IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L
IMBS.L (iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF USD (Dist)) and IGLN.L (iShares Physical Gold ETC) are both exchange-traded funds - IMBS.L is a Global Equities fund tracking the iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF USD (Dist), while IGLN.L is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IMBS.L returned 1.01%/yr vs 11.58%/yr for IGLN.L. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. IMBS.L charges 0.28%/yr vs 0.12%/yr for IGLN.L.
Performance
IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IMBS.L achieves a -0.33% return, which is significantly higher than IGLN.L's -6.13% return. Over the past 10 years, IMBS.L has underperformed IGLN.L with an annualized return of 1.01%, while IGLN.L has yielded a comparatively higher 11.58% annualized return.
IMBS.L
- 1D
- -0.04%
- 1M
- -0.33%
- 6M
- -0.09%
- YTD
- -0.33%
- 1Y
- 5.49%
- 3Y*
- 4.05%
- 5Y*
- 0.06%
- 10Y*
- 1.01%
IGLN.L
- 1D
- -0.82%
- 1M
- -7.02%
- 6M
- -12.44%
- YTD
- -6.13%
- 1Y
- 21.47%
- 3Y*
- 27.22%
- 5Y*
- 17.30%
- 10Y*
- 11.58%
IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IMBS.L iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF USD (Dist) | -0.33% | 8.60% | 1.54% | 3.57% | -11.37% | -1.69% | 4.04% | 6.52% | -0.09% | 2.90% |
IGLN.L iShares Physical Gold ETC | -6.13% | 64.93% | 26.14% | 13.44% | -0.09% | -4.03% | 24.16% | 18.30% | -1.33% | 11.69% |
Correlation
The correlation between IMBS.L and IGLN.L is 0.14, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.14 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 23, 2016 | 0.21 |
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Return for Risk
IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L — Risk / Return Rank
IMBS.L
IGLN.L
IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF USD (Dist) (IMBS.L) and iShares Physical Gold ETC (IGLN.L). 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.
| IMBS.L | IGLN.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.03 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.05 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.15 | 1.16 | -0.01 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.60 | 0.88 | +0.72 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.11 | 2.15 | +2.96 |
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Drawdowns
IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IMBS.L drawdown since its inception was -18.09%, smaller than the maximum IGLN.L drawdown of -45.25%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IMBS.L and IGLN.L.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IMBS.L | IGLN.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -18.09% | -45.25% | +27.16% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.26% | -24.39% | +21.13% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -7.51% | -24.39% | +16.88% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.67% | -24.39% | +6.72% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -18.09% | -24.39% | +6.30% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.49% | -23.66% | +22.17% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.22% | -19.73% | +15.51% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.02% | 9.97% | -8.95% |
Volatility
IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF USD (Dist) (IMBS.L) is 1.37%, while iShares Physical Gold ETC (IGLN.L) has a volatility of 7.59%. This indicates that IMBS.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IGLN.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IMBS.L | IGLN.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.37% | 7.59% | -6.22% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 4.22% | 23.02% | -18.80% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.17% | 26.39% | -20.22% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.77% | 17.79% | -10.02% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 6.35% | 15.74% | -9.39% |
IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L - Expense Ratio Comparison
IMBS.L has a 0.28% expense ratio, which is higher than IGLN.L's 0.12% expense ratio.
Dividends
IMBS.L vs. IGLN.L - Dividend Comparison
IMBS.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.74%, while IGLN.L has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IGLN.L iShares Physical Gold ETC | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
IMBS.L iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF USD (Dist) | 3.74% | 3.58% | 3.55% | 3.23% | 2.42% | 2.24% | 2.56% | 2.99% | 3.04% | 2.89% | 1.53% |
Frequently Asked Questions
IMBS.L and IGLN.L have a correlation of 0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, IGLN.L is cheaper at 0.12% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
IGLN.L is cheaper with a 0.12% expense ratio, compared with 0.28% for IMBS.L.
IMBS.L is categorized as Global Equities, while IGLN.L is Gold. IMBS.L tracks iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF USD (Dist), while IGLN.L tracks LBMA Gold Price. Their fees differ too: 0.28% for IMBS.L and 0.12% for IGLN.L.
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