USAU vs. GLD

Last updated Aug 6, 2026

USAU (U.S. Gold Corp.) is a stock, while GLD (SPDR Gold Shares) is Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM. Over the past 10 years, USAU returned -13.17%/yr vs 11.81%/yr for GLD. Their 0.16 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.

Performance

USAU vs. GLD - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, USAU achieves a -22.67% return, which is significantly lower than GLD's -1.68% return. Over the past 10 years, USAU has underperformed GLD with an annualized return of -13.17%, while GLD has yielded a comparatively higher 11.81% annualized return.

USAU

• 1D: 4.38%
• 1M: -9.52%
• 6M: -13.64%
• YTD: -22.67%
• 1Y: 34.02%
• 3Y*: 53.13%
• 5Y*: 8.29%
• 10Y*: -13.17%
• ALL TIME*: -14.54%

GLD

• 1D: 4.14%
• 1M: 1.97%
• 6M: -14.17%
• YTD: -1.68%
• 1Y: 25.22%
• 3Y*: 29.31%
• 5Y*: 18.80%
• 10Y*: 11.81%
• ALL TIME*: 10.52%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
GLD SPDR Gold Shares	$2.72B	$2.53B	$2.75B
USAU U.S. Gold Corp.	$3.55M	$3.36M	$3.63M

USAU vs. GLD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
USAU U.S. Gold Corp.	-22.67%	216.64%	44.24%	-11.46%	-46.49%	-45.80%	104.32%	-10.00%	-44.79%	-81.48%
GLD SPDR Gold Shares	-1.68%	63.68%	26.66%	12.69%	-0.77%	-4.15%	24.81%	17.86%	-1.94%	12.81%

Correlation

The correlation between USAU and GLD is 0.56, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.56
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.48
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.45
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.32
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 18, 2004	0.16

Over the past year, USAU and GLD have become more correlated (0.56) than their long-term average of 0.16, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Return for Risk

USAU vs. GLD — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

USAU

USAU Risk / Return Rank: 60
USAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
USAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
USAU Omega Ratio Rank: 58
USAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
USAU Martin Ratio Rank: 59

GLD

GLD Risk / Return Rank: 29
GLD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
GLD Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
GLD Omega Ratio Rank: 34
GLD Calmar Ratio Rank: 27
GLD Martin Ratio Rank: 24

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

USAU vs. GLD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for U.S. Gold Corp. (USAU) and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	USAU	GLD	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.52	0.89	-0.37
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.14	1.27	-0.13
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	1.18	-0.05
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.78	0.96	-0.18
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.48	2.03	-0.55

USAU vs. GLD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current USAU Sharpe Ratio is 0.52, which is lower than the GLD Sharpe Ratio of 0.89. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of USAU and GLD, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

USAU vs. GLD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum USAU drawdown since its inception was -99.99%, which is greater than GLD's maximum drawdown of -45.56%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USAU and GLD.

Drawdown Indicators

	USAU	GLD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.99%	-45.56%	-54.43%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-44.03%	-26.40%	-17.63%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-44.03%	-26.40%	-17.63%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-72.83%	-26.40%	-46.43%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-96.96%	-26.40%	-70.56%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-99.95%	-21.43%	-78.52%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-83.26%	-16.21%	-67.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	23.09%	12.46%	+10.63%

Volatility

USAU vs. GLD - Volatility Comparison

U.S. Gold Corp. (USAU) has a higher volatility of 17.35% compared to SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) at 7.16%. This indicates that USAU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than GLD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	USAU	GLD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	17.35%	7.16%	+10.19%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	45.42%	20.04%	+25.38%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	65.65%	28.35%	+37.30%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	63.46%	18.58%	+44.88%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	82.00%	16.18%	+65.82%

Dividends

USAU vs. GLD - Dividend Comparison

Neither USAU nor GLD has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both USAU and GLD in my portfolio?

USAU and GLD have a correlation of 0.56, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, USAU or GLD?

USAU has higher volatility (17.35%) compared to GLD (7.16%). In terms of maximum drawdown, USAU dropped -99.99% vs GLD's -45.56%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

GLD currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.89 vs 0.52), 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.