Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IAU vs VGLT: how they differ
IAU is a commodity fund and VGLT a bond index fund, and over the year IAU returned more, +19.2% against −5.4%.
iShares Gold Trust and Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund.
| IAU iShares Gold Trust | VGLT Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Gold | Long-term Treasury |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.2% | −5.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.7 pts | −22.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.25% | not published |
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.
VGLT in plain words
VGLT is a bond fund tracking the Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −5.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. It sat 39.2% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IAU or VGLT?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned +19.2% and VGLT returned −5.4%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
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 VGLT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IAU-VGLT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources