Are AIRR and IAU in the same category?

AIRR is a thematic ETF and IAU is a commodity ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.

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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AIRR returned −0.2% and IAU +2.7%.

Which is cheaper, AIRR or IAU?

IAU is cheaper, by 0.44 percentage points a year. That is about $44 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

AIRR vs IAU: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, AIRR returned −0.2% to IAU's +2.7%, and IAU charges 0.25% to AIRR's 0.69%.

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Net assets: $8.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF, and $60.1bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares Gold Trust.

AIRR on its own →IAU on its own →

At a glance

−0.2%

AIRR total return, 1 year

+2.7%

IAU total return, 1 year

0.69%

AIRR expense ratio

0.25%

IAU expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IAU costs 0.44 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.9 points; IAU is 7.2 times larger.

AIRR vs IAU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	AIRR	IAU
Return
Measure	AIRR	IAU
Total return, 1 year	−0.2%	+2.7%
Drawdown
Measure	AIRR	IAU
Below its all-time high	25.5%, high on Jun 22, 2026
Below its high		24.6%, high on Jan 29, 2026
Against its benchmark
Measure	AIRR	IAU
What it tracks	Reshoring and manufacturing	Gold
Against the S&P 500, 1 year	behind by 13.9 pts
Against its benchmark, 1 year	behind by 13.9 pts
Cost and size
Measure	AIRR	IAU
Expense ratio	0.69%	0.25%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$8.4bn	$60.3bn
Active share vs the S&P 500	100%
Holdings
Measure	AIRR	IAU
Holdings in common	not published
In the S&P 500, by weight	15%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	33%

Method

Side by side

AIRR First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF IAU iShares Gold Trust

Where it sits Thematic ETF Commodity ETF

Issuer First Trust iShares

What it is Reshoring and manufacturing Holds gold

Total return, 1 year −0.2% +2.7%

Its benchmark over the same days +13.7% (VOO) +2.5% (GLD)

Gap to its benchmark −13.9 pts vs VOO +0.2 pts vs GLD

Expense ratio 0.69% 0.25%

Holdings 55 not counted

Net assets, AIRR as of Oct 27, 2026 and IAU as of Oct 28, 2026 $8.4bn $60.1bn

AIRR and IAU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

AIRR

By weight, 15% of AIRR's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500, from its filing for Jun 30, 2026; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%.

The top ten holdings are 33% of the fund across 55 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned −0.2% with distributions reinvested against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, so a holder was behind by 13.9 pts. It sits 25.5% below its all-time high of Jun 22, 2026.

IAU

Its expense ratio is 0.25% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.

IAU holds gold. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.7% with distributions reinvested, against +2.5% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Are AIRR and IAU in the same category?: AIRR is a thematic ETF and IAU is a commodity ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which returned more over the last year, AIRR or IAU?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AIRR returned −0.2% and IAU +2.7%.
Which is cheaper, AIRR or IAU?: IAU is cheaper, by 0.44 percentage points a year. That is about $44 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Other comparisons

AIRR vs GLD AIRR vs GLDM AIRR vs USO AIRR vs BWET IAU vs XBI IAU vs IBB GDX vs IAU IAU vs REMX

Where to next

AIRR on its own →IAU on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →AIRR dividend history →AIRR holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

AIRR filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

AIRR prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

First Trust page for AIRR ↗

iShares page for IAU ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, AIRR against IAU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/airr-vs-iau

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