Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or GLD?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +26.5% and GLD returned +19.1%, so EWJ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, EWJ or GLD?

EWJ charges 0.49% a year and GLD charges 0.40%, so GLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

EWJ vs GLD: how they differ

EWJ is an equity index fund and GLD a commodity fund, and over the year EWJ returned more, +26.5% against +19.1%.

iShares MSCI Japan ETF and SPDR Gold Shares.

EWJ and GLD on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF	GLD SPDR Gold Shares
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	State Street
What it is	MSCI Japan	Gold
Total return, 1 year	+26.5%	+19.1%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	+9.0 pts	+1.6 pts
Expense ratio	0.49%	0.40%
Holdings	179	not filed

EWJ in plain words

EWJ is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +26.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 179 positions, with the top ten at 28.4%.

GLD in plain words

GLD is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or GLD?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +26.5% and GLD returned +19.1%, so EWJ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, EWJ or GLD?: EWJ charges 0.49% a year and GLD charges 0.40%, so GLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

EWJ against GLD, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, EWJ against GLD, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EWJ-GLD Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources