SLV vs. IAUM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM).

SLV and IAUM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SLV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the LBMA Silver Price. It was launched on Apr 21, 2006. IAUM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold Price. It was launched on Jun 15, 2021. Both SLV and IAUM are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

SLV vs. IAUM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SLV vs. IAUM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
SLV iShares Silver Trust	5.77%	144.66%	20.89%	-1.09%	2.37%	-9.96%
IAUM iShares Gold Trust Micro	8.63%	64.27%	27.04%	13.12%	-0.49%	3.87%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SLV achieves a 5.77% return, which is significantly lower than IAUM's 8.63% return.

SLV

• 1D: 7.27%
• 1M: -19.83%
• YTD: 5.77%
• 6M: 60.82%
• 1Y: 119.88%
• 3Y*: 45.50%
• 5Y*: 24.10%
• 10Y*: 16.87%

IAUM

• 1D: 3.78%
• 1M: -11.00%
• YTD: 8.63%
• 6M: 21.30%
• 1Y: 49.82%
• 3Y*: 33.36%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SLV vs. IAUM - Expense Ratio Comparison

SLV has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than IAUM's 0.09% expense ratio.

SLV

iShares Silver Trust

IAUM

iShares Gold Trust Micro

Return for Risk

SLV vs. IAUM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SLV

SLV Risk / Return Rank: 89
SLV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
SLV Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
SLV Omega Ratio Rank: 92
SLV Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
SLV Martin Ratio Rank: 83

IAUM

IAUM Risk / Return Rank: 88
IAUM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
IAUM Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
IAUM Omega Ratio Rank: 86
IAUM Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
IAUM Martin Ratio Rank: 88

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.

SLV vs. IAUM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM). 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.

	SLV	IAUM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.11	1.82	+0.29
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.20	2.26	-0.06
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.33	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.82	2.72	+0.11
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.79	10.05	-1.26
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SLV vs. IAUM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SLV Sharpe Ratio is 2.11, which is comparable to the IAUM Sharpe Ratio of 1.82. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SLV and IAUM, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SLV	IAUM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.11	1.82	+0.29
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.69	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.25	1.29	-1.03

Correlation

The correlation between SLV and IAUM is 0.76, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

SLV vs. IAUM - Dividend Comparison

Neither SLV nor IAUM has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

SLV vs. IAUM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SLV drawdown since its inception was -76.28%, which is greater than IAUM's maximum drawdown of -20.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SLV and IAUM.

Drawdown Indicators

	SLV	IAUM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-76.28%	-20.87%	-55.41%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-42.45%	-19.15%	-23.30%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-42.45%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.81%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-35.47%	-13.18%	-22.29%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-44.76%	-4.98%	-39.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	13.63%	5.18%	+8.45%

Volatility

SLV vs. IAUM - Volatility Comparison

iShares Silver Trust (SLV) has a higher volatility of 18.91% compared to iShares Gold Trust Micro (IAUM) at 10.97%. This indicates that SLV's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IAUM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SLV	IAUM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	18.91%	10.97%	+7.94%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	57.27%	23.96%	+33.31%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	57.07%	27.51%	+29.56%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	35.28%	17.78%	+17.50%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	31.36%	17.78%	+13.58%