IAU vs SLV: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk
IAU and SLV are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. IAU is iShares Gold Trust, while SLV is iShares Silver Trust. IAU has the lower expense ratio.
| Metric | IAU | SLV |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.25% | 0.5% |
| Holdings | 1 | 1 |
| Average volume | 5,351,469 | 16,791,300 |
| Performance | ||
| 1Y return | -2.9% | +11.3% |
| YTD return | -7.3% | -21.7% |
| 5Y annualized returnPrice return, distributions excluded | +17.1% | +16.9% |
| Risk | ||
| Annualized volatility | 28.4% | 62.7% |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -26.4% | -53.9% |
| Max drawdown (5Y)Price return, distributions excluded | -26.4% | -53.9% |
| Beta | 0.80 | 1.98 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.09 | 0.44 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.12 | 0.49 |
| AlgovestIQ | ||
| AIQ Score | 54/100 | 54/100 |
| AIQ Edge Score | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Momentum | 31/100 | 24/100 |
| Risk Resilience | 55/100 | 66/100 |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
iShares Gold Trust vs iShares Silver Trust
IAU and SLV are effectively level
IAU and SLV are effectively level on the AIQ Score; the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.
iShares Gold Trust
iShares Silver Trust
The Algovestiq AIQ Score does not currently separate IAU and SLV as of Oct 24, 2026. Both names are scored on the same 0–100 scale across Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.
Compare iShares Gold Trust and iShares Silver Trust across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
IAU vs SLV: which fits what
Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.
| If you want | IAU | SLV | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower costExpense ratio | 0.25% | 0.5% | IAU |
| Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 5 years | -26.4% | -53.9% | IAU |
| Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year | 28.4% | 62.7% | IAU |
Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.
Performance over time
Price return from daily closes; distributions are not included.
Price return comparison
Growth of $10,000, price only
Split-adjusted closes only. Distributions are excluded, which understates the return of any fund or stock that pays them.
Compare IAU and SLV against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Risk Resilience55 vs 66SLV +11
- Momentum31 vs 24IAU +7
- Quality72 vs 72Even
Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-23, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-22.
Largest factor move: Momentum -1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
New signals
- Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon
Largest factor move: Momentum -1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
New signals
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — IAU and SLV both carry a full feed there.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | IAU | SLV | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.25% | 0.5% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Holdings | 1 | 1 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 5,351,469 | 16,791,300 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 28.4% | 62.7% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -26.4% | -53.9% | The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year. |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.09 | 0.44 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 0.80 | 1.98 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
How each independent group of evidence reads the pair.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 54 vs 54 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | Not covered | Not covered |
| Technicals | IAU | Price vs 50-day -7.1% vs -14.5%; vs 200-day -11.2% vs -24.1% |
| Risk Resilience | SLV | Risk Resilience 55 vs 66 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 0 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 0 of 3 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 24 – Oct 23SLV lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 4 to 0 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- Level
- 54 vs 54
- 7 sessions ago
- IAU +1
- 55 vs 54
- 30 sessions ago
- SLV +4
- 53 vs 57
- 90 sessions ago
- IAU +5
- 71 vs 66
The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Oct 15 when IAU moved ahead of SLV.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only IAU
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
2 bullish / 4 bearish, conflicted
Only SLV
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 5 more signals that do not separate them: Death Cross Active, BB Lower Band Breach, Keltner Channel Breakdown, Downtrend Structure Active, MACD Bearish Crossover.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.67%, AIQ 0 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -1.26%, AIQ 0 points).
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
Split| Metric | IAU | SLV |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | — | 0% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | — | -100% |
| Gross margin | — | 0% |
| Operating margin | — | 0% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | — | 0% |
| Debt to equity | — | 0 |
Performance
IAU leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | IAU | SLV |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -4.1% | -5.4% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -6.8% | -16.2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -2.1% | -8% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -15.3% | -29.2% |
| Year to date | -7.3% | -21.7% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -2.9% | 11.3% |
Technicals
IAU has the stronger structure| Metric | IAU | SLV |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 37.6 | 28.1 |
| ADX (14) | 18.2 | 25.3 |
| Price vs 50-day | -7.1% | -14.5% |
| Price vs 200-day | -11.2% | -24.1% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 21.9% | 40.5% |
Risk
SLV is the more resilient| Metric | IAU | SLV |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.8 | 1.98 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.09 | 0.44 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.12 | 0.49 |
| Max drawdown | -26.4% | -53.9% |
| Current drawdown | -26% | -53.9% |
| Annualized volatility | 28.4% | 62.7% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.1% | -5.5% |
Straight answers
Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
IAU has the lower expense ratio, 0.25% a year against 0.5% for SLV.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
SLV has been more volatile over the past year, at 62.7% annualized against 28.4% for IAU.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
IAU fell less from peak to trough over the past five years: -26.4% against -53.9% for SLV.
Compare IAU and SLV with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.