IAU — iShares Gold Trust

IAU Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in IAU over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.

IAU Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: IAU's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.

Overview

The iShares Gold Trust (IAU) operates within the Commodities category, where ETFValuer tracks a total of 22 funds. Issued by iShares, the fund has accumulated assets under management of $60.1 billion and currently trades at a price of $76.04. It holds an overall rank of #186 out of 458 tracked ETFs across all categories and has received an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 63.5 out of 100. The fund charges an expense ratio of 0.25% and offers a dividend yield of 0.00%. The substantial asset size and specific price point suggest significant investor adoption relative to the broader universe of 458 funds. Despite its large scale, the fund's ranking places it in the lower half of the total tracked population.

Over the last day, the fund posted a return of +0.45% before declining by -2.12% over the one-week period. Monthly performance showed a recovery to +0.68%, though the three-month horizon reflected a decline of -12.05%. The six-month trend continued downward with a return of -21.99%, while year-to-date performance sits at -6.77%. In contrast, the one-year return reached +21.63%, and the three-year return stands at +107.48%. This pattern indicates a divergence where short-term and medium-term returns are negative while longer-term horizons show positive growth. The data suggests a recent period of underperformance relative to the strong gains recorded over the past three years.

The fund carries a High volatility label and a beta of 0.41, indicating price movements that are less sensitive to broad market shifts despite the high volatility classification. A Sharpe ratio of 0.60 suggests the fund has generated moderate risk-adjusted returns relative to its volatility. The maximum drawdown recorded for the fund is -26.36%, highlighting the potential for significant temporary losses during downturns. This combination of a low beta with high volatility implies the fund may experience sharp price swings that are not strictly correlated with general market direction. Investors face a risk profile characterized by substantial drawdown potential alongside a return profile that has not consistently compensated for that volatility on a risk-adjusted basis.

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

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.61% (as of 2026-07-28) — 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): 18.21 (as of 2026-07-28) — 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 Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is 0.01% and average daily volume is 6.0M/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $60.1B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: IAU is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.

IAU Performance History

How IAU Compares to Other Commodities ETFs