TLT vs. GOLD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) and Gold.com, Inc (GOLD).

TLT is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. It was launched on Jul 22, 2002.

Performance

TLT vs. GOLD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) and Gold.com, Inc (GOLD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

TLT vs. GOLD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF	0.17%	-1.48%
GOLD Gold.com, Inc	18.11%	14.34%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TLT achieves a 0.17% return, which is significantly lower than GOLD's 18.11% return.

TLT

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: -4.23%
• YTD: 0.17%
• 6M: -0.87%
• 1Y: -0.49%
• 3Y*: -2.78%
• 5Y*: -5.85%
• 10Y*: -1.38%

GOLD

• 1D: 5.53%
• 1M: -30.26%
• YTD: 18.11%
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

Return for Risk

TLT vs. GOLD — Risk / Return Rank

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

TLT

TLT Risk / Return Rank: 12
TLT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 11
TLT Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
TLT Omega Ratio Rank: 10
TLT Calmar Ratio Rank: 14
TLT Martin Ratio Rank: 13

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.

TLT vs. GOLD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) and Gold.com, Inc (GOLD). 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.

	TLT	GOLD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.04	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.02	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.00	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.05	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.11	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	TLT	GOLD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.04	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.37	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.09	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	2.40	-2.14

Correlation

The correlation between TLT and GOLD is 0.01, 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

TLT vs. GOLD - Dividend Comparison

TLT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.49%, more than GOLD's 0.50% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF	4.49%	4.43%	4.30%	3.38%	2.67%	1.50%	1.50%	2.27%	2.63%	2.43%	2.60%	2.61%
GOLD Gold.com, Inc	0.50%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

TLT vs. GOLD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TLT drawdown since its inception was -48.35%, which is greater than GOLD's maximum drawdown of -40.58%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TLT and GOLD.

Drawdown Indicators

	TLT	GOLD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-48.35%	-40.58%	-7.77%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.23%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.70%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-48.35%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-40.17%	-37.30%	-2.87%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.62%	-9.26%	-4.36%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.38%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	TLT	GOLD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.71%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.61%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.44%	64.88%	-53.44%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.90%	64.88%	-48.98%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.93%	64.88%	-49.95%