VGWD.DE vs. IAU
VGWD.DE (Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing) and IAU (iShares Gold Trust) are both exchange-traded funds - VGWD.DE is a Dividend fund tracking the FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index, while IAU is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, VGWD.DE returned 11.77%/yr vs 19.28%/yr for IAU. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. VGWD.DE charges 0.29%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for IAU.
Performance
VGWD.DE vs. IAU - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
VGWD.DE is traded in EUR, while IAU is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the IAU values have been converted to EUR using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VGWD.DE achieves a 14.09% return, which is significantly higher than IAU's 1.43% return.
VGWD.DE
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- 3.91%
- YTD
- 14.09%
- 6M
- 15.22%
- 1Y
- 27.30%
- 3Y*
- 15.91%
- 5Y*
- 11.77%
- 10Y*
- —
IAU
- 1D
- 2.39%
- 1M
- -4.69%
- YTD
- 1.43%
- 6M
- 1.60%
- 1Y
- 25.05%
- 3Y*
- 27.41%
- 5Y*
- 19.28%
- 10Y*
- 12.18%
VGWD.DE vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGWD.DE Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing | 14.09% | 13.16% | 15.75% | 7.29% | 0.08% | 27.89% | -9.60% | 25.03% | -8.03% | 1.24% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 1.43% | 44.49% | 35.22% | 9.45% | 5.53% | 3.18% | 14.73% | 20.65% | 2.85% | 0.21% |
Correlation
The correlation between VGWD.DE and IAU is 0.20, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.20 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.11 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 26, 2017 | 0.05 |
The correlation between VGWD.DE and IAU shifts across timeframes, from 0.05 (all time) to 0.20 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
VGWD.DE vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank
VGWD.DE
IAU
VGWD.DE vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing (VGWD.DE) 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.
| VGWD.DE | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.92 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.69 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.54 | 1.20 | +0.34 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.67 | 1.12 | +3.55 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 18.26 | 3.22 | +15.04 |
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Drawdowns
VGWD.DE vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VGWD.DE drawdown since its inception was -34.57%, smaller than the maximum IAU drawdown of -37.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGWD.DE and IAU.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VGWD.DE | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.57% | -37.42% | +2.85% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.82% | -22.47% | +16.65% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -16.86% | -22.47% | +5.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -16.86% | -22.47% | +5.61% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -22.47% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -18.38% | +18.38% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.04% | -12.04% | +8.00% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.49% | 7.86% | -6.37% |
Volatility
VGWD.DE vs. IAU - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing (VGWD.DE) is 2.35%, while iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has a volatility of 7.39%. This indicates that VGWD.DE 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
| VGWD.DE | IAU | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.35% | 7.39% | -5.04% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.20% | 22.57% | -15.37% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.39% | 25.77% | -16.38% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 11.55% | 16.87% | -5.32% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 14.22% | 14.98% | -0.76% |
VGWD.DE vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison
VGWD.DE has a 0.29% expense ratio, which is higher than IAU's 0.25% expense ratio.
Dividends
VGWD.DE vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison
VGWD.DE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.45%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VGWD.DE Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF USD Distributing | 2.45% | 2.84% | 3.05% | 3.40% | 3.78% | 3.02% | 3.08% | 3.21% | 3.70% | 0.58% |
Frequently Asked Questions
VGWD.DE and IAU have a correlation of 0.20, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, IAU is cheaper at 0.25% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
IAU is cheaper with a 0.25% expense ratio, compared with 0.29% for VGWD.DE.
VGWD.DE is categorized as Dividend, while IAU is Gold. VGWD.DE tracks FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index, while IAU tracks LBMA Gold Price. They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.29% for VGWD.DE and 0.25% for IAU.
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