USAU vs. FGDL

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about U.S. Gold Corp. (USAU) and Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL).

FGDL is a passively managed fund by Franklin Templeton that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold Price PM ($/ozt). It was launched on Jun 30, 2022.

Performance

USAU vs. FGDL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in U.S. Gold Corp. (USAU) and Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

USAU vs. FGDL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
USAU U.S. Gold Corp.	-18.60%	216.64%	44.24%	-11.46%	14.29%
FGDL Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF	10.02%	64.15%	27.31%	12.92%	0.91%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, USAU achieves a -18.60% return, which is significantly lower than FGDL's 10.02% return.

USAU

• 1D: 4.02%
• 1M: -22.47%
• YTD: -18.60%
• 6M: -7.11%
• 1Y: 73.25%
• 3Y*: 41.47%
• 5Y*: 7.49%
• 10Y*: -14.89%

FGDL

• 1D: 1.93%
• 1M: -10.91%
• YTD: 10.02%
• 6M: 22.55%
• 1Y: 52.44%
• 3Y*: 33.96%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

Return for Risk

USAU vs. FGDL — Risk / Return Rank

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

USAU

USAU Risk / Return Rank: 73
USAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
USAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
USAU Omega Ratio Rank: 67
USAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
USAU Martin Ratio Rank: 75

FGDL

FGDL Risk / Return Rank: 84
FGDL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
FGDL Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
FGDL Omega Ratio Rank: 83
FGDL Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
FGDL Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

USAU vs. FGDL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for U.S. Gold Corp. (USAU) and Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL). 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.

	USAU	FGDL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.04	1.88	-0.84
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.74	2.29	-0.55
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.20	1.34	-0.13
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.89	2.68	-0.79
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.66	9.56	-4.90
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

USAU vs. FGDL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current USAU Sharpe Ratio is 1.04, which is lower than the FGDL Sharpe Ratio of 1.88. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of USAU and FGDL, 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

	USAU	FGDL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.04	1.88	-0.84
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.12	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.17	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.19	1.55	-1.74

Correlation

The correlation between USAU and FGDL is 0.44, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

USAU vs. FGDL - Dividend Comparison

Neither USAU nor FGDL has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

USAU vs. FGDL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum USAU drawdown since its inception was -99.99%, which is greater than FGDL's maximum drawdown of -19.23%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USAU and FGDL.

Drawdown Indicators

	USAU	FGDL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.99%	-19.23%	-80.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-39.07%	-19.23%	-19.84%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-76.58%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-98.20%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-99.94%	-12.10%	-87.84%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-83.10%	-3.35%	-79.75%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	15.83%	5.39%	+10.44%

Volatility

USAU vs. FGDL - Volatility Comparison

U.S. Gold Corp. (USAU) has a higher volatility of 17.67% compared to Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF (FGDL) at 10.10%. This indicates that USAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FGDL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	USAU	FGDL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	17.67%	10.10%	+7.57%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	49.43%	24.42%	+25.01%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	70.97%	28.02%	+42.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	62.75%	18.97%	+43.78%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	86.63%	18.97%	+67.66%