SLV vs. OUNZ
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and VanEck Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ).
SLV and OUNZ 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. OUNZ is a passively managed fund by Merk that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt). It was launched on May 16, 2014. Both SLV and OUNZ 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. OUNZ - Performance Comparison
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SLV vs. OUNZ - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SLV iShares Silver Trust | 5.77% | 144.66% | 20.89% | -1.09% | 2.37% | -12.45% | 47.30% | 14.88% | -9.19% | 5.82% |
OUNZ VanEck Merk Gold Trust | 8.61% | 63.95% | 26.75% | 12.83% | -0.51% | -4.00% | 24.71% | 18.00% | -2.06% | 12.82% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SLV achieves a 5.77% return, which is significantly lower than OUNZ's 8.61% return. Over the past 10 years, SLV has outperformed OUNZ with an annualized return of 16.87%, while OUNZ has yielded a comparatively lower 14.00% annualized 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%
OUNZ
- 1D
- 3.75%
- 1M
- -11.06%
- YTD
- 8.61%
- 6M
- 21.13%
- 1Y
- 49.47%
- 3Y*
- 33.11%
- 5Y*
- 21.74%
- 10Y*
- 14.00%
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SLV vs. OUNZ - Expense Ratio Comparison
SLV has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than OUNZ's 0.25% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
SLV vs. OUNZ — Risk / Return Rank
SLV
OUNZ
SLV vs. OUNZ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and VanEck Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ). 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 | OUNZ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.11 | 1.80 | +0.31 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.20 | 2.24 | -0.04 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.39 | 1.33 | +0.06 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.82 | 2.70 | +0.13 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.79 | 9.98 | -1.19 |
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
| SLV | OUNZ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.11 | 1.80 | +0.31 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.69 | 1.24 | -0.55 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.54 | 0.88 | -0.34 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.25 | 0.70 | -0.45 |
Correlation
The correlation between SLV and OUNZ is 0.77, 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. OUNZ - Dividend Comparison
Neither SLV nor OUNZ has paid dividends to shareholders.
Drawdowns
SLV vs. OUNZ - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SLV drawdown since its inception was -76.28%, which is greater than OUNZ's maximum drawdown of -21.77%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SLV and OUNZ.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SLV | OUNZ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -76.28% | -21.77% | -54.51% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -42.45% | -19.14% | -23.31% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -42.45% | -21.01% | -21.44% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -42.81% | -21.76% | -21.05% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -35.47% | -13.18% | -22.29% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -44.76% | -7.48% | -37.28% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 13.63% | 5.17% | +8.46% |
Volatility
SLV vs. OUNZ - Volatility Comparison
iShares Silver Trust (SLV) has a higher volatility of 18.91% compared to VanEck Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ) at 10.95%. This indicates that SLV's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than OUNZ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SLV | OUNZ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 18.91% | 10.95% | +7.96% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 57.27% | 24.08% | +33.19% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 57.07% | 27.59% | +29.48% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 35.28% | 17.65% | +17.63% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 31.36% | 15.88% | +15.48% |