IYM vs. GOAU
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) and US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU).
IYM and GOAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IYM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index. It was launched on Jun 20, 2000. 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. Both IYM and GOAU are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
IYM vs. GOAU - Performance Comparison
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IYM vs. GOAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | 16.42% | 20.41% | -4.54% | 12.83% | -9.15% | 25.62% | 17.87% | 19.22% | -16.63% | 14.88% |
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, IYM achieves a 16.42% return, which is significantly higher than GOAU's 9.07% return.
IYM
- 1D
- 1.61%
- 1M
- -5.46%
- YTD
- 16.42%
- 6M
- 22.01%
- 1Y
- 34.61%
- 3Y*
- 12.30%
- 5Y*
- 8.93%
- 10Y*
- 11.13%
GOAU
- 1D
- 4.64%
- 1M
- -17.24%
- YTD
- 9.07%
- 6M
- 14.84%
- 1Y
- 87.28%
- 3Y*
- 39.02%
- 5Y*
- 20.93%
- 10Y*
- —
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IYM vs. GOAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
IYM has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is lower than GOAU's 0.60% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
IYM vs. GOAU — Risk / Return Rank
IYM
GOAU
IYM vs. GOAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) 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.
| IYM | GOAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.55 | 1.88 | -0.33 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.15 | 2.17 | -0.02 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.32 | -0.02 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.38 | 2.78 | -0.40 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.81 | 9.55 | -0.74 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| IYM | GOAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.55 | 1.88 | -0.33 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.44 | 0.58 | -0.14 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.52 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.33 | 0.50 | -0.17 |
Correlation
The correlation between IYM and GOAU 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
IYM vs. GOAU - Dividend Comparison
IYM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.30%, more than GOAU's 0.86% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | 1.30% | 1.51% | 1.65% | 1.77% | 2.14% | 1.48% | 1.39% | 2.08% | 1.68% | 1.43% | 1.47% | 2.04% |
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
IYM vs. GOAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IYM drawdown since its inception was -67.78%, which is greater than GOAU's maximum drawdown of -55.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IYM and GOAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IYM | GOAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -67.78% | -55.41% | -12.37% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.54% | -31.15% | +16.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -29.94% | -48.52% | +18.58% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -42.76% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -5.46% | -17.43% | +11.97% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -11.51% | -18.77% | +7.26% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.93% | 9.06% | -5.13% |
Volatility
IYM vs. GOAU - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF (IYM) is 7.07%, while US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU) has a volatility of 17.04%. This indicates that IYM 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.
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Volatility by Period
| IYM | GOAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.07% | 17.04% | -9.97% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.93% | 39.44% | -24.51% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 22.42% | 46.73% | -24.31% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 20.33% | 35.96% | -15.63% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.66% | 35.37% | -13.71% |