RFDA vs. IAU
Compare and contrast key facts about RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF (RFDA) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU).
RFDA and IAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. RFDA is an actively managed fund by SS&C. It was launched on Jun 7, 2016. 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
RFDA vs. IAU - Performance Comparison
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RFDA vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RFDA RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | -1.05% | 16.42% | 20.12% | 16.98% | -8.58% | 25.94% | 11.26% | 27.15% | -9.27% | 19.86% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 8.61% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 12.91% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, RFDA achieves a -1.05% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 8.61% return.
RFDA
- 1D
- 1.86%
- 1M
- -1.50%
- YTD
- -1.05%
- 6M
- 0.65%
- 1Y
- 20.44%
- 3Y*
- 16.13%
- 5Y*
- 11.66%
- 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%
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RFDA vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
RFDA has a 0.52% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
RFDA vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank
RFDA
IAU
RFDA vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF (RFDA) 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.
| RFDA | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.16 | 1.80 | -0.64 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.70 | 2.24 | -0.53 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.27 | 1.33 | -0.07 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.66 | 2.69 | -1.04 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.46 | 9.97 | -1.51 |
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
| RFDA | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.16 | 1.80 | -0.64 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.75 | 1.24 | -0.49 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.89 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.72 | 0.64 | +0.08 |
Correlation
The correlation between RFDA and IAU is 0.06, 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
RFDA vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison
RFDA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.99%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RFDA RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | 1.99% | 1.89% | 2.23% | 2.68% | 3.57% | 1.44% | 1.62% | 1.87% | 2.44% | 1.90% | 0.98% |
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% |
Drawdowns
RFDA vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum RFDA drawdown since its inception was -34.60%, smaller than the maximum IAU drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RFDA and IAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| RFDA | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.60% | -45.14% | +10.54% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -12.73% | -19.18% | +6.45% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.35% | -20.93% | +1.58% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -21.82% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.62% | -13.20% | +9.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.80% | -15.98% | +12.18% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.49% | 5.18% | -2.69% |
Volatility
RFDA vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF (RFDA) is 4.32%, while iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a volatility of 11.02%. This indicates that RFDA 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.
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Volatility by Period
| RFDA | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.32% | 11.02% | -6.70% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 8.90% | 24.11% | -15.21% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 17.70% | 27.62% | -9.92% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.73% | 17.69% | -1.96% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.93% | 15.82% | +1.11% |