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

In the year to Oct 14, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned −1.2% and OUNZ −1.2%.

Which is cheaper, IAU or OUNZ?

Neither: IAU and OUNZ both charge 0.25% a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Compare their flows Ask IQ about these two funds

IAU vs OUNZ: Differences, Returns & Fees

IAU and OUNZ are both commodity funds, and over the year they finished level, −1.2% against −1.2%. Net assets on Oct 14, 2026: $60.9bn for iShares Gold Trust and $2.7bn for VanEck Merk Gold ETF.

Both cost 0.25% a year; both returned −1.2% over a year; IAU is far larger, $60.9bn against $2.7bn.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

IAU vs OUNZ: Differences, Returns & Fees
	IAU	OUNZ
Expense ratio	0.25%	0.25%
Net assets	$60.9bn	$2.7bn
Total return, 1 year	−1.2%	−1.2%
What it tracks	Gold	Gold
Holdings in common	not published
Below its high	24.1%, high on Jan 29, 2026

−1.2%

IAU total return, 1 year

−1.2%

OUNZ total return, 1 year

0.25%

IAU expense ratio

0.25%

OUNZ expense ratio

Client brief · page 1 of 2Report BR-FE4447CCEB

IAU and OUNZ are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

Size. IAU has $60.9bn in net assets and OUNZ $2.7bn (Net assets); IAU is 22.6 times larger.
What each follows (similar). Both follow Gold.
One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 14, 2026 IAU returned −1.2% and OUNZ −1.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.0 points.

Data as of Oct 14, 2026. The differences are picked by a fixed rule, in a fixed order; the PDF prints it. Page 2 has the returns, overlap, risks and sources.

Take this comparison to a client

The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.

Not advice. The brief uses the figures on this page, with the data date and a report id. Saved comparisons are listed on your saved page; privacy.

On the same fields

IAU

iShares Gold Trust

OUNZ

VanEck Merk Gold ETF

Where it sits Commodity ETF Commodity ETF

Issuer iShares VanEck

What it is Holds gold Holds gold

Total return, 1 year −1.2% −1.2%

Its benchmark over the same days −1.3% (GLD) −1.3% (GLD)

Gap to its benchmark 0.0 pts vs GLD 0.0 pts vs GLD

Expense ratio 0.25% 0.25%

Net assets $60.9bn $2.7bn

IAU and OUNZ on the fields both publish, as of Oct 14, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

About IAU

IAU holds gold. Over the year to Oct 14, 2026 it returned −1.2% with distributions reinvested, against −1.3% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.1% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 14, 2026.

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

About OUNZ

OUNZ holds gold.

Its expense ratio is 0.25% a year, for the three months to Jul 31, 2026, as its 10-Q states.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IAU or OUNZ?: In the year to Oct 14, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned −1.2% and OUNZ −1.2%.
Which is cheaper, IAU or OUNZ?: Neither: IAU and OUNZ both charge 0.25% a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Other comparisons

FGDL vs IAU BWET vs IAU AAAU vs IAU IAU vs USO OUNZ vs SGOL AAAU vs OUNZ FGDL vs OUNZ GLD vs OUNZ

IAU on its own →OUNZ on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →Standards and sources →

Where these figures came from

iShares page for IAU ↗OUNZ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗VanEck page for OUNZ ↗

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, IAU against OUNZ, data as of Oct 14, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iau-vs-ounz

Open data

Free to use with attribution for figures ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.