ETF Versus

IAU vs SGOV

iShares Gold Trust vs iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-09

IAU

iShares Gold Trust (IAU) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to gold securities. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.25%. Launched in 2005, the fund has a 21-year track record.

AUM: $73.9B ER: 0.25% Yield: N/A Since: Jan 21, 2005

iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.95%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $85.4B ER: 0.09% Yield: 3.95% Since: May 26, 2020

Quick Verdict

SGOV is significantly cheaper at 0.09% vs 0.25% expense ratio, saving you approximately $315 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IAU has significantly outperformed with a 51.5% return vs 0.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric IAU SGOV
Expense Ratio 0.25% 0.09%
Dividend Yield N/A 4.0%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category Gold US Short-Term Treasury

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

90 133 176 219 262 305 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
IAU +166.3%
SGOV +0.4%

Performance Comparison

Period IAU SGOV Difference
1 Month -9.60% -0.01% -9.59%
3 Months +4.21% -0.02% +4.23%
6 Months +14.25% -0.05% +14.30%
YTD +8.46% +0.04% +8.42%
1 Year +51.52% +0.01% +51.51%
3 Years +134.21% +0.12% +134.09%
5 Years +168.06% +0.43% +167.63%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IAU Fees SGOV Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $495 $179 $315
$10,000 20 years $2,111 $771 $1,340
$10,000 30 years $6,758 $2,486 $4,273
$50,000 10 years $2,473 $896 $1,577
$50,000 30 years $33,792 $12,428 $21,364
$100,000 30 years $67,584 $24,855 $42,729

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IAU SGOV
Annualized Volatility 17.7% 1.1%
Max Drawdown -20.9% -0.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.95 -4.12

Dividend Comparison

Metric IAU SGOV
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $3.97
Dividend Yield 0.00% 3.95%
Distribution Frequency None Monthly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SGOV if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IAU if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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