IAU — iShares Gold Trust

Overview

The iShares Gold Trust (IAU) is a Commodities fund issued by iShares that tracks gold prices with an asset base of $60.1 billion. Currently priced at $76.74, the fund holds an overall rank of #65 out of 120 tracked ETFs across all categories and carries an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 60.5 out of 100. Investors in this fund face an expense ratio of 0.25% and receive no dividend income, as the yield is 0.00%. The substantial $60.1 billion in assets under management suggests significant investor adoption relative to the 5 other ETFs ETFValuer tracks in the Commodities category. Despite its large size, the fund's mid-tier ranking indicates it faces stiff competition within its broad universe of 120 tracked funds. The combination of a zero yield and a moderate expense ratio defines the cost and income profile for holders of this specific commodity vehicle.

Short-term performance shows a decline of 0.81% over the last day, followed by a recovery to a 1.63% gain over the past week. However, the trend turned negative over the last month with a 5.52% drop, extending into a 13.25% loss over the three-month period. Year-to-date returns reflect this recent weakness with a -5.91% decline, while the six-month return stands at -8.33%. In contrast to the recent negative momentum, the fund has delivered strong long-term results with a 21.96% return over the last year. This positive annual performance is further amplified by a 106.62% return over the three-year horizon, indicating a significant divergence between recent short-term trends and longer-term gains.

The fund is assigned a High volatility label, which aligns with a beta of 0.41 relative to the broader market. A Sharpe ratio of 0.61 suggests the fund has generated a moderate amount of risk-adjusted return over the measured period. The maximum drawdown of -26.17% highlights the potential for significant capital erosion during market downturns. This combination of high volatility and a substantial maximum drawdown implies that the fund experiences sharp price swings that can lead to deep temporary losses. While the beta of 0.41 indicates the fund moves less than the overall market, the high volatility label and drawdown figures confirm that price movements can still be severe. Investors should expect a return profile characterized by these fluctuating levels of risk and potential drawdowns alongside the observed returns.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.55% (as of 2026-07-07) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 16.13 (as of 2026-07-07) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

IAU Performance History

How IAU Compares to Other Commodities ETFs