Which returned more over the last year, FXI or GLD?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FXI returned −19.1% and GLD +2.5%.

Which is cheaper, FXI or GLD?

GLD is cheaper, by 0.33 percentage points a year. That is about $33 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

FXI vs GLD: Differences, Returns & Fees

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FXI is an equity index fund and GLD a commodity fund, and over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GLD returned +2.5% against −19.1%.

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Net assets: $3.7bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares China Large-Cap ETF, and $135.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for SPDR Gold Shares.

FXI on its own →GLD on its own →

At a glance

−19.1%

FXI total return, 1 year

+2.5%

GLD total return, 1 year

0.73%

FXI expense ratio

0.40%

GLD expense ratio

Pair scorecard

GLD costs 0.33 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 21.6 points; GLD is far larger, $134.6bn against $3.7bn.

FXI vs GLD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FXI	GLD
Return
Measure	FXI	GLD
Total return, 1 year	−19.1%	+2.5%
Drawdown
Measure	FXI	GLD
Below its high	32.7%, high on Feb 17, 2021	24.7%, high on Jan 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	FXI	GLD
What it tracks	FTSE China 50 Index	Gold
Cost and size
Measure	FXI	GLD
Expense ratio	0.73%	0.40%
Net assets, as of Oct 26, 2026	$3.7bn	$134.6bn
Holdings
Measure	FXI	GLD
Holdings in common	not published
In the S&P 500, by weight	0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	58.4%

Method

Side by side

FXI iShares China Large-Cap ETF GLD SPDR Gold Shares

Where it sits Stock ETF Commodity ETF

Issuer iShares State Street

What it is Tracks an index of China Large-Cap Holds gold

Total return, 1 year −19.1% +2.5%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +2.7% (IAU)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.2 pts vs IAU

Expense ratio 0.73% 0.40%

Holdings 51 not counted

Net assets, FXI as of Oct 28, 2026 and GLD as of Oct 27, 2026 $3.7bn $135.8bn

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

Alert

About each fund

FXI

FXI tracks an index of China Large-Cap. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −19.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.73% 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 51 positions, with the top ten at 58.4%. It sat 32.7% below its high of Feb 17, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.

GLD

Its expense ratio is 0.40% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.

GLD holds gold. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.5% with distributions reinvested, against +2.7% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.7% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, FXI or GLD?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FXI returned −19.1% and GLD +2.5%.
Which is cheaper, FXI or GLD?: GLD is cheaper, by 0.33 percentage points a year. That is about $33 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Other comparisons

FXI vs IAU FXI vs SLV FXI vs GLDM FXI vs SIVR EWT vs GLD GLD vs INDA GLD vs URTH GLD vs VPL

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

FXI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FXI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for FXI ↗

State Street website ↗

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

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, FXI against GLD, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fxi-vs-gld

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