Which returned more over the last year, IAU or VCLT?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned +19.2% and VCLT returned −4.8%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, IAU or VCLT?

IAU charges 0.25% a year and VCLT charges 0.03%, so VCLT 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

IAU vs VCLT: how they differ

IAU is a commodity fund and VCLT a bond index fund, and over the year IAU returned more, +19.2% against −4.8%.

iShares Gold Trust and Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund.

IAU and VCLT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	IAU iShares Gold Trust	VCLT Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	Vanguard
What it is	Gold	Long-Term Corporate Bond
Total return, 1 year	+19.2%	−4.8%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	+1.7 pts	−22.3 pts
Expense ratio	0.25%	0.03%
Holdings	not filed	2775

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.

VCLT in plain words

VCLT is a bond fund tracking the Long-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −4.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 18.1% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IAU or VCLT?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned +19.2% and VCLT returned −4.8%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, IAU or VCLT?: IAU charges 0.25% a year and VCLT charges 0.03%, so VCLT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

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.

IAU against VCLT, 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, IAU against VCLT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IAU-VCLT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources