GSWO vs. AAAU
Compare and contrast key facts about Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETF (GSWO) and Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU).
GSWO and AAAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GSWO is a passively managed fund by Goldman Sachs that tracks the performance of the Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Low Vol Plus Equity Index - Benchmark TR Net. It was launched on Mar 15, 2022. 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 GSWO 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
GSWO vs. AAAU - Performance Comparison
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GSWO vs. AAAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GSWO Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETF | -1.23% | 18.97% | 15.29% | 16.28% | -6.15% |
AAAU Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF | 10.48% | 64.06% | 26.91% | 12.96% | -6.07% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GSWO achieves a -1.23% return, which is significantly lower than AAAU's 10.48% return.
GSWO
- 1D
- 0.96%
- 1M
- -4.41%
- YTD
- -1.23%
- 6M
- 0.51%
- 1Y
- 11.88%
- 3Y*
- 14.90%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
AAAU
- 1D
- 1.78%
- 1M
- -10.64%
- YTD
- 10.48%
- 6M
- 23.10%
- 1Y
- 52.53%
- 3Y*
- 33.97%
- 5Y*
- 22.27%
- 10Y*
- —
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GSWO vs. AAAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
GSWO has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than AAAU's 0.18% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Return for Risk
GSWO vs. AAAU — Risk / Return Rank
GSWO
AAAU
GSWO vs. AAAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETF (GSWO) 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.
| GSWO | AAAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.88 | 1.92 | -1.04 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.30 | 2.35 | -1.05 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 1.35 | -0.16 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.30 | 2.73 | -1.43 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.82 | 10.02 | -4.20 |
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
| GSWO | AAAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.88 | 1.92 | -1.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | — | 1.27 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.79 | 1.18 | -0.40 |
Correlation
The correlation between GSWO and AAAU is 0.20, 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
GSWO vs. AAAU - Dividend Comparison
GSWO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.81%, while AAAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GSWO Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETF | 1.81% | 1.74% | 1.75% | 2.06% | 1.73% |
AAAU Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
GSWO vs. AAAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GSWO drawdown since its inception was -17.77%, smaller than the maximum AAAU drawdown of -21.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GSWO and AAAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GSWO | AAAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -17.77% | -21.63% | +3.86% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.50% | -19.13% | +9.63% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -20.94% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.41% | -11.65% | +6.24% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.35% | -6.01% | +2.66% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.13% | 5.21% | -3.08% |
Volatility
GSWO vs. AAAU - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta World Equity ETF (GSWO) is 5.67%, while Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU) has a volatility of 10.43%. This indicates that GSWO 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.
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Volatility by Period
| GSWO | AAAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.67% | 10.43% | -4.76% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 8.24% | 24.06% | -15.82% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 13.63% | 27.50% | -13.87% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 12.98% | 17.58% | -4.60% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.98% | 16.92% | -3.94% |