USFR vs. IAU
USFR (WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund) and IAU (iShares Gold Trust) are both exchange-traded funds - USFR is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Bond Index, while IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, USFR returned 2.42%/yr vs 12.31%/yr for IAU. At a 0.02 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. USFR charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for IAU.
Performance
USFR vs. IAU - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, USFR achieves a 1.72% return, which is significantly higher than IAU's -2.44% return. Over the past 10 years, USFR has underperformed IAU with an annualized return of 2.42%, while IAU has yielded a comparatively higher 12.31% annualized return.
USFR
- 1D
- 0.02%
- 1M
- 0.31%
- YTD
- 1.72%
- 6M
- 1.96%
- 1Y
- 4.03%
- 3Y*
- 4.77%
- 5Y*
- 3.70%
- 10Y*
- 2.42%
IAU
- 1D
- 0.08%
- 1M
- -10.21%
- YTD
- -2.44%
- 6M
- -2.22%
- 1Y
- 23.95%
- 3Y*
- 29.07%
- 5Y*
- 17.23%
- 10Y*
- 12.31%
USFR vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USFR WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 1.72% | 4.23% | 5.47% | 5.18% | 1.98% | -0.03% | 0.56% | 2.02% | 2.01% | 1.03% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | -2.44% | 63.95% | 26.85% | 12.84% | -0.63% | -4.00% | 25.03% | 17.98% | -1.76% | 12.91% |
Correlation
The correlation between USFR and IAU is 0.07, 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 | 0.07 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.05 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.04 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.03 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 4, 2014 | 0.02 |
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Return for Risk
USFR vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank
USFR
IAU
USFR vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) 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.
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.
| USFR | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +14.06 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +49.39 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 13.43 | 1.19 | +12.25 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 203.42 | 0.99 | +202.43 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 787.83 | 2.83 | +785.00 |
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Drawdowns
USFR vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum USFR drawdown since its inception was -1.36%, smaller than the maximum IAU drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USFR and IAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| USFR | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -1.36% | -45.14% | +43.78% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -0.02% | -24.40% | +24.38% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -0.06% | -24.40% | +24.34% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -0.18% | -24.40% | +24.22% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -0.80% | -24.40% | +23.60% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -22.03% | +22.03% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -0.16% | -15.97% | +15.81% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.01% | 8.47% | -8.46% |
Volatility
USFR vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) is 0.08%, while iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a volatility of 7.70%. This indicates that USFR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky 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
| USFR | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.08% | 7.70% | -7.62% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 0.19% | 23.94% | -23.75% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.27% | 27.17% | -26.90% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 0.40% | 18.16% | -17.76% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 0.78% | 16.02% | -15.24% |
USFR vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
USFR has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
USFR vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison
USFR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.91%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
USFR WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund | 3.91% | 4.15% | 5.17% | 5.12% | 1.78% | 0.01% | 0.40% | 2.08% | 1.67% | 1.03% | 0.29% |
Frequently Asked Questions
USFR and IAU have a correlation of 0.07, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IAU has higher volatility (7.70%) compared to USFR (0.08%). In terms of maximum drawdown, USFR dropped -1.36% vs IAU's -45.14%.
On 10-year performance, IAU leads with 12.31% vs 2.42% for USFR. On fees, USFR is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, USFR has been the lower-risk option at 0.08%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, IAU has performed better with a 12.31% return vs 2.42%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
USFR is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for IAU.
USFR has the higher dividend yield at 3.91%, compared with 0.00% for IAU.
USFR is categorized as Government Bonds, while IAU is Gold. USFR tracks Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Bond Index, while IAU tracks LBMA Gold Price. They also come from different issuers: WisdomTree and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for USFR and 0.25% for IAU.
USFR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (14.95 vs 0.89), 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.
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