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

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

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 and IAU on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GARP
iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF
IAU
iShares Gold Trust
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesiShares
What it isMSCI USA Quality GARPGold
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 ratio0.15%0.25%
Holdings131not 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.

GARP against IAU, 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, 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