iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
Top ETFs · Gold · data since 2005-01-28 · last close 2026-09-09
iShares Gold Trust (IAU) monthly returns (%)
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12.4 | 8.6 | -11.0 | -1.5 | -1.6 | -11.7 | 0.9 | 9.9 | -1.2 | · | · | · |
| 2025 | 6.8 | 1.9 | 9.4 | 5.4 | -0.0 | 0.3 | -0.6 | 5.0 | 11.8 | 3.6 | 5.3 | 2.2 |
| 2024 | -1.4 | 0.4 | 8.7 | 3.1 | 1.6 | -0.1 | 5.4 | 2.1 | 5.1 | 4.3 | -3.1 | -1.5 |
| 2023 | 5.8 | -5.4 | 7.9 | 0.9 | -1.4 | -2.2 | 2.2 | -1.2 | -4.8 | 7.4 | 2.5 | 1.3 |
| 2022 | -1.7 | 6.1 | 1.4 | -2.1 | -3.3 | -1.6 | -2.5 | -3.0 | -2.9 | -1.7 | 8.5 | 3.0 |
| 2021 | -3.2 | -6.3 | -1.1 | 3.6 | 7.6 | -7.0 | 2.5 | -0.1 | -3.2 | 1.6 | -0.7 | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 4.6 | -0.7 | 0.0 | 6.9 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 11.0 | -0.5 | -4.2 | -0.6 | -5.3 | 7.0 |
| 2019 | 2.9 | -0.5 | -1.6 | -0.7 | 1.8 | 7.9 | 0.1 | 7.7 | -3.2 | 2.5 | -3.3 | 3.7 |
| 2018 | 3.3 | -2.0 | 0.6 | -0.9 | -1.3 | -3.5 | -2.3 | -2.0 | -0.6 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 5.0 |
| 2017 | 5.3 | 3.2 | -0.3 | 1.7 | -0.1 | -2.1 | 2.4 | 4.1 | -3.2 | -0.8 | 0.3 | 2.1 |
| 2016 | 5.4 | 11.2 | -0.9 | 5.0 | -6.1 | 8.9 | 2.0 | -3.2 | 0.7 | -2.9 | -8.4 | -1.9 |
| 2015 | 8.7 | -5.8 | -2.2 | -0.1 | 0.6 | -1.5 | -6.7 | 3.8 | -1.8 | 2.2 | -6.7 | -0.5 |
| 2014 | 3.3 | 6.5 | -3.2 | 0.5 | -3.0 | 6.2 | -3.6 | 0.3 | -6.1 | -3.0 | -0.5 | 1.3 |
| 2013 | -0.5 | -5.1 | 1.0 | -7.5 | -6.2 | -10.9 | 7.3 | 5.2 | -4.7 | -0.3 | -5.6 | -3.7 |
| 2012 | 11.5 | -2.9 | -1.3 | -0.3 | -6.3 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 4.8 | 4.8 | -3.0 | -0.5 | -2.4 |
| 2011 | -6.4 | 6.0 | 1.7 | 8.9 | -1.8 | -2.3 | 8.4 | 12.3 | -11.2 | 5.9 | 1.7 | -10.7 |
| 2010 | -1.3 | 3.2 | -0.4 | 5.9 | 3.0 | 2.4 | -5.0 | 5.7 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| 2009 | 5.4 | 1.4 | -2.5 | -3.4 | 10.2 | -5.2 | 2.5 | -0.1 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 12.7 | -7.2 |
| 2008 | 11.0 | 5.3 | -5.9 | -4.6 | 1.1 | 4.3 | -1.2 | -9.0 | 4.3 | -16.3 | 12.2 | 7.9 |
| 2007 | 2.5 | 2.5 | -1.0 | 2.1 | -2.4 | -1.8 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 10.5 | 6.8 | -1.4 | 6.4 |
| 2006 | 9.8 | -1.3 | 3.9 | 11.9 | -1.5 | -4.6 | 3.3 | -1.5 | -4.5 | 1.0 | 7.1 | -1.8 |
| 2005 | -1.0 | 3.2 | -1.7 | 1.3 | -4.0 | 4.3 | -1.3 | 1.3 | 7.8 | -0.7 | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| Avg | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 1.6 | -0.5 | -0.7 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
Values in %. Current and first-listed months are partial (greyed).
returnsview.com
IAU seasonality — average by calendar month
iShares Gold Trust has monthly history back to 2005. Its strongest month by median is January — positive in 15 of 22 years, median +4.0%, and higher in 6 of the last 9. September is the soft spot, down in 12 of 21 with a median of -1.8%. Across its full record it has closed 53% of months higher, swings ±5% in an average month and has fallen 45.1% peak to trough.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | +3.8% | +1.3% | +0.1% | +1.6% | -0.5% | -0.7% | +1.3% | +1.9% | +0.3% | +0.8% | +1.1% | +1.0% |
| Win rate | 68%/22 | 59%/22 | 36%/22 | 59%/22 | 36%/22 | 41%/22 | 64%/22 | 59%/22 | 43%/21 | 57%/21 | 52%/21 | 62%/21 |
Win rate = share of positive months / sample size.
IAU risk & extremes
IAU drawdown & rolling returns
Percent below the all-time high at each month-end — how far underwater the asset was.
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Frequently asked questions
What was iShares Gold Trust's best month?+
iShares Gold Trust's strongest completed month on record is November 2009, at +12.73%.
What was iShares Gold Trust's worst month?+
Its weakest completed month on record is October 2008, at -16.25%.
Is iShares Gold Trust up this year?+
iShares Gold Trust is up 1.87% year to date, measured from its last close before 1 January.
What is iShares Gold Trust's 1-year return?+
+20.87% over the past twelve months, comparing the latest close with the most recent close on or before the same date a year earlier.
What is iShares Gold Trust's biggest drawdown?+
The deepest peak-to-trough fall on record is 45.1%, measured on month-end closes since 2005.
Which calendar month is historically best for iShares Gold Trust?+
January has the highest average return across every completed January since 2005. An average is not a forecast.
About iShares Gold Trust
iShares Gold Trust is a gold business worth about $68 billion. Tracked here from its first session onward — every monthly, quarterly and weekly return on record since 2005, with no gaps filled in and nothing smoothed. And the long game: $100 at its first close here (2005) would be about $991 today.
Did you know?
- Its best month on record was November 2009 at +12.73%; its worst, October 2008 at -16.25%.
Trivia for entertainment — the numbers come from our price data; the jokes don't.