Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GARP vs IAU: how they differ
GARP is an equity index fund and IAU a commodity fund, and over the year GARP returned more, +29.5% against +19.2%.
iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF and iShares Gold Trust.
| GARP iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF | IAU iShares Gold Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | MSCI USA Quality GARP | Gold |
| Total return, 1 year | +29.5% | +19.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +12.0 pts | +1.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.25% |
| Holdings | 131 | not filed |
GARP in plain words
GARP is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Quality GARP. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +29.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 131 positions, with the top ten at 43.8%.
IAU in plain words
IAU is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.25% 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, GARP or IAU?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GARP returned +29.5% and IAU returned +19.2%, so GARP returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GARP or IAU?
- GARP charges 0.15% a year and IAU charges 0.25%, so GARP 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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, GARP against IAU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GARP-IAU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources