IAU vs. UL
IAU (iShares Gold Trust) is Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price, while UL (The Unilever Group) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, IAU returned 12.31%/yr vs 5.33%/yr for UL. At a 0.12 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
IAU vs. UL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IAU achieves a -2.44% return, which is significantly higher than UL's -8.35% return. Over the past 10 years, IAU has outperformed UL with an annualized return of 12.31%, while UL has yielded a comparatively lower 5.33% annualized return.
IAU
- 1D
- 0.08%
- 1M
- -7.39%
- YTD
- -2.44%
- 6M
- -2.22%
- 1Y
- 22.32%
- 3Y*
- 29.07%
- 5Y*
- 17.23%
- 10Y*
- 12.31%
UL
- 1D
- 1.03%
- 1M
- 4.77%
- YTD
- -8.35%
- 6M
- -7.70%
- 1Y
- -13.60%
- 3Y*
- 5.05%
- 5Y*
- 0.66%
- 10Y*
- 5.33%
IAU vs. UL - 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% |
UL The Unilever Group | -8.35% | 5.96% | 20.90% | -0.17% | -2.82% | -7.61% | 9.04% | 12.88% | -2.34% | 40.15% |
Correlation
The correlation between IAU and UL is 0.16, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.18 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 28, 2005 | 0.12 |
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Return for Risk
IAU vs. UL — Risk / Return Rank
IAU
UL
IAU vs. UL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and The Unilever Group (UL). 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 | UL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.58 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.12 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 0.90 | +0.29 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.99 | -0.60 | +1.58 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.83 | -1.23 | +4.07 |
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Drawdowns
IAU vs. UL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IAU drawdown since its inception was -45.14%, smaller than the maximum UL drawdown of -53.55%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAU and UL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IAU | UL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -45.14% | -53.55% | +8.41% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -24.40% | -25.09% | +0.69% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -24.40% | -25.09% | +0.69% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.40% | -26.53% | +2.13% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -24.40% | -30.13% | +5.73% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -22.03% | -19.64% | -2.39% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.97% | -10.61% | -5.36% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.47% | 12.20% | -3.73% |
Volatility
IAU vs. UL - Volatility Comparison
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a higher volatility of 7.70% compared to The Unilever Group (UL) at 6.11%. This indicates that IAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than UL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IAU | UL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.70% | 6.11% | +1.59% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 23.94% | 16.78% | +7.16% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.17% | 21.50% | +5.67% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.16% | 20.87% | -2.71% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.02% | 21.61% | -5.59% |
Dividends
IAU vs. UL - Dividend Comparison
IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders, while UL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.87%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
UL The Unilever Group | 3.87% | 3.51% | 3.29% | 3.83% | 3.57% | 3.77% | 3.07% | 3.18% | 3.49% | 2.80% | 3.42% | 3.02% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IAU and UL have a correlation of 0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IAU has higher volatility (7.70%) compared to UL (6.11%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IAU dropped -45.14% vs UL's -53.55%.
IAU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.89 vs -0.70), 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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