GLD vs IAU

Data as of 2026-09-21 · comparing GLD and IAU · window 2016-09-21 → 2026-09-21 (10.0 years) · returns assume dividends reinvested, net of fund fees · Market Data from Tiingo.com

Side by side

	GLD	IAU
Total return	+213.0%	+217.8%
Annualised (CAGR)	+12.1%	+12.3%
Volatility (annualised)	+15.3%	+15.2%
Sharpe (rf = 0)	0.79	0.80
Deepest drawdown	-26.4%	-26.4%
Drawdown peak → trough	2026-01-29 → 2026-07-16	2026-01-29 → 2026-07-16

Same window, same method: GLD fell further at its worst (-26.4%) than IAU (-26.4%). That difference — not the headline return — is usually what decides whether an investor stays in the fund through the bad part.

Every calendar year

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Calendar-year returns (net of fees, dividends reinvested)
Year	GLD	IAU
2026	+0.5%	+0.6%
2025	+63.7%	+63.9%
2024	+26.7%	+26.9%
2023	+12.7%	+12.8%
2022	-0.8%	-0.6%
2021	-4.1%	-4.0%
2020	+24.8%	+25.0%
2019	+17.9%	+18.0%
2018	-1.9%	-1.8%
2017	+12.8%	+12.9%
2016	-13.9%	-13.8%

What this page does not say

It does not say which one to own. Two funds can look identical here and differ in what they hold, how they are taxed, or how they behave in the next drawdown.

Add a third fund, change the window, model fees: open the comparison tool.

Related: GLD · IAU · all fund pages