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IAU

iShares Gold Trust

Holds physical gold bullion, similar to GLD but with a lower expense ratio (0.25% vs 0.40%). Each share represents a fractional interest in gold held in vaults. Popular lower-cost alternative for buy-and-hold gold allocation.

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CommodityTER 0.25%Acc.
TER
0.25%
AUM
$30B
CAGR
11.8%
Volatility
16.9%
Sharpe
0.52
Max Drawdown
-42.6%
Data Range
2005-01 → 2026-04

Performance Analysis

Maximum Drawdown History

How far the ETF has fallen from its all-time high at each point. Deeper = more painful.

Current DD-8.0%
Worst DD-42.6%
Worst date2015-12

Rolling Returns

Annualized returns over rolling windows. Shows the range of outcomes depending on when you invested.

Avg return9.3%
Best42.0%
Worst-14.9%
% positive78%
220 periods

Key Facts

ISIN
US4642851053
Issuer
BlackRock
Benchmark
LBMA Gold Price PM
Total Expense Ratio (TER)
0.25%
Assets Under Management
$30B approx.
Inception Date
2005-01-21
Domicile
United States
Legal Structure
Grantor Trust
Dividend Policy
Accumulating (auto-reinvests)
Replication Method
Physical (Full Replication)
UCITS Status
✗ Not UCITS
Fund Currency
USD
Primary Exchange
NYSE Arca
Number of Holdings
~1
Backtest this ETFOfficial Fund Page

Who Is This ETF For?

✓Inflation hedge and portfolio diversifier. Historically low correlation with stocks and bonds.
✓Investors preferring automatic dividend reinvestment (no tax event on distributions in many jurisdictions).

Key Risks to Consider

• No cash flows or dividends — returns depend entirely on price appreciation.

• Non-UCITS: may have unfavorable tax treatment for non-US investors (US estate tax, withholding tax).

Similar ETFs

GLD0.40% TER

SPDR Gold Shares

Gold · State Street

DBC0.85% TER

Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund

Diversified Commodity · Invesco

SLV0.50% TER

iShares Silver Trust

Silver · BlackRock

GLDM0.10% TER

SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust

Gold (Low Cost) · State Street

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Data & Methodology

Metadata sourced from official issuer documentation. Price data from Yahoo Finance (monthly adjusted close, includes reinvested dividends and splits). AUM figures are approximate and updated quarterly.

Data source: Yahoo Finance (adjusted close), iShares (metadata)Last verified: 2026-04-13

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💬 Frequently Asked Questions

Holds physical gold bullion, similar to GLD but with a lower expense ratio (0.25% vs 0.40%). Each share represents a fractional interest in gold held in vaults. Popular lower-cost alternative for buy-and-hold gold allocation.
IAU has a total expense ratio (TER) of 0.25%, which means you pay $25 per year for every $10,000 invested.
IAU is an accumulating ETF — dividends are automatically reinvested into the fund rather than paid out, which can be more tax-efficient in many jurisdictions.
IAU is a US-domiciled ETF (not UCITS). Non-US investors should consider the US estate tax implications (40% on US assets above $60,000) and the 30% dividend withholding tax (reduced by treaty in some countries).
IAU uses full physical replication, meaning it holds all (or nearly all) securities in the LBMA Gold Price PM index directly.