XMA.TO vs. XGD.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares S&P/TSX Capped Materials Index ETF (XMA.TO) and iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF (XGD.TO).

XMA.TO and XGD.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XMA.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P/TSX Capped Materials TR. It was launched on Dec 19, 2005. 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. Both XMA.TO and XGD.TO 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

XMA.TO vs. XGD.TO - Performance Comparison

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

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

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XMA.TO iShares S&P/TSX Capped Materials Index ETF	10.45%	99.21%	20.72%	-2.04%	1.35%	3.31%	19.73%	24.63%	-10.46%	7.07%
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%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XMA.TO achieves a 10.45% return, which is significantly lower than XGD.TO's 10.99% return. Over the past 10 years, XMA.TO has underperformed XGD.TO with an annualized return of 16.34%, while XGD.TO has yielded a comparatively higher 18.24% annualized return.

XMA.TO

• 1D: 6.30%
• 1M: -16.60%
• YTD: 10.45%
• 6M: 23.41%
• 1Y: 83.21%
• 3Y*: 34.16%
• 5Y*: 23.21%
• 10Y*: 16.34%

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%

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

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

XMA.TO has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is lower than XGD.TO's 0.61% expense ratio.

XGD.TO

iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF

XMA.TO

iShares S&P/TSX Capped Materials Index ETF

Return for Risk

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

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

XMA.TO

XMA.TO Risk / Return Rank: 92
XMA.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
XMA.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
XMA.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 92
XMA.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
XMA.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 92

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

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.

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

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P/TSX Capped Materials Index ETF (XMA.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.

	XMA.TO	XGD.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.28	2.31	-0.03
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.55	2.54	+0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.38	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.13	3.51	-0.38
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.52	12.81	-0.29
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

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

The current XMA.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.28, which is comparable to the XGD.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XMA.TO and XGD.TO, 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

	XMA.TO	XGD.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.28	2.31	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.87	0.84	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.62	0.55	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.98	0.26	-1.24

Correlation

The correlation between XMA.TO and XGD.TO is 0.89, 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

XMA.TO vs. XGD.TO - Dividend Comparison

XMA.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.36%, less than XGD.TO's 0.56% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XMA.TO iShares S&P/TSX Capped Materials Index ETF	0.36%	0.41%	0.83%	1.26%	1.24%	0.87%	0.63%	0.62%	0.72%	0.42%	0.82%	1.90%
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%

Drawdowns

XMA.TO vs. XGD.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XMA.TO drawdown since its inception was -100.00%, which is greater than XGD.TO's maximum drawdown of -72.55%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XMA.TO and XGD.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XMA.TO	XGD.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-100.00%	-72.55%	-27.45%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-26.96%	-28.95%	+1.99%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.06%	-40.82%	+7.76%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-33.06%	-46.96%	+13.90%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-99.99%	-17.83%	-82.16%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-100.00%	-28.37%	-71.63%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.75%	7.93%	-1.18%

Volatility

XMA.TO vs. XGD.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares S&P/TSX Capped Materials Index ETF (XMA.TO) is 15.77%, while iShares S&P/TSX Global Gold Index ETF (XGD.TO) has a volatility of 17.06%. This indicates that XMA.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

	XMA.TO	XGD.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	15.77%	17.06%	-1.29%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	31.17%	35.63%	-4.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	36.66%	43.08%	-6.42%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.90%	31.99%	-5.09%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.57%	33.59%	-7.02%