IAU vs. BBRE
IAU (iShares Gold Trust) and BBRE (JPMorgan BetaBuilders MSCI US REIT ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price, while BBRE is a REIT fund tracking the MSCI US REIT Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, IAU returned 17.33%/yr vs 5.60%/yr for BBRE. Their 0.12 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. IAU charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.11%/yr for BBRE.
Performance
IAU vs. BBRE - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IAU achieves a -6.09% return, which is significantly lower than BBRE's 23.40% return.
IAU
- 1D
- 0.11%
- 1M
- 0.69%
- 6M
- -18.72%
- YTD
- -6.09%
- 1Y
- 21.17%
- 3Y*
- 26.99%
- 5Y*
- 17.33%
- 10Y*
- 11.59%
- ALL TIME*
- 10.72%
BBRE
- 1D
- 2.14%
- 1M
- 4.84%
- 6M
- 20.78%
- YTD
- 23.40%
- 1Y
- 24.14%
- 3Y*
- 12.24%
- 5Y*
- 5.60%
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- 8.26%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.35M | $4.29M | $4.76M | |
| $367.78M | $389.80M | $488.83M |
IAU vs. BBRE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | -6.09% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | 0.00% |
BBRE JPMorgan BetaBuilders MSCI US REIT ETF | 23.40% | 2.09% | 8.24% | 13.85% | -24.68% | 42.99% | -7.55% | 26.06% | -2.41% |
Correlation
The correlation between IAU and BBRE is 0.13, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.13 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.15 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.14 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 18, 2018 | 0.12 |
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Return for Risk
IAU vs. BBRE — Risk / Return Rank
IAU
BBRE
IAU vs. BBRE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and JPMorgan BetaBuilders MSCI US REIT ETF (BBRE). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| IAU | BBRE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.97 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.29 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.15 | 1.29 | -0.14 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.76 | 2.99 | -2.23 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.72 | 9.58 | -7.86 |
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Drawdowns
IAU vs. BBRE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IAU drawdown since its inception was -45.14%, roughly equal to the maximum BBRE drawdown of -43.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAU and BBRE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IAU | BBRE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -45.14% | -43.61% | -1.53% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -26.36% | -8.07% | -18.29% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -26.36% | -18.92% | -7.44% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -26.36% | -31.15% | +4.79% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -26.36% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -24.95% | 0.00% | -24.95% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -16.01% | -10.35% | -5.66% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 11.65% | 2.51% | +9.14% |
Volatility
IAU vs. BBRE - Volatility Comparison
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a higher volatility of 6.07% compared to JPMorgan BetaBuilders MSCI US REIT ETF (BBRE) at 4.86%. This indicates that IAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BBRE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IAU | BBRE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.07% | 4.86% | +1.21% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 23.78% | 10.88% | +12.90% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.88% | 14.29% | +13.59% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.39% | 18.81% | -0.42% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.06% | 22.49% | -6.43% |
IAU vs. BBRE - Expense Ratio Comparison
IAU has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than BBRE's 0.11% 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%.
Dividends
IAU vs. BBRE - Dividend Comparison
IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders, while BBRE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.51%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BBRE JPMorgan BetaBuilders MSCI US REIT ETF | 2.51% | 3.24% | 3.19% | 3.68% | 2.62% | 1.70% | 3.17% | 2.19% | 1.96% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IAU and BBRE have a correlation of 0.13, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IAU has higher volatility (6.07%) compared to BBRE (4.86%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IAU dropped -45.14% vs BBRE's -43.61%.
On 5-year performance, IAU leads with 17.33% vs 5.60% for BBRE. On fees, BBRE is cheaper at 0.11% per year. On volatility, BBRE has been the lower-risk option at 4.86%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, IAU has performed better with a 17.33% return vs 5.60%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
BBRE is cheaper with a 0.11% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for IAU.
BBRE has the higher dividend yield at 2.51%, compared with 0.00% for IAU.
IAU is categorized as Gold, while BBRE is REIT. IAU tracks LBMA Gold Price, while BBRE tracks MSCI US REIT Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and JPMorgan. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for IAU and 0.11% for BBRE.
BBRE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.69 vs 0.72), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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