PHYS vs. DES
PHYS (Sprott Physical Gold Trust) is a stock, while DES (WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Fund) is Small Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the WisdomTree SmallCap Dividend (TR). Over the past 10 years, PHYS returned 11.42%/yr vs 8.59%/yr for DES. At a 0.04 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
PHYS vs. DES - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PHYS achieves a -3.85% return, which is significantly lower than DES's 20.48% return. Over the past 10 years, PHYS has outperformed DES with an annualized return of 11.42%, while DES has yielded a comparatively lower 8.59% annualized return.
PHYS
- 1D
- 0.19%
- 1M
- -9.95%
- YTD
- -3.85%
- 6M
- -3.47%
- 1Y
- 20.77%
- 3Y*
- 28.00%
- 5Y*
- 16.26%
- 10Y*
- 11.42%
DES
- 1D
- 0.98%
- 1M
- 5.05%
- YTD
- 20.48%
- 6M
- 17.29%
- 1Y
- 31.80%
- 3Y*
- 14.46%
- 5Y*
- 6.81%
- 10Y*
- 8.59%
PHYS vs. DES - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHYS Sprott Physical Gold Trust | -3.85% | 63.95% | 26.43% | 12.98% | -1.81% | -4.84% | 23.89% | 18.14% | -2.64% | 12.78% |
DES WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Fund | 20.48% | 0.25% | 9.93% | 16.50% | -10.96% | 26.51% | -4.26% | 20.26% | -12.85% | 8.64% |
Correlation
The correlation between PHYS and DES 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 | 0.16 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.05 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 26, 2010 | 0.04 |
The correlation between PHYS and DES shifts across timeframes, from 0.04 (all time) to 0.16 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
PHYS vs. DES — Risk / Return Rank
PHYS
DES
PHYS vs. DES - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) and WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Fund (DES). 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.
| PHYS | DES | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.99 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.51 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.17 | 1.32 | -0.15 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.92 | 3.87 | -2.95 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.64 | 11.13 | -8.49 |
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Drawdowns
PHYS vs. DES - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PHYS drawdown since its inception was -48.16%, smaller than the maximum DES drawdown of -65.48%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PHYS and DES.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PHYS | DES | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -48.16% | -65.48% | +17.32% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -24.80% | -7.64% | -17.16% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -24.80% | -25.16% | +0.36% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.80% | -25.16% | +0.36% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -24.80% | -45.65% | +20.85% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -22.43% | 0.00% | -22.43% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -20.99% | -9.67% | -11.32% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.60% | 2.66% | +5.94% |
Volatility
PHYS vs. DES - Volatility Comparison
Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) has a higher volatility of 7.80% compared to WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Fund (DES) at 4.28%. This indicates that PHYS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DES based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PHYS | DES | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.80% | 4.28% | +3.52% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 24.75% | 10.97% | +13.78% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 28.17% | 16.48% | +11.69% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.53% | 19.58% | -1.05% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.41% | 21.97% | -5.56% |
Dividends
PHYS vs. DES - Dividend Comparison
PHYS has not paid dividends to shareholders, while DES's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.29%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DES WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Fund | 2.29% | 2.85% | 2.81% | 2.65% | 2.89% | 2.31% | 2.75% | 2.68% | 3.65% | 2.89% | 2.70% | 3.09% |
PHYS Sprott Physical 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% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PHYS and DES 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.
PHYS has higher volatility (7.80%) compared to DES (4.28%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PHYS dropped -48.16% vs DES's -65.48%.
DES currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.79 vs 0.81), 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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