IAU vs. COMT
IAU (iShares Gold Trust) and COMT (iShares GSCI Commodity Dynamic Roll Strategy ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price, while COMT is a Commodities fund tracking the S&P GSCI Dynamic Roll (USD) Total Return Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IAU returned 11.59%/yr vs 8.89%/yr for COMT. Their 0.19 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. IAU charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.48%/yr for COMT.
Performance
IAU vs. COMT - 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 COMT's 33.14% return. Over the past 10 years, IAU has outperformed COMT with an annualized return of 11.59%, while COMT has yielded a comparatively lower 8.89% annualized 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%
COMT
- 1D
- -0.12%
- 1M
- 8.15%
- 6M
- 24.14%
- YTD
- 33.14%
- 1Y
- 36.27%
- 3Y*
- 11.70%
- 5Y*
- 12.15%
- 10Y*
- 8.89%
- ALL TIME*
- 3.55%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.60M | $11.19M | $14.65M | |
| $367.78M | $389.80M | $488.83M |
IAU vs. COMT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | -6.09% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 12.91% |
COMT iShares GSCI Commodity Dynamic Roll Strategy ETF | 33.14% | 6.07% | 5.96% | -6.56% | 19.45% | 36.88% | -18.66% | 10.81% | -6.67% | 11.70% |
Correlation
The correlation between IAU and COMT is 0.09, meaning there was essentially no consistent relationship between their historical price movements. Each responded to its own set of market drivers.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.09 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.22 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.24 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.19 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 16, 2014 | 0.19 |
The correlation between IAU and COMT shifts across timeframes, from 0.09 (1 year) to 0.24 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
IAU vs. COMT — Risk / Return Rank
IAU
COMT
IAU vs. COMT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and iShares GSCI Commodity Dynamic Roll Strategy ETF (COMT). 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 | COMT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.90 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.15 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.15 | 1.28 | -0.13 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.76 | 1.99 | -1.23 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.72 | 6.40 | -4.68 |
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Drawdowns
IAU vs. COMT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IAU drawdown since its inception was -45.14%, smaller than the maximum COMT drawdown of -51.89%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAU and COMT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IAU | COMT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -45.14% | -51.89% | +6.75% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -26.36% | -17.57% | -8.79% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -26.36% | -17.57% | -8.79% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -26.36% | -29.00% | +2.64% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -26.36% | -39.22% | +12.86% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -24.95% | -9.27% | -15.68% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -16.01% | -23.93% | +7.92% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 11.65% | 5.46% | +6.19% |
Volatility
IAU vs. COMT - Volatility Comparison
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a higher volatility of 6.07% compared to iShares GSCI Commodity Dynamic Roll Strategy ETF (COMT) at 4.67%. This indicates that IAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than COMT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IAU | COMT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.07% | 4.67% | +1.40% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 23.78% | 19.58% | +4.20% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.88% | 21.55% | +6.33% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.39% | 21.07% | -2.68% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.06% | 18.85% | -2.79% |
IAU vs. COMT - Expense Ratio Comparison
IAU has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than COMT's 0.48% expense ratio.
Dividends
IAU vs. COMT - Dividend Comparison
IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders, while COMT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.81%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
COMT iShares GSCI Commodity Dynamic Roll Strategy ETF | 5.81% | 7.74% | 4.90% | 5.19% | 29.79% | 17.79% | 0.36% | 2.61% | 11.65% | 5.16% | 0.52% | 1.44% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IAU and COMT have a correlation of 0.09, 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 COMT (4.67%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IAU dropped -45.14% vs COMT's -51.89%.
On 10-year performance, IAU leads with 11.59% vs 8.89% for COMT. On fees, IAU is cheaper at 0.25% per year. On volatility, COMT has been the lower-risk option at 4.67%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, IAU has performed better with a 11.59% return vs 8.89%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IAU is cheaper with a 0.25% expense ratio, compared with 0.48% for COMT.
COMT has the higher dividend yield at 5.81%, compared with 0.00% for IAU.
IAU is categorized as Gold, while COMT is Commodities. IAU tracks LBMA Gold Price, while COMT tracks S&P GSCI Dynamic Roll (USD) Total Return Index. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for IAU and 0.48% for COMT.
COMT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.62 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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