LPLA vs. IAU
LPLA (LPL Financial Holdings Inc.) is a stock, while IAU (iShares Gold Trust) is Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price. Over the past 10 years, LPLA returned 29.01%/yr vs 12.71%/yr for IAU. At a correlation of -0.08, they often move in opposite directions.
Performance
LPLA vs. IAU - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, LPLA achieves a -20.40% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 0.26% return. Over the past 10 years, LPLA has outperformed IAU with an annualized return of 29.01%, while IAU has yielded a comparatively lower 12.71% annualized return.
LPLA
- 1D
- -1.65%
- 1M
- -6.42%
- YTD
- -20.40%
- 6M
- -22.85%
- 1Y
- -26.79%
- 3Y*
- 12.01%
- 5Y*
- 15.99%
- 10Y*
- 29.01%
IAU
- 1D
- 0.20%
- 1M
- -8.43%
- YTD
- 0.26%
- 6M
- 3.08%
- 1Y
- 30.27%
- 3Y*
- 29.88%
- 5Y*
- 17.71%
- 10Y*
- 12.71%
LPLA vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LPLA LPL Financial Holdings Inc. | -20.40% | 9.76% | 44.12% | 5.88% | 35.69% | 54.63% | 14.58% | 52.95% | 8.53% | 66.03% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.26% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 12.91% |
Correlation
The correlation between LPLA and IAU is 0.02, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.02 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.03 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.06 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.10 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 19, 2010 | -0.08 |
The correlation between LPLA and IAU shifts across timeframes, from -0.10 (10 years) to 0.02 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
LPLA vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank
LPLA
IAU
LPLA vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA) 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.
| LPLA | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.89 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.41 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 0.89 | 1.23 | -0.34 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.81 | 1.52 | -2.33 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -1.70 | 3.80 | -5.50 |
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
| LPLA | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.75 | 1.14 | -1.89 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.45 | 0.99 | -0.54 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.76 | 0.80 | -0.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.47 | 0.61 | -0.14 |
Drawdowns
LPLA vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum LPLA drawdown since its inception was -69.32%, which is greater than IAU's maximum drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LPLA and IAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| LPLA | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -69.32% | -45.14% | -24.18% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -33.12% | -20.04% | -13.08% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -33.18% | -20.04% | -13.14% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -33.18% | -20.93% | -12.25% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -60.34% | -21.82% | -38.52% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -28.63% | -19.88% | -8.75% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.91% | -15.97% | +2.06% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 15.84% | 7.99% | +7.85% |
Volatility
LPLA vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison
LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA) has a higher volatility of 10.60% compared to iShares Gold Trust (IAU) at 5.64%. This indicates that LPLA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IAU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| LPLA | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.60% | 5.64% | +4.96% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 27.76% | 23.33% | +4.43% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 36.06% | 26.68% | +9.38% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 36.03% | 18.02% | +18.01% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 38.12% | 15.94% | +22.18% |
Dividends
LPLA vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison
LPLA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.42%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
LPLA LPL Financial Holdings Inc. | 0.42% | 0.34% | 0.37% | 0.53% | 0.46% | 0.62% | 0.96% | 1.08% | 1.64% | 1.75% | 2.84% | 2.34% |
Frequently Asked Questions
LPLA and IAU have a correlation of 0.02, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
LPLA has higher volatility (10.60%) compared to IAU (5.64%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LPLA dropped -69.32% vs IAU's -45.14%.
IAU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.14 vs -0.75), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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