Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IAU vs MOAT: how they differ
IAU is a commodity fund and MOAT an equity index fund, and over the year IAU returned more, +19.2% against +11.3%.
iShares Gold Trust and VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF.
| IAU iShares Gold Trust | MOAT VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | VanEck |
| What it is | Gold | Morningstar Wide Moat |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.2% | +11.3% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.7 pts | −6.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.25% | 0.46% |
| Holdings | not filed | 55 |
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.
MOAT in plain words
MOAT is an index equity fund tracking the Morningstar Wide Moat. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +11.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.46% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 92% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 55 positions, with the top ten at 25.3%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Aug 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IAU or MOAT?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned +19.2% and MOAT returned +11.3%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IAU or MOAT?
- IAU charges 0.25% a year and MOAT charges 0.46%, so IAU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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, IAU against MOAT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IAU-MOAT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources