.30%	3.93%	+5.37%

Volatility

GOEX vs. IYM - Volatility Comparison

Global X Gold Explorers ETF (GOEX) has a higher volatility of 18.88% compared to iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) at 7.07%. This indicates that GOEX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IYM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GOEX	IYM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	18.88%	7.07%	+11.81%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	42.54%	14.93%	+27.61%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	50.49%	22.42%	+28.07%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	38.58%	20.33%	+18.25%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	40.49%	21.66%	+18.83%