ICBMX vs. GOAU

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ICON Natural Resources and Infrastructure Fund (ICBMX) and US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU).

ICBMX is managed by ICON Funds. It was launched on May 4, 1997. GOAU is a passively managed fund by US Global that tracks the performance of the U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners Index. It was launched on Jun 27, 2017.

Performance

ICBMX vs. GOAU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ICON Natural Resources and Infrastructure Fund (ICBMX) and US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ICBMX vs. GOAU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ICBMX ICON Natural Resources and Infrastructure Fund	15.65%	15.95%	21.25%	11.02%	0.50%	30.63%	5.53%	22.11%	-17.38%	15.02%
GOAU US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF	9.07%	126.68%	13.78%	10.67%	-11.66%	-9.23%	14.13%	54.17%	-11.88%	7.92%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ICBMX achieves a 15.65% return, which is significantly higher than GOAU's 9.07% return.

ICBMX

• 1D: 2.40%
• 1M: -3.46%
• YTD: 15.65%
• 6M: 18.51%
• 1Y: 42.47%
• 3Y*: 21.21%
• 5Y*: 14.05%
• 10Y*: 13.20%

GOAU

• 1D: 4.64%
• 1M: -17.24%
• YTD: 9.07%
• 6M: 14.84%
• 1Y: 87.28%
• 3Y*: 39.02%
• 5Y*: 20.93%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ICBMX vs. GOAU - Expense Ratio Comparison

ICBMX has a 1.31% expense ratio, which is higher than GOAU's 0.60% expense ratio.

ICBMX

ICON Natural Resources and Infrastructure Fund

GOAU

US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF

Return for Risk

ICBMX vs. GOAU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ICBMX

ICBMX Risk / Return Rank: 86
ICBMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
ICBMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
ICBMX Omega Ratio Rank: 78
ICBMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
ICBMX Martin Ratio Rank: 91

GOAU

GOAU Risk / Return Rank: 83
GOAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
GOAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
GOAU Omega Ratio Rank: 79
GOAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
GOAU Martin Ratio Rank: 81

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ICBMX vs. GOAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ICON Natural Resources and Infrastructure Fund (ICBMX) and US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU). 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.

	ICBMX	GOAU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.72	1.88	-0.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.43	2.17	+0.26
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.32	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.59	2.78	-0.19
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.22	9.55	+1.66
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ICBMX vs. GOAU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ICBMX Sharpe Ratio is 1.72, which is comparable to the GOAU Sharpe Ratio of 1.88. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ICBMX and GOAU, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ICBMX	GOAU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.72	1.88	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.68	0.58	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.59	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.29	0.50	-0.21

Correlation

The correlation between ICBMX and GOAU is 0.28, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

ICBMX vs. GOAU - Dividend Comparison

ICBMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.65%, more than GOAU's 0.86% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ICBMX ICON Natural Resources and Infrastructure Fund	8.65%	10.01%	17.24%	7.07%	11.07%	1.32%	0.32%	1.55%	21.58%	1.19%	0.53%	7.78%
GOAU US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF	0.86%	0.94%	2.11%	0.99%	1.55%	1.28%	0.74%	0.16%	0.47%	0.27%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

ICBMX vs. GOAU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ICBMX drawdown since its inception was -63.92%, which is greater than GOAU's maximum drawdown of -55.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ICBMX and GOAU.

Drawdown Indicators

	ICBMX	GOAU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.92%	-55.41%	-8.51%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.07%	-31.15%	+15.08%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.49%	-48.52%	+22.03%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-48.18%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.46%	-17.43%	+13.97%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.97%	-18.77%	+0.80%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.71%	9.06%	-5.35%

Volatility

ICBMX vs. GOAU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for ICON Natural Resources and Infrastructure Fund (ICBMX) is 6.79%, while US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU) has a volatility of 17.04%. This indicates that ICBMX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GOAU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ICBMX	GOAU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.79%	17.04%	-10.25%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.91%	39.44%	-23.53%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	25.07%	46.73%	-21.66%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.88%	35.96%	-15.08%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.29%	35.37%	-13.08%