XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF (XGD.TO) and Swisscanto (CH) Gold ETF EA CHF (ZGLD.SW).

XGD.TO and ZGLD.SW are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XGD.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Gbl Gold GR CAD. It was launched on Mar 23, 2001. ZGLD.SW is a passively managed fund by Swisscanto that tracks the performance of the Gold Bullion. It was launched on Mar 14, 2006. Both XGD.TO and ZGLD.SW are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW - Performance Comparison

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

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XGD.TO iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF	10.99%	144.45%	19.63%	3.91%	-3.10%	-5.81%	21.10%	40.18%	-4.10%	0.96%
ZGLD.SW Swisscanto (CH) Gold ETF EA CHF	8.29%	58.60%	36.26%	10.70%	6.00%	-4.60%	21.23%	13.39%	5.67%	4.81%

Different Trading Currencies

XGD.TO is traded in CAD, while ZGLD.SW is traded in CHF. To make them comparable, the ZGLD.SW values have been converted to CAD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XGD.TO achieves a 10.99% return, which is significantly higher than ZGLD.SW's 8.29% return. Over the past 10 years, XGD.TO has outperformed ZGLD.SW with an annualized return of 18.24%, while ZGLD.SW has yielded a comparatively lower 14.63% annualized return.

XGD.TO

• 1D: 6.65%
• 1M: -17.83%
• YTD: 10.99%
• 6M: 23.93%
• 1Y: 98.94%
• 3Y*: 44.74%
• 5Y*: 26.71%
• 10Y*: 18.24%

ZGLD.SW

• 1D: 2.30%
• 1M: -9.52%
• YTD: 8.29%
• 6M: 20.35%
• 1Y: 43.76%
• 3Y*: 33.78%
• 5Y*: 23.83%
• 10Y*: 14.63%

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

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW - Expense Ratio Comparison

XGD.TO has a 0.61% expense ratio, which is higher than ZGLD.SW's 0.40% expense ratio.

XGD.TO

iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF

ZGLD.SW

Swisscanto (CH) Gold ETF EA CHF

Return for Risk

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW — Risk / Return Rank

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

XGD.TO

XGD.TO Risk / Return Rank: 93
XGD.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
XGD.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
XGD.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 91
XGD.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
XGD.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 93

ZGLD.SW

ZGLD.SW Risk / Return Rank: 80
ZGLD.SW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
ZGLD.SW Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
ZGLD.SW Omega Ratio Rank: 77
ZGLD.SW Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
ZGLD.SW Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF (XGD.TO) and Swisscanto (CH) Gold ETF EA CHF (ZGLD.SW). 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.

	XGD.TO	ZGLD.SW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.31	1.81	+0.50
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.54	2.31	+0.23
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.33	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.51	2.88	+0.63
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.81	11.38	+1.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XGD.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.31, which is comparable to the ZGLD.SW Sharpe Ratio of 1.81. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XGD.TO and ZGLD.SW, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	XGD.TO	ZGLD.SW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.31	1.81	+0.50
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.84	1.49	-0.65
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55	0.97	-0.42
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	0.65	-0.39

Correlation

The correlation between XGD.TO and ZGLD.SW is 0.48, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW - Dividend Comparison

XGD.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.56%, while ZGLD.SW has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XGD.TO iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF	0.56%	0.62%	0.93%	1.49%	1.80%	1.38%	0.35%	0.54%	0.25%	0.14%	0.09%	0.57%
ZGLD.SW Swisscanto (CH) Gold ETF EA CHF	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

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XGD.TO drawdown since its inception was -72.55%, which is greater than ZGLD.SW's maximum drawdown of -32.82%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XGD.TO and ZGLD.SW.

Drawdown Indicators

	XGD.TO	ZGLD.SW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-72.55%	-38.49%	-34.06%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-28.95%	-16.91%	-12.04%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-40.82%	-16.94%	-23.88%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.96%	-16.94%	-30.02%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-17.83%	-10.76%	-7.07%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-28.37%	-14.24%	-14.13%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.93%	4.39%	+3.54%

Volatility

XGD.TO vs. ZGLD.SW - Volatility Comparison

iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF (XGD.TO) has a higher volatility of 17.06% compared to Swisscanto (CH) Gold ETF EA CHF (ZGLD.SW) at 10.80%. This indicates that XGD.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZGLD.SW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XGD.TO	ZGLD.SW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	17.06%	10.80%	+6.26%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	35.63%	20.83%	+14.80%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	43.08%	24.56%	+18.52%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	31.99%	16.05%	+15.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	33.59%	15.21%	+18.38%