IAU vs. IGLD
IAU (iShares Gold Trust) and IGLD (FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price, while IGLD is a Precious Metals fund actively managed by First Trust. IAU is passively managed, while IGLD is actively managed. Over the past 5 years, IAU returned 18.32%/yr vs 13.02%/yr for IGLD. Their correlation of 0.93 suggests significant overlap in exposure. IAU charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.85%/yr for IGLD.
Performance
IAU vs. IGLD - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IAU achieves a 2.98% return, which is significantly higher than IGLD's 1.69% return.
IAU
- 1D
- -0.98%
- 1M
- -1.62%
- YTD
- 2.98%
- 6M
- 5.50%
- 1Y
- 32.20%
- 3Y*
- 31.29%
- 5Y*
- 18.32%
- 10Y*
- 13.31%
IGLD
- 1D
- -0.81%
- 1M
- -1.33%
- YTD
- 1.69%
- 6M
- 4.44%
- 1Y
- 24.53%
- 3Y*
- 23.01%
- 5Y*
- 13.02%
- 10Y*
- —
IAU vs. IGLD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 2.98% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | 6.52% |
IGLD FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF | 1.69% | 47.46% | 19.36% | 9.24% | -2.34% | 4.30% |
Correlation
The correlation between IAU and IGLD is 0.95, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.95 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.92 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.93 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 4, 2021 | 0.93 |
The correlation between IAU and IGLD has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.92 to 0.95 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
IAU vs. IGLD — Risk / Return Rank
IAU
IGLD
IAU vs. IGLD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF (IGLD). 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.
| IAU | IGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.16 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.15 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.24 | 1.22 | +0.02 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.69 | 1.40 | +0.28 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.19 | 3.82 | +0.36 |
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
| IAU | IGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.23 | 1.06 | +0.16 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.03 | 0.86 | +0.16 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.84 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.62 | 0.94 | -0.32 |
Drawdowns
IAU vs. IGLD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IAU drawdown since its inception was -45.14%, which is greater than IGLD's maximum drawdown of -18.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAU and IGLD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IAU | IGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -45.14% | -18.59% | -26.55% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -19.18% | -17.56% | -1.62% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.18% | -17.56% | -1.62% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -20.93% | -18.59% | -2.34% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -21.82% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -17.70% | -15.16% | -2.54% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.96% | -5.24% | -10.72% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 7.71% | 6.43% | +1.28% |
Volatility
IAU vs. IGLD - Volatility Comparison
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a higher volatility of 5.50% compared to FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF (IGLD) at 5.12%. This indicates that IAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IGLD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IAU | IGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.50% | 5.12% | +0.38% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 23.02% | 21.01% | +2.01% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 26.42% | 23.24% | +3.18% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.95% | 15.17% | +2.78% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 15.90% | 15.00% | +0.90% |
IAU vs. IGLD - Expense Ratio Comparison
IAU has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than IGLD's 0.85% expense ratio.
Dividends
IAU vs. IGLD - Dividend Comparison
IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders, while IGLD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 17.92%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
IGLD FT Cboe Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF | 17.92% | 9.91% | 20.81% | 7.85% | 4.45% | 2.24% |
Frequently Asked Questions
With a correlation of 0.95, IAU and IGLD move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.
IAU has higher volatility (5.50%) compared to IGLD (5.12%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IAU dropped -45.14% vs IGLD's -18.59%.
On 5-year performance, IAU leads with 18.32% vs 13.02% for IGLD. On fees, IAU is cheaper at 0.25% per year. On volatility, IGLD has been the lower-risk option at 5.12%. 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 18.32% return vs 13.02%. 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 0.85% for IGLD.
IGLD has the higher dividend yield at 17.92%, compared with 0.00% for IAU.
IAU is categorized as Gold, while IGLD is Precious Metals. They also come from different issuers: iShares and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for IAU and 0.85% for IGLD.
IAU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.23 vs 1.06), 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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