IAU vs. IUSQ.DE
IAU (iShares Gold Trust) and IUSQ.DE (iShares MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF (Acc)) are both exchange-traded funds - IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price, while IUSQ.DE is a Global Equities fund tracking the MSCI All Country World (ACWI). Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IAU returned 12.31%/yr vs 12.91%/yr for IUSQ.DE. At a 0.13 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. IAU charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for IUSQ.DE.
Performance
IAU vs. IUSQ.DE - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
IAU is traded in USD, while IUSQ.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the IUSQ.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 IUSQ.DE's 10.01% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with IAU having a 12.31% annualized return and IUSQ.DE not far ahead at 12.91%.
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%
IUSQ.DE
- 1D
- 1.75%
- 1M
- -0.02%
- YTD
- 10.01%
- 6M
- 11.76%
- 1Y
- 26.66%
- 3Y*
- 19.85%
- 5Y*
- 11.00%
- 10Y*
- 12.91%
IAU vs. IUSQ.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% |
IUSQ.DE iShares MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF (Acc) | 10.01% | 23.07% | 17.40% | 22.32% | -18.34% | 18.95% | 15.19% | 27.40% | -10.39% | 24.57% |
Correlation
The correlation between IAU and IUSQ.DE is 0.29, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.27 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 21, 2011 | 0.13 |
The correlation between IAU and IUSQ.DE shifts across timeframes, from 0.13 (all time) to 0.29 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
IAU vs. IUSQ.DE — Risk / Return Rank
IAU
IUSQ.DE
IAU vs. IUSQ.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and iShares MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF (Acc) (IUSQ.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 | IUSQ.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.16 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.72 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 1.36 | -0.18 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.99 | 2.89 | -1.91 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.83 | 12.04 | -9.21 |
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Drawdowns
IAU vs. IUSQ.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IAU drawdown since its inception was -45.14%, which is greater than IUSQ.DE's maximum drawdown of -34.07%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAU and IUSQ.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IAU | IUSQ.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -45.14% | -34.07% | -11.07% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -24.40% | -8.85% | -15.55% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -24.40% | -17.48% | -6.92% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.40% | -26.08% | +1.68% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -24.40% | -34.07% | +9.67% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -22.03% | -1.91% | -20.12% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.97% | -5.02% | -10.95% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.47% | 2.13% | +6.34% |
Volatility
IAU vs. IUSQ.DE - Volatility Comparison
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a higher volatility of 7.70% compared to iShares MSCI ACWI UCITS ETF (Acc) (IUSQ.DE) at 3.93%. This indicates that IAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IUSQ.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 | IUSQ.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.70% | 3.93% | +3.77% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 23.94% | 9.72% | +14.22% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.17% | 12.49% | +14.68% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.16% | 15.50% | +2.66% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.02% | 15.92% | +0.10% |
IAU vs. IUSQ.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
IAU has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than IUSQ.DE's 0.20% 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. IUSQ.DE - Dividend Comparison
Neither IAU nor IUSQ.DE has paid dividends to shareholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
IAU and IUSQ.DE have a correlation of 0.29, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, IUSQ.DE is cheaper at 0.20% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
IUSQ.DE is cheaper with a 0.20% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for IAU.
IAU is categorized as Gold, while IUSQ.DE is Global Equities. IAU tracks LBMA Gold Price, while IUSQ.DE tracks MSCI All Country World (ACWI). Their fees differ too: 0.25% for IAU and 0.20% for IUSQ.DE.
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