USERX vs. IAU
Compare and contrast key facts about U.S. Global Investors Gold & Precious Metals Fund (USERX) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU).
USERX is managed by US Global. It was launched on Jun 30, 1974. IAU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold Price. It was launched on Jan 21, 2005.
Performance
USERX vs. IAU - Performance Comparison
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USERX vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USERX U.S. Global Investors Gold & Precious Metals Fund | -3.65% | 167.44% | 16.75% | 1.44% | -17.44% | -10.80% | 37.16% | 51.34% | -14.24% | 13.07% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 8.61% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 12.91% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, USERX achieves a -3.65% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 8.61% return. Over the past 10 years, USERX has outperformed IAU with an annualized return of 17.26%, while IAU has yielded a comparatively lower 14.08% annualized return.
USERX
- 1D
- -0.77%
- 1M
- -29.27%
- YTD
- -3.65%
- 6M
- 14.10%
- 1Y
- 93.42%
- 3Y*
- 41.60%
- 5Y*
- 20.82%
- 10Y*
- 17.26%
IAU
- 1D
- 3.80%
- 1M
- -11.01%
- YTD
- 8.61%
- 6M
- 21.15%
- 1Y
- 49.53%
- 3Y*
- 33.12%
- 5Y*
- 21.78%
- 10Y*
- 14.08%
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USERX vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
USERX has a 1.52% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
USERX vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank
USERX
IAU
USERX vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for U.S. Global Investors Gold & Precious Metals Fund (USERX) 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.
| USERX | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 2.19 | 1.80 | +0.39 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.42 | 2.24 | +0.18 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.36 | 1.33 | +0.02 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.89 | 2.69 | +0.20 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.76 | 9.97 | +0.79 |
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
| USERX | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.19 | 1.80 | +0.39 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.64 | 1.24 | -0.59 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.51 | 0.89 | -0.38 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.00 | 0.64 | -0.64 |
Correlation
The correlation between USERX and IAU is 0.74, 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
USERX vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison
USERX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.06%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USERX U.S. Global Investors Gold & Precious Metals Fund | 3.06% | 2.95% | 1.48% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 2.13% | 2.68% | 0.00% | 1.76% | 0.00% | 0.88% | 0.47% |
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% |
Drawdowns
USERX vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum USERX drawdown since its inception was -97.74%, which is greater than IAU's maximum drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USERX and IAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| USERX | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -97.74% | -45.14% | -52.60% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -32.20% | -19.18% | -13.02% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -43.45% | -20.93% | -22.52% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -43.45% | -21.82% | -21.63% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -47.32% | -13.20% | -34.12% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -75.18% | -15.98% | -59.20% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.66% | 5.18% | +3.48% |
Volatility
USERX vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison
U.S. Global Investors Gold & Precious Metals Fund (USERX) has a higher volatility of 16.05% compared to iShares Gold Trust (IAU) at 11.02%. This indicates that USERX'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.
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Volatility by Period
| USERX | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 16.05% | 11.02% | +5.03% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 37.16% | 24.11% | +13.05% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 43.96% | 27.62% | +16.34% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 32.50% | 17.69% | +14.81% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 33.98% | 15.82% | +18.16% |