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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and IAU +2.7%.

Which is cheaper, EWJ or IAU?

IAU is cheaper, by 0.24 percentage points a year. That is about $24 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EWJ vs IAU: Differences, Returns & Fees

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EWJ is an equity index fund and IAU a commodity fund, and over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWJ returned +18.1% against +2.7%.

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Net assets on Oct 28, 2026: $23.9bn for iShares MSCI Japan ETF and $60.1bn for iShares Gold Trust.

EWJ on its own →IAU on its own →

At a glance

+18.1%

EWJ total return, 1 year

+2.7%

IAU total return, 1 year

0.49%

EWJ expense ratio

0.25%

IAU expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IAU costs 0.24 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 15.4 points; IAU is 2.5 times larger.

EWJ vs IAU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EWJ	IAU
Return
Measure	EWJ	IAU
Total return, 1 year	+18.1%	+2.7%
Drawdown
Measure	EWJ	IAU
Below its high	4.4%, high on Oct 6, 2026	24.6%, high on Jan 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EWJ	IAU
What it tracks	MSCI Japan Index	Gold
Cost and size
Measure	EWJ	IAU
Expense ratio	0.49%	0.25%
Net assets	$23.9bn	$60.1bn
Holdings
Measure	EWJ	IAU
Holdings in common	not published
In the S&P 500, by weight	0%
Holdings dated	Oct 27, 2026
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	29.5%

Method

Side by side

EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF IAU iShares Gold Trust

Where it sits Stock ETF Commodity ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks the MSCI Japan Holds gold

Total return, 1 year +18.1% +2.7%

Its benchmark over the same days +14.3% (ACWX) +2.5% (GLD)

Gap to its benchmark +3.8 pts vs ACWX +0.2 pts vs GLD

Expense ratio 0.49% 0.25%

Holdings 169 not counted

Net assets $23.9bn $60.1bn

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

Alert

About each fund

EWJ

EWJ tracks the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 169 positions, with the top ten at 29.5%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 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

Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or IAU?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and IAU +2.7%.
Which is cheaper, EWJ or IAU?: IAU is cheaper, by 0.24 percentage points a year. That is about $24 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Other comparisons

EWJ vs GLDM EWJ vs GLD EWJ vs SLV EWJ vs SIVR EWT vs IAU EWZ vs IAU EZU vs IAU IAU vs VPL

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

EWJ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EWJ prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EWJ ↗

iShares page for IAU ↗

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

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

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