GSLC vs. AAAU

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSLC) and Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU).

GSLC and AAAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GSLC is a passively managed fund by Goldman Sachs that tracks the performance of the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity Index. It was launched on Sep 17, 2015. AAAU is a passively managed fund by Goldman Sachs that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold PM Price. It was launched on Jul 26, 2018. Both GSLC and AAAU 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

GSLC vs. AAAU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSLC) and Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GSLC vs. AAAU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
GSLC Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF	-5.21%	16.17%	24.21%	25.09%	-18.71%	27.17%	19.02%	30.74%	-10.94%
AAAU Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF	8.55%	64.06%	26.91%	12.96%	-0.50%	-4.01%	25.02%	18.17%	9.20%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GSLC achieves a -5.21% return, which is significantly lower than AAAU's 8.55% return.

GSLC

• 1D: 2.88%
• 1M: -5.13%
• YTD: -5.21%
• 6M: -3.45%
• 1Y: 14.87%
• 3Y*: 16.91%
• 5Y*: 10.77%
• 10Y*: 13.15%

AAAU

• 1D: 3.76%
• 1M: -11.04%
• YTD: 8.55%
• 6M: 21.17%
• 1Y: 49.58%
• 3Y*: 33.19%
• 5Y*: 21.84%
• 10Y*: —

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

GSLC vs. AAAU - Expense Ratio Comparison

GSLC has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is lower than AAAU's 0.18% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

AAAU

Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF

GSLC

Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

Return for Risk

GSLC vs. AAAU — Risk / Return Rank

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

GSLC

GSLC Risk / Return Rank: 54
GSLC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
GSLC Sortino Ratio Rank: 50
GSLC Omega Ratio Rank: 54
GSLC Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
GSLC Martin Ratio Rank: 62

AAAU

AAAU Risk / Return Rank: 87
AAAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
AAAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
AAAU Omega Ratio Rank: 86
AAAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
AAAU Martin Ratio Rank: 88

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.

GSLC vs. AAAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSLC) and Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU). 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.

	GSLC	AAAU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.82	1.81	-0.99
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.29	2.25	-0.96
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.33	-0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.27	2.70	-1.43
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.79	10.02	-4.23
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GSLC vs. AAAU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GSLC Sharpe Ratio is 0.82, which is lower than the AAAU Sharpe Ratio of 1.81. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GSLC and AAAU, 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

	GSLC	AAAU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.82	1.81	-0.99
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.65	1.25	-0.60
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.75	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.74	1.17	-0.42

Correlation

The correlation between GSLC and AAAU is 0.07, 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

GSLC vs. AAAU - Dividend Comparison

GSLC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.06%, while AAAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GSLC Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF	1.06%	1.00%	1.11%	1.38%	1.61%	1.06%	1.35%	1.54%	1.89%	1.69%	1.69%	0.36%
AAAU Goldman Sachs Physical 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%

Drawdowns

GSLC vs. AAAU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GSLC drawdown since its inception was -33.69%, which is greater than AAAU's maximum drawdown of -21.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GSLC and AAAU.

Drawdown Indicators

	GSLC	AAAU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-33.69%	-21.63%	-12.06%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.27%	-19.13%	+6.86%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.90%	-20.94%	-3.96%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-33.69%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.89%	-13.19%	+6.30%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.45%	-6.00%	+1.55%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.69%	5.16%	-2.47%

Volatility

GSLC vs. AAAU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSLC) is 5.29%, while Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU) has a volatility of 11.00%. This indicates that GSLC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AAAU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GSLC	AAAU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.29%	11.00%	-5.71%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.35%	24.01%	-14.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.16%	27.49%	-9.33%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.64%	17.58%	-0.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.67%	16.92%	+0.75%