IAU vs. VGWD.DE
IAU (iShares Gold Trust) and VGWD.DE (Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing) are both exchange-traded funds - IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price, while VGWD.DE is a Dividend fund tracking the FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, IAU returned 18.47%/yr vs 11.01%/yr for VGWD.DE. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. IAU charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.29%/yr for VGWD.DE.
Performance
IAU vs. VGWD.DE - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
IAU is traded in USD, while VGWD.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the VGWD.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 0.11% return, which is significantly lower than VGWD.DE's 12.58% return.
IAU
- 1D
- 2.61%
- 1M
- -4.97%
- YTD
- 0.11%
- 6M
- 0.22%
- 1Y
- 25.52%
- 3Y*
- 29.91%
- 5Y*
- 18.47%
- 10Y*
- 12.49%
VGWD.DE
- 1D
- 0.31%
- 1M
- 3.62%
- YTD
- 12.58%
- 6M
- 13.64%
- 1Y
- 27.75%
- 3Y*
- 18.17%
- 5Y*
- 11.01%
- 10Y*
- —
IAU vs. VGWD.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.11% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 1.79% |
VGWD.DE Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing | 12.58% | 27.76% | 9.13% | 10.68% | -5.43% | 17.81% | -0.77% | 22.39% | -12.36% | 4.33% |
Correlation
The correlation between IAU and VGWD.DE is 0.36, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.36 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.33 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 26, 2017 | 0.21 |
The correlation between IAU and VGWD.DE shifts across timeframes, from 0.21 (all time) to 0.36 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
IAU vs. VGWD.DE — Risk / Return Rank
IAU
VGWD.DE
IAU vs. VGWD.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing (VGWD.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 | VGWD.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.66 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.32 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.19 | 1.47 | -0.27 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.05 | 3.58 | -2.53 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.00 | 12.74 | -9.75 |
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Drawdowns
IAU vs. VGWD.DE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IAU drawdown since its inception was -45.14%, which is greater than VGWD.DE's maximum drawdown of -36.70%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IAU and VGWD.DE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IAU | VGWD.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -45.14% | -36.70% | -8.44% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -24.40% | -7.72% | -16.68% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -24.40% | -13.67% | -10.73% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.40% | -20.94% | -3.46% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -24.40% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -20.00% | 0.00% | -20.00% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -15.97% | -5.83% | -10.14% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.56% | 2.17% | +6.39% |
Volatility
IAU vs. VGWD.DE - Volatility Comparison
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a higher volatility of 8.29% compared to Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing (VGWD.DE) at 2.72%. This indicates that IAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VGWD.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 | VGWD.DE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.29% | 2.72% | +5.57% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 24.06% | 8.47% | +15.59% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.29% | 10.66% | +16.63% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.20% | 13.36% | +4.84% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.04% | 15.34% | +0.70% |
IAU vs. VGWD.DE - Expense Ratio Comparison
IAU has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than VGWD.DE's 0.29% expense ratio.
Dividends
IAU vs. VGWD.DE - Dividend Comparison
IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VGWD.DE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.45%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VGWD.DE Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing | 2.45% | 2.84% | 3.05% | 3.40% | 3.78% | 3.02% | 3.08% | 3.21% | 3.70% | 0.58% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IAU and VGWD.DE have a correlation of 0.36, 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 0.29% for VGWD.DE.
IAU is categorized as Gold, while VGWD.DE is Dividend. IAU tracks LBMA Gold Price, while VGWD.DE tracks FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for IAU and 0.29% for VGWD.DE.
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