XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

XEN.TO (iShares Jantzi Social Index ETF) and XGD.TO (iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XEN.TO is a Canada Equities fund tracking the Morningstar Canada GR CAD, while XGD.TO is a Precious Metals fund tracking the S&P/TSX Global Gold Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XEN.TO returned 12.35%/yr vs 15.15%/yr for XGD.TO. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XEN.TO charges 0.55%/yr vs 0.61%/yr for XGD.TO.

Performance

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares Jantzi Social Index ETF (XEN.TO) and iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF (XGD.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XEN.TO achieves a 10.45% return, which is significantly higher than XGD.TO's 5.52% return. Over the past 10 years, XEN.TO has underperformed XGD.TO with an annualized return of 12.35%, while XGD.TO has yielded a comparatively higher 15.15% annualized return.

XEN.TO

• 1D: 0.70%
• 1M: 4.07%
• YTD: 10.45%
• 6M: 10.76%
• 1Y: 35.69%
• 3Y*: 23.12%
• 5Y*: 15.45%
• 10Y*: 12.35%

XGD.TO

• 1D: 2.10%
• 1M: 3.67%
• YTD: 5.52%
• 6M: 9.98%
• 1Y: 71.20%
• 3Y*: 44.08%
• 5Y*: 22.81%
• 10Y*: 15.15%

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

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XEN.TO iShares Jantzi Social Index ETF	10.45%	34.17%	16.91%	12.18%	-3.37%	28.00%	-0.30%	17.34%	-7.93%	10.65%
XGD.TO iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF	5.52%	144.45%	19.63%	3.91%	-3.10%	-5.81%	21.10%	40.18%	-4.10%	0.96%

Correlation

The correlation between XEN.TO and XGD.TO is 0.57, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.57
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.45
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.23
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 22, 2007	0.21

Over the past year, XEN.TO and XGD.TO have become more correlated (0.57) than their long-term average of 0.21, meaning their price movements have been converging.

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	XEN.TO	XGD.TO
Financial Services	34.8%	-
Energy	18.6%	-
Basic Materials	18.3%	100.0%
Industrials	10.0%	-
Technology	8.1%	-
Consumer Cyclical	3.3%	-
Consumer Defensive	3.1%	-
Utilities	2.6%	-
Communication Services	0.8%	-
Real Estate	0.4%	-
Healthcare	-	-

Return for Risk

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XEN.TO

XEN.TO Risk / Return Rank: 86
XEN.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
XEN.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
XEN.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 88
XEN.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
XEN.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 88

XGD.TO

XGD.TO Risk / Return Rank: 46
XGD.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
XGD.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
XGD.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 47
XGD.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
XGD.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 41

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.

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Jantzi Social Index ETF (XEN.TO) and iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF (XGD.TO). 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.

	XEN.TO	XGD.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.91	1.67	+1.25
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.87	2.04	+1.83
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.54	1.29	+0.24
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.19	2.47	+1.72
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	18.92	6.49	+12.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XEN.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.91, which is higher than the XGD.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.67. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XEN.TO and XGD.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	XEN.TO	XGD.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.91	1.67	+1.25
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.12	0.70	+0.41
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.82	0.46	+0.37
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.44	0.25	+0.18

Drawdowns

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XEN.TO drawdown since its inception was -49.69%, smaller than the maximum XGD.TO drawdown of -72.55%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XEN.TO and XGD.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XEN.TO	XGD.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-49.69%	-72.55%	+22.86%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.55%	-28.95%	+20.40%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-13.31%	-28.95%	+15.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.79%	-40.82%	+23.03%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.24%	-46.96%	+10.72%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-21.88%	+21.88%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.65%	-28.30%	+20.65%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.89%	11.01%	-9.12%

Volatility

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Jantzi Social Index ETF (XEN.TO) is 2.53%, while iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF (XGD.TO) has a volatility of 14.57%. This indicates that XEN.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XGD.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XEN.TO	XGD.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.53%	14.57%	-12.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.88%	34.39%	-24.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.31%	42.90%	-30.59%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.91%	32.65%	-18.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.07%	33.38%	-18.31%

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XEN.TO has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is lower than XGD.TO's 0.61% expense ratio.

Dividends

XEN.TO vs. XGD.TO - Dividend Comparison

XEN.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.67%, more than XGD.TO's 0.59% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XEN.TO iShares Jantzi Social Index ETF	1.67%	1.83%	2.29%	2.46%	2.60%	1.73%	3.72%	2.13%	2.31%	1.75%	2.07%	2.57%
XGD.TO iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF	0.59%	0.62%	0.93%	1.49%	1.80%	1.38%	0.35%	0.54%	0.25%	0.14%	0.09%	0.57%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XEN.TO and XGD.TO in my portfolio?

XEN.TO and XGD.TO have a correlation of 0.57, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XEN.TO or XGD.TO?

On fees, XEN.TO is cheaper at 0.55% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XEN.TO or XGD.TO?

XEN.TO is cheaper with a 0.55% expense ratio, compared with 0.61% for XGD.TO.

What is the main difference between XEN.TO and XGD.TO?

XEN.TO is categorized as Canada Equities, while XGD.TO is Precious Metals. XEN.TO tracks Morningstar Canada GR CAD, while XGD.TO tracks S&P/TSX Global Gold Index. Their fees differ too: 0.55% for XEN.TO and 0.61% for XGD.TO.