GSG vs. FAAR
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR).
GSG and FAAR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GSG is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P GSCI Total Return Index. It was launched on Jul 21, 2006. FAAR is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on May 18, 2016.
Performance
GSG vs. FAAR - Performance Comparison
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GSG vs. FAAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GSG iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust | 39.85% | 5.93% | 8.52% | -5.51% | 24.08% | 38.77% | -23.94% | 15.62% | -13.88% | 3.89% |
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 24.94% | 8.07% | 5.97% | -5.63% | 10.15% | 12.34% | 8.60% | -1.28% | -9.17% | 5.00% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GSG achieves a 39.85% return, which is significantly higher than FAAR's 24.94% return.
GSG
- 1D
- -1.01%
- 1M
- 24.23%
- YTD
- 39.85%
- 6M
- 40.40%
- 1Y
- 41.63%
- 3Y*
- 17.03%
- 5Y*
- 17.93%
- 10Y*
- 9.09%
FAAR
- 1D
- -0.05%
- 1M
- 12.00%
- YTD
- 24.94%
- 6M
- 21.95%
- 1Y
- 30.08%
- 3Y*
- 10.56%
- 5Y*
- 9.41%
- 10Y*
- —
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GSG vs. FAAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
GSG has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is lower than FAAR's 0.95% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
GSG vs. FAAR — Risk / Return Rank
GSG
FAAR
GSG vs. FAAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR). 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.
| GSG | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.98 | 1.97 | +0.01 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.66 | 2.65 | +0.01 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.36 | 1.35 | +0.01 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.70 | 2.71 | +0.99 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.32 | 7.95 | +2.37 |
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
| GSG | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.98 | 1.97 | +0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.82 | 0.73 | +0.09 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.42 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | -0.09 | 0.45 | -0.54 |
Correlation
The correlation between GSG and FAAR is 0.46, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.
Dividends
GSG vs. FAAR - Dividend Comparison
GSG has not paid dividends to shareholders, while FAAR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.21%.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GSG iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 9.21% | 11.63% | 3.45% | 3.20% | 5.82% | 6.49% | 3.05% | 1.02% | 0.58% | 2.83% |
Drawdowns
GSG vs. FAAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GSG drawdown since its inception was -89.62%, which is greater than FAAR's maximum drawdown of -18.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GSG and FAAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GSG | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -89.62% | -18.03% | -71.59% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.91% | -11.54% | -0.37% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -29.12% | -18.03% | -11.09% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -57.64% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -57.78% | -0.51% | -57.27% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -63.77% | -7.97% | -55.80% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.27% | 3.93% | +0.34% |
Volatility
GSG vs. FAAR - Volatility Comparison
iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG) has a higher volatility of 11.08% compared to First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) at 5.66%. This indicates that GSG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FAAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GSG | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 11.08% | 5.66% | +5.42% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 16.24% | 10.64% | +5.60% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 21.16% | 15.33% | +5.83% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 21.97% | 13.00% | +8.97% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.78% | 11.54% | +10.24% |