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OUNZ vs. VTIP
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

OUNZ vs. VTIP

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

OUNZ (VanEck Merk Gold Trust) and VTIP (Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - OUNZ is a Precious Metals fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt), while VTIP is a Inflation-Protected Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) 0-5 Year Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, OUNZ returned 12.64%/yr vs 3.08%/yr for VTIP. At a 0.36 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. OUNZ charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for VTIP.

Performance

OUNZ vs. VTIP - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, OUNZ achieves a 0.29% return, which is significantly lower than VTIP's 1.76% return. Over the past 10 years, OUNZ has outperformed VTIP with an annualized return of 12.64%, while VTIP has yielded a comparatively lower 3.08% annualized return.

OUNZ

1D
0.22%
1M
-8.43%
YTD
0.29%
6M
3.12%
1Y
30.33%
3Y*
29.90%
5Y*
17.72%
10Y*
12.64%

VTIP

1D
0.00%
1M
-0.18%
YTD
1.76%
6M
1.89%
1Y
4.64%
3Y*
5.17%
5Y*
3.37%
10Y*
3.08%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

OUNZ vs. VTIP - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
OUNZ
VanEck Merk Gold Trust		0.29%63.95%26.75%12.83%-0.51%-4.00%24.71%18.00%-2.06%12.82%
VTIP
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF		1.76%6.07%4.74%4.62%-2.94%5.36%4.95%4.86%0.56%0.82%

Correlation

The correlation between OUNZ and VTIP is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.23

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.28

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.37

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.38

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since May 19, 2014

0.36

The correlation between OUNZ and VTIP shifts across timeframes, from 0.23 (1 year) to 0.38 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

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VanEck Merk Gold Trust

Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF

Often compared with OUNZ:
OUNZ vs. GLDOUNZ vs. IAUOUNZ vs. GLDMOUNZ vs. IAUMOUNZ vs. GDXOUNZ vs. SGOLOUNZ vs. FGDL
Often compared with VTIP:
VTIP vs. SCHPVTIP vs. TIPVTIP vs. VGSHVTIP vs. STIPVTIP vs. BNDVTIP vs. VGITVTIP vs. VTAPX

Return for Risk

OUNZ vs. VTIP — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
OUNZ
OUNZ Risk / Return Rank: 3434
Overall Rank
OUNZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3535
Sharpe Ratio Rank
OUNZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 3131
Sortino Ratio Rank
OUNZ Omega Ratio Rank: 3939
Omega Ratio Rank
OUNZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 3434
Calmar Ratio Rank
OUNZ Martin Ratio Rank: 2929
Martin Ratio Rank
VTIP
VTIP Risk / Return Rank: 9595
Overall Rank
VTIP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9393
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VTIP Sortino Ratio Rank: 9696
Sortino Ratio Rank
VTIP Omega Ratio Rank: 9595
Omega Ratio Rank
VTIP Calmar Ratio Rank: 9494
Calmar Ratio Rank
VTIP Martin Ratio Rank: 9494
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

OUNZ vs. VTIP - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP). 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.

OUNZVTIPDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.14
3.12

-1.97

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.53
5.31

-3.79

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.23

1.66

-0.43

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.52

6.66

-5.14

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

3.82

26.11

-22.29

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

OUNZ vs. VTIP - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current OUNZ Sharpe Ratio is 1.14, which is lower than the VTIP Sharpe Ratio of 3.12. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of OUNZ and VTIP, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

OUNZVTIPDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.14

3.12

-1.97

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.99

1.22

-0.23

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.79

1.13

-0.34

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.64

0.89

-0.24

Drawdowns

OUNZ vs. VTIP - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum OUNZ drawdown since its inception was -21.77%, which is greater than VTIP's maximum drawdown of -6.27%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for OUNZ and VTIP.

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Drawdown Indicators

OUNZVTIPDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-21.77%

-6.27%

-15.50%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-20.00%

-0.70%

-19.30%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-20.00%

-0.98%

-19.02%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-21.01%

-5.50%

-15.51%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-21.76%

-6.27%

-15.49%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-19.83%

-0.30%

-19.53%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-7.58%

-1.04%

-6.54%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

7.96%

0.18%

+7.78%

Volatility

OUNZ vs. VTIP - Volatility Comparison

VanEck Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ) has a higher volatility of 5.67% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF (VTIP) at 0.45%. This indicates that OUNZ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VTIP based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

OUNZVTIPDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

5.67%

0.45%

+5.22%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

23.29%

1.05%

+22.24%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

26.66%

1.50%

+25.16%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

17.99%

2.78%

+15.21%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

16.00%

2.74%

+13.26%

OUNZ vs. VTIP - Expense Ratio Comparison

OUNZ has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than VTIP's 0.03% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

OUNZ vs. VTIP - Dividend Comparison

OUNZ has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VTIP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.59%.

PositionTTM2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
OUNZ
VanEck Merk Gold Trust		0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
VTIP
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF		3.59%3.81%2.70%2.86%6.84%4.68%1.20%1.95%2.45%1.52%0.76%

Frequently Asked Questions

OUNZ and VTIP have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

OUNZ has higher volatility (5.67%) compared to VTIP (0.45%). In terms of maximum drawdown, OUNZ dropped -21.77% vs VTIP's -6.27%.

On 10-year performance, OUNZ leads with 12.64% vs 3.08% for VTIP. On fees, VTIP is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, VTIP has been the lower-risk option at 0.45%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 10-year period, OUNZ has performed better with a 12.64% return vs 3.08%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

VTIP is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for OUNZ.

VTIP has the higher dividend yield at 3.59%, compared with 0.00% for OUNZ.

OUNZ is categorized as Precious Metals, while VTIP is Inflation-Protected Bonds. OUNZ tracks LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt), while VTIP tracks Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) 0-5 Year Index. They also come from different issuers: Merk and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for OUNZ and 0.03% for VTIP.

VTIP currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.12 vs 1.14), 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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