XOEF vs. IAU

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares S&P 500 ex S&P 100 ETF (XOEF) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU).

XOEF and IAU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XOEF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Ex-S&P 100 Select Index. It was launched on Jul 8, 2025. IAU is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the LBMA Gold Price. It was launched on Jan 21, 2005. Both XOEF and IAU 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

XOEF vs. IAU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares S&P 500 ex S&P 100 ETF (XOEF) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XOEF vs. IAU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
XOEF iShares S&P 500 ex S&P 100 ETF	2.96%	4.15%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	10.48%	29.83%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XOEF achieves a 2.96% return, which is significantly lower than IAU's 10.48% return.

XOEF

• 1D: 0.68%
• 1M: -4.86%
• YTD: 2.96%
• 6M: 3.90%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

IAU

• 1D: 1.72%
• 1M: -10.66%
• YTD: 10.48%
• 6M: 23.05%
• 1Y: 52.36%
• 3Y*: 33.88%
• 5Y*: 22.19%
• 10Y*: 14.27%

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

XOEF vs. IAU - Expense Ratio Comparison

XOEF has a 0.20% 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%.

IAU

iShares Gold Trust

XOEF

iShares S&P 500 ex S&P 100 ETF

Return for Risk

XOEF vs. IAU — Risk / Return Rank

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

IAU

IAU Risk / Return Rank: 86
IAU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
IAU Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
IAU Omega Ratio Rank: 85
IAU Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
IAU Martin Ratio Rank: 84

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.

XOEF vs. IAU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares S&P 500 ex S&P 100 ETF (XOEF) 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.

Risk / return metrics aren't available yet — we need at least 12 months of trading data to calculate them.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	XOEF	IAU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	—	1.90	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.26	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.90	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.79	0.65	+0.14

Correlation

The correlation between XOEF and IAU is 0.23, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

XOEF vs. IAU - Dividend Comparison

XOEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.87%, while IAU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025
XOEF iShares S&P 500 ex S&P 100 ETF	0.87%	0.63%
IAU iShares Gold Trust	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

XOEF vs. IAU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XOEF drawdown since its inception was -7.66%, smaller than the maximum IAU drawdown of -45.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XOEF and IAU.

Drawdown Indicators

	XOEF	IAU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-7.66%	-45.14%	+37.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	—	-19.18%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-20.93%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-21.82%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.97%	-11.71%	+6.74%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.43%	-15.98%	+14.55%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	—	5.23%	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	XOEF	IAU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	—	10.44%	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	—	24.15%	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.82%	27.64%	-14.82%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.82%	17.70%	-4.88%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.82%	15.83%	-3.01%