If you invested $1,000 in IAU — what it would be worth today
A $1,000 investment in iShares Gold Trust (IAU) in January 2016 would be worth $3,536 as of July 2026 with dividends reinvested — 12.8% a year. Use the dropdowns above to try any amount, ticker, or starting month back to January 2005.
Over the same period, the same $1,000 would be worth $4,509 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,083 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). IAU trailed both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
Growth of $1,000 in IAU since January 2016#
monthlyiShares Gold Trust (IAU). Total return approximated via dividend- and split-adjusted closes (no taxes or fees). Not investment advice.
Growth of $1,000 in IAU by starting month#
$1,000 invested in IAU, by starting year#
| Invested in | Worth today | Same in QQQ | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $3,536 | $7,083 | 3.5× | 12.8% |
| 2017 | $3,266 | $5,856 | 3.3× | 13.3% |
| 2018 | $2,950 | $4,267 | 3.0× | 13.6% |
| 2019 | $3,015 | $4,263 | 3.0× | 15.9% |
| 2020 | $2,513 | $3,245 | 2.5× | 15.3% |
| 2021 | $2,172 | $2,244 | 2.2× | 15.2% |
| 2022 | $2,228 | $1,935 | 2.2× | 19.6% |
| 2023 | $2,083 | $2,367 | 2.1× | 23.5% |
| 2024 | $1,981 | $1,661 | 2.0× | 31.8% |
| 2025 | $1,442 | $1,318 | 1.4× | 28.1% |
Methodology#
Investments are assumed made at the first trading day's close of the chosen year. "Dividends reinvested" uses split- and dividend-adjusted closes (a standard total-return approximation; taxes and fees excluded). "Price-only" uses split-adjusted closes. IAU data begins January 2005; values as of July 2026 and refresh daily. Past performance does not predict future returns; not investment advice.
See the live IAU chart and fundamentals on the IAU quote page or compare with the same investment in SPY.
FAQ
- How much would $1,000 invested in IAU be worth today?
- A $1,000 investment in iShares Gold Trust (IAU) in January 2016 would be worth about $3,536 as of July 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about 12.8% a year.
- How far back does the IAU calculation go?
- IAU data begins January 2005. You can pick any starting month from then to the present and see what your investment would be worth today.
- Does this include dividends?
- Yes. The default "dividends reinvested" view uses split- and dividend-adjusted closing prices — a standard total-return approximation that excludes taxes and fees. A price-only view (split-adjusted, no dividends) is also available.