ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

ICOM.L (iShares Diversified Commodity Swap UCITS ETF) and PHAU.AS (WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC) are both exchange-traded funds - ICOM.L is a Commodities fund tracking the Bloomberg Commodity (Total Return Index), while PHAU.AS is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ICOM.L returned 11.06%/yr vs 18.29%/yr for PHAU.AS. At a 0.31 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ICOM.L charges 0.19%/yr vs 0.39%/yr for PHAU.AS.

Performance

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Diversified Commodity Swap UCITS ETF (ICOM.L) and WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC (PHAU.AS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

ICOM.L is traded in USD, while PHAU.AS is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the PHAU.AS values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ICOM.L achieves a 24.73% return, which is significantly higher than PHAU.AS's 3.42% return.

ICOM.L

• 1D: -1.26%
• 1M: -3.64%
• YTD: 24.73%
• 6M: 24.19%
• 1Y: 37.66%
• 3Y*: 15.67%
• 5Y*: 11.06%
• 10Y*: —

PHAU.AS

• 1D: 0.68%
• 1M: -2.35%
• YTD: 3.42%
• 6M: 5.91%
• 1Y: 31.97%
• 3Y*: 31.15%
• 5Y*: 18.29%
• 10Y*: 13.17%

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

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ICOM.L iShares Diversified Commodity Swap UCITS ETF	24.73%	16.45%	5.07%	-8.06%	14.83%	27.05%	-3.74%	6.75%	-10.19%	5.58%
PHAU.AS WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC	3.42%	65.08%	25.74%	12.78%	-0.79%	-3.43%	23.56%	18.07%	-1.94%	3.33%

Correlation

The correlation between ICOM.L and PHAU.AS 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	0.36
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.35
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 27, 2017	0.31

Return for Risk

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS — Risk / Return Rank

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

ICOM.L

ICOM.L Risk / Return Rank: 71
ICOM.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
ICOM.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
ICOM.L Omega Ratio Rank: 70
ICOM.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
ICOM.L Martin Ratio Rank: 67

PHAU.AS

PHAU.AS Risk / Return Rank: 35
PHAU.AS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 36
PHAU.AS Sortino Ratio Rank: 33
PHAU.AS Omega Ratio Rank: 40
PHAU.AS Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
PHAU.AS Martin Ratio Rank: 31

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.

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Diversified Commodity Swap UCITS ETF (ICOM.L) and WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC (PHAU.AS). 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.

	ICOM.L	PHAU.AS	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.22	1.30	+0.92
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.75	1.73	+1.02
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.41	1.25	+0.16
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	5.22	1.82	+3.40
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	12.15	4.63	+7.52
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ICOM.L Sharpe Ratio is 2.22, which is higher than the PHAU.AS Sharpe Ratio of 1.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ICOM.L and PHAU.AS, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ICOM.L	PHAU.AS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.22	1.30	+0.92
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.67	1.04	-0.37
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.84	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.55	0.57	-0.02

Drawdowns

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ICOM.L drawdown since its inception was -33.13%, smaller than the maximum PHAU.AS drawdown of -45.50%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ICOM.L and PHAU.AS.

Drawdown Indicators

	ICOM.L	PHAU.AS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-33.13%	-45.50%	+12.37%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.18%	-17.30%	+10.12%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-11.40%	-17.30%	+5.90%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.74%	-21.42%	-5.32%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-21.75%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.33%	-15.82%	+10.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.87%	-17.58%	+4.71%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.09%	6.85%	-3.76%

Volatility

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS - Volatility Comparison

iShares Diversified Commodity Swap UCITS ETF (ICOM.L) and WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC (PHAU.AS) have volatilities of 5.49% and 5.74%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ICOM.L	PHAU.AS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.49%	5.74%	-0.25%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.09%	21.07%	-5.98%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.90%	24.27%	-7.37%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.51%	17.33%	-0.82%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.23%	15.50%	-0.27%

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS - Expense Ratio Comparison

ICOM.L has a 0.19% expense ratio, which is lower than PHAU.AS's 0.39% expense ratio.

Dividends

ICOM.L vs. PHAU.AS - Dividend Comparison

Neither ICOM.L nor PHAU.AS has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ICOM.L and PHAU.AS in my portfolio?

ICOM.L and PHAU.AS 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.

Which ETF is better, ICOM.L or PHAU.AS?

On fees, ICOM.L is cheaper at 0.19% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, ICOM.L or PHAU.AS?

ICOM.L is cheaper with a 0.19% expense ratio, compared with 0.39% for PHAU.AS.

What is the main difference between ICOM.L and PHAU.AS?

ICOM.L is categorized as Commodities, while PHAU.AS is Gold. ICOM.L tracks Bloomberg Commodity (Total Return Index), while PHAU.AS tracks LBMA Gold Price PM. They also come from different issuers: iShares and WisdomTree. Their fees differ too: 0.19% for ICOM.L and 0.39% for PHAU.AS.