IAU vs. IS3S.DE
IAU (iShares Gold Trust) and IS3S.DE (iShares Edge MSCI World Value Factor UCITS ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price, while IS3S.DE is a Global Equities fund tracking the MSCI World Enhanced Value. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IAU returned 12.31%/yr vs 13.34%/yr for IS3S.DE. At a 0.11 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. IAU charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.30%/yr for IS3S.DE.
Performance
IAU vs. IS3S.DE - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
IAU is traded in USD, while IS3S.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the IS3S.DE values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IAU achieves a -2.44% return, which is significantly lower than IS3S.DE's 32.61% return. Over the past 10 years, IAU has underperformed IS3S.DE with an annualized return of 12.31%, while IS3S.DE has yielded a comparatively higher 13.34% annualized return.
IAU
- 1D
- 0.08%
- 1M
- -9.54%
- YTD
- -2.44%
- 6M
- -2.22%
- 1Y
- 22.32%
- 3Y*
- 29.07%
- 5Y*
- 17.23%
- 10Y*
- 12.31%
IS3S.DE
- 1D
- 2.78%
- 1M
- 4.65%
- YTD
- 32.61%
- 6M
- 35.27%
- 1Y
- 63.36%
- 3Y*
- 28.40%
- 5Y*
- 16.11%
- 10Y*
- 13.34%
IAU vs. IS3S.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | -2.44% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 12.91% |
IS3S.DE iShares Edge MSCI World Value Factor UCITS ETF | 32.61% | 41.27% | 5.00% | 19.27% | -10.05% | 20.07% | -3.98% | 19.43% | -14.53% | 22.88% |
Correlation
The correlation between IAU and IS3S.DE is 0.27, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.27 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.26 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 6, 2014 | 0.11 |
The correlation between IAU and IS3S.DE shifts across timeframes, from 0.11 (all time) to 0.27 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
IAU vs. IS3S.DE — Risk / Return Rank
IAU
IS3S.DE
IAU vs. IS3S.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and iShares Edge MSCI World Value Factor UCITS ETF (IS3S.DE). 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 | IS3S.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -3.10 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -4.14 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 1.70 | -0.52 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.99 | 7.30 | -6.32 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.83 | 26.46 | -23.62 |
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Drawdowns
IAU vs. IS3S.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IAU drawdown since its inception was -45.14%, which is greater than IS3S.DE's maximum drawdown of -39.27%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAU and IS3S.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IAU | IS3S.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -45.14% | -39.27% | -5.87% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -24.40% | -8.49% | -15.91% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -24.40% | -15.59% | -8.81% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.40% | -26.37% | +1.97% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -24.40% | -39.27% | +14.87% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -22.03% | -1.73% | -20.30% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.97% | -10.71% | -5.26% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.47% | 2.35% | +6.12% |
Volatility
IAU vs. IS3S.DE - Volatility Comparison
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a higher volatility of 7.70% compared to iShares Edge MSCI World Value Factor UCITS ETF (IS3S.DE) at 6.30%. This indicates that IAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IS3S.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IAU | IS3S.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.70% | 6.30% | +1.40% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 23.94% | 12.87% | +11.07% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.17% | 15.56% | +11.61% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.16% | 15.89% | +2.27% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.02% | 17.65% | -1.63% |
IAU vs. IS3S.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
IAU has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than IS3S.DE's 0.30% expense ratio.
Dividends
IAU vs. IS3S.DE - Dividend Comparison
Neither IAU nor IS3S.DE has paid dividends to shareholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
IAU and IS3S.DE have a correlation of 0.27, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, IAU is cheaper at 0.25% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
IAU is cheaper with a 0.25% expense ratio, compared with 0.30% for IS3S.DE.
IAU is categorized as Gold, while IS3S.DE is Global Equities. IAU tracks LBMA Gold Price, while IS3S.DE tracks MSCI World Enhanced Value. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for IAU and 0.30% for IS3S.DE.
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