ISMF vs. IAU

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Managed Futures Active ETF (ISMF) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU).

ISMF and IAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ISMF is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Mar 12, 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

ISMF vs. IAU - Performance Comparison

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

ISMF vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
ISMF iShares Managed Futures Active ETF	3.84%	11.58%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	8.61%	44.25%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ISMF achieves a 3.84% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 8.61% return.

ISMF

• 1D: 0.21%
• 1M: -1.88%
• YTD: 3.84%
• 6M: 9.57%
• 1Y: 15.08%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

IAU

• 1D: 3.80%
• 1M: -11.01%
• YTD: 8.61%
• 6M: 21.15%
• 1Y: 49.53%
• 3Y*: 33.12%
• 5Y*: 21.78%
• 10Y*: 14.08%

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

ISMF vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison

ISMF has a 0.80% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.

ISMF

iShares Managed Futures Active ETF

IAU

iShares Gold Trust

Return for Risk

ISMF vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank

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

ISMF

ISMF Risk / Return Rank: 86
ISMF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
ISMF Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
ISMF Omega Ratio Rank: 89
ISMF Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
ISMF Martin Ratio Rank: 74

IAU

IAU Risk / Return Rank: 87
IAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
IAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
IAU Omega Ratio Rank: 86
IAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
IAU Martin Ratio Rank: 87

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.

ISMF vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Managed Futures Active ETF (ISMF) 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.

	ISMF	IAU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.84	1.80	+0.03
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.44	2.24	+0.21
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.33	+0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.60	2.69	+0.90
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.89	9.97	-2.08
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ISMF vs. IAU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ISMF Sharpe Ratio is 1.84, which is comparable to the IAU Sharpe Ratio of 1.80. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ISMF and IAU, 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

	ISMF	IAU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.84	1.80	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.24	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.89	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.87	0.64	+1.23

Correlation

The correlation between ISMF and IAU is 0.38, 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

ISMF vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison

ISMF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.00%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025
ISMF iShares Managed Futures Active ETF	6.00%	6.23%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

ISMF vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ISMF drawdown since its inception was -4.23%, smaller than the maximum IAU drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ISMF and IAU.

Drawdown Indicators

	ISMF	IAU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.23%	-45.14%	+40.91%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.23%	-19.18%	+14.95%
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	-2.10%	-13.20%	+11.10%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.41%	-15.98%	+14.57%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.93%	5.18%	-3.25%

Volatility

ISMF vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Managed Futures Active ETF (ISMF) is 2.90%, while iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a volatility of 11.02%. This indicates that ISMF experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IAU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ISMF	IAU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.90%	11.02%	-8.12%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.19%	24.11%	-16.92%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.24%	27.62%	-19.38%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	8.10%	17.69%	-9.59%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.10%	15.82%	-7.72%