TPL vs. IAU

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

TPL (Texas Pacific Land Corporation) is a stock, while IAU (iShares Gold Trust) is Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price. Over the past 10 years, TPL returned 37.24%/yr vs 12.71%/yr for IAU. At a 0.04 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

TPL vs. IAU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TPL achieves a 38.29% return, which is significantly higher than IAU's 0.26% return. Over the past 10 years, TPL has outperformed IAU with an annualized return of 37.24%, while IAU has yielded a comparatively lower 12.71% annualized return.

TPL

• 1D: 1.63%
• 1M: 0.65%
• YTD: 38.29%
• 6M: 31.79%
• 1Y: 7.42%
• 3Y*: 38.29%
• 5Y*: 19.99%
• 10Y*: 37.24%

IAU

• 1D: 0.20%
• 1M: -8.43%
• YTD: 0.26%
• 6M: 3.08%
• 1Y: 30.27%
• 3Y*: 29.88%
• 5Y*: 17.71%
• 10Y*: 12.71%

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

TPL vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
TPL Texas Pacific Land Corporation	38.29%	-21.61%	115.31%	-32.40%	91.29%	73.25%	-4.69%	44.58%	21.96%	51.18%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	0.26%	63.95%	26.85%	12.84%	-0.63%	-4.00%	25.03%	17.98%	-1.76%	12.91%

Correlation

The correlation between TPL and IAU is 0.05, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.05
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.14
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.11
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.04
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 31, 2005	0.04

Return for Risk

TPL vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank

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

TPL

TPL Risk / Return Rank: 47
TPL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
TPL Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
TPL Omega Ratio Rank: 45
TPL Calmar Ratio Rank: 48
TPL Martin Ratio Rank: 47

IAU

IAU Risk / Return Rank: 33
IAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
IAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 31
IAU Omega Ratio Rank: 38
IAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 34
IAU Martin Ratio Rank: 29

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.

TPL vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL) 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.

	TPL	IAU	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.16	1.14	-0.98
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.56	1.52	-0.97
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	1.23	-0.16
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.24	1.52	-1.28
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.45	3.80	-3.35
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TPL vs. IAU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TPL Sharpe Ratio is 0.16, which is lower than the IAU Sharpe Ratio of 1.14. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TPL and IAU, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	TPL	IAU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.16	1.14	-0.98
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43	0.99	-0.55
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.79	0.80	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.56	0.61	-0.06

Drawdowns

TPL vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TPL drawdown since its inception was -73.05%, which is greater than IAU's maximum drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TPL and IAU.

Drawdown Indicators

	TPL	IAU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-73.05%	-45.14%	-27.91%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-31.68%	-20.04%	-11.64%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-52.22%	-20.04%	-32.18%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-52.50%	-20.93%	-31.57%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-65.46%	-21.82%	-43.64%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-30.63%	-19.88%	-10.75%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-27.27%	-15.97%	-11.30%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	16.65%	7.99%	+8.66%

Volatility

TPL vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison

Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL) has a higher volatility of 14.07% compared to iShares Gold Trust (IAU) at 5.64%. This indicates that TPL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IAU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TPL	IAU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	14.07%	5.64%	+8.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	37.91%	23.33%	+14.58%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	46.71%	26.68%	+20.03%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	46.23%	18.02%	+28.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	47.10%	15.94%	+31.16%

Dividends

TPL vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison

TPL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.57%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%	0.00%
TPL Texas Pacific Land Corporation	0.57%	0.74%	1.37%	0.83%	1.37%	0.88%	2.20%	0.22%	0.55%	0.30%	0.10%	0.22%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both TPL and IAU in my portfolio?

TPL and IAU have a correlation of 0.05, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, TPL or IAU?

TPL has higher volatility (14.07%) compared to IAU (5.64%). In terms of maximum drawdown, TPL dropped -73.05% vs IAU's -45.14%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

IAU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.14 vs 0.16), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.