IDEF vs. IAU

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU).

IDEF and IAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IDEF is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on May 19, 2025. IAU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold Price. It was launched on Jan 21, 2005.

Performance

IDEF vs. IAU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IDEF vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
IDEF iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF	9.35%	23.05%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	10.48%	29.69%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IDEF achieves a 9.35% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 10.48% return.

IDEF

• 1D: 2.96%
• 1M: -8.45%
• YTD: 9.35%
• 6M: 5.99%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

IAU

• 1D: 1.72%
• 1M: -10.66%
• YTD: 10.48%
• 6M: 23.05%
• 1Y: 52.36%
• 3Y*: 33.88%
• 5Y*: 22.19%
• 10Y*: 14.27%

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

IDEF vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison

IDEF has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.

IDEF

iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF

IAU

iShares Gold Trust

Return for Risk

IDEF vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank

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

IAU

IAU Risk / Return Rank: 86
IAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
IAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
IAU Omega Ratio Rank: 85
IAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
IAU Martin Ratio Rank: 84

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.

IDEF vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU). 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.

Risk / return metrics aren't available yet — we need at least 12 months of trading data to calculate them.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IDEF	IAU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	—	1.90	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.26	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.90	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	2.05	0.65	+1.41

Correlation

The correlation between IDEF and IAU 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

IDEF vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison

IDEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.16%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025
IDEF iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF	0.16%	0.17%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

IDEF vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IDEF drawdown since its inception was -14.63%, smaller than the maximum IAU drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IDEF and IAU.

Drawdown Indicators

	IDEF	IAU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-14.63%	-45.14%	+30.51%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	—	-19.18%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-20.93%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-21.82%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.45%	-11.71%	+3.26%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.90%	-15.98%	+13.08%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	—	5.23%	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	IDEF	IAU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	—	10.44%	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	—	24.15%	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.19%	27.64%	-7.45%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.19%	17.70%	+2.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.19%	15.83%	+4.36%