SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L
SGLN.L (iShares Physical Gold ETC) and XGLD.L (Xtrackers Physical Gold ETC) are both exchange-traded funds - SGLN.L is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price, while XGLD.L is a Precious Metals fund tracking the Gold. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, SGLN.L returned 14.27%/yr vs 14.17%/yr for XGLD.L. Their correlation of 0.89 suggests significant overlap in exposure. SGLN.L charges 0.12%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for XGLD.L.
Performance
SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
SGLN.L is traded in GBp, while XGLD.L is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the XGLD.L values have been converted to GBp using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SGLN.L achieves a 3.89% return, which is significantly lower than XGLD.L's 4.13% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SGLN.L having a 14.27% annualized return and XGLD.L not far behind at 14.17%.
SGLN.L
- 1D
- 0.70%
- 1M
- -1.36%
- YTD
- 3.89%
- 6M
- 5.42%
- 1Y
- 33.75%
- 3Y*
- 28.17%
- 5Y*
- 20.12%
- 10Y*
- 14.27%
XGLD.L
- 1D
- 0.61%
- 1M
- -1.45%
- YTD
- 4.13%
- 6M
- 5.18%
- 1Y
- 33.45%
- 3Y*
- 28.06%
- 5Y*
- 19.73%
- 10Y*
- 14.17%
SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SGLN.L iShares Physical Gold ETC | 3.89% | 53.66% | 28.20% | 7.24% | 11.84% | -2.57% | 19.62% | 14.63% | 4.36% | 1.68% |
XGLD.L Xtrackers Physical Gold ETC | 4.13% | 52.88% | 28.07% | 7.70% | 11.62% | -3.28% | 20.47% | 13.84% | 4.49% | 2.02% |
Correlation
The correlation between SGLN.L and XGLD.L is 0.97 - these two move nearly in lockstep. At this level, holding both provides almost no diversification benefit. If you already own one, adding the other does little to reduce portfolio risk.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.97 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.96 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.92 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.89 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 13, 2011 | 0.89 |
The correlation between SGLN.L and XGLD.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.89 to 0.97 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L — Risk / Return Rank
SGLN.L
XGLD.L
SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Physical Gold ETC (SGLN.L) and Xtrackers Physical Gold ETC (XGLD.L). 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.
| SGLN.L | XGLD.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.07 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.09 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.27 | +0.01 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.91 | 1.82 | +0.09 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.05 | 4.96 | +0.08 |
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
| SGLN.L | XGLD.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.45 | 1.38 | +0.07 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.23 | 1.18 | +0.05 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.90 | 0.87 | +0.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.55 | 0.51 | +0.04 |
Drawdowns
SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SGLN.L drawdown since its inception was -41.71%, roughly equal to the maximum XGLD.L drawdown of -41.55%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SGLN.L and XGLD.L.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SGLN.L | XGLD.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -41.71% | -41.55% | -0.16% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -17.57% | -18.25% | +0.68% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -17.57% | -18.25% | +0.68% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.57% | -18.25% | +0.68% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -21.91% | -22.30% | +0.39% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -16.01% | -16.03% | +0.02% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -14.76% | -14.25% | -0.51% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 6.67% | 6.72% | -0.05% |
Volatility
SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Physical Gold ETC (SGLN.L) is 5.08%, while Xtrackers Physical Gold ETC (XGLD.L) has a volatility of 5.97%. This indicates that SGLN.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XGLD.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SGLN.L | XGLD.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.08% | 5.97% | -0.89% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 20.08% | 21.24% | -1.16% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 23.19% | 24.10% | -0.91% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 16.30% | 16.68% | -0.38% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 15.78% | 16.32% | -0.54% |
SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L - Expense Ratio Comparison
SGLN.L has a 0.12% expense ratio, which is lower than XGLD.L's 0.25% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
SGLN.L vs. XGLD.L - Dividend Comparison
Neither SGLN.L nor XGLD.L has paid dividends to shareholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
With a correlation of 0.97, SGLN.L and XGLD.L move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.
On fees, SGLN.L is cheaper at 0.12% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
SGLN.L is cheaper with a 0.12% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for XGLD.L.
SGLN.L is categorized as Gold, while XGLD.L is Precious Metals. SGLN.L tracks LBMA Gold Price, while XGLD.L tracks Gold. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Xtrackers. Their fees differ too: 0.12% for SGLN.L and 0.25% for XGLD.L.
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