ETF Evaluator:
US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF (GOAU)
Follow This ETF
(as of Jul 31)
Best Performing in Equity Precious Metals Over the Last Year
| 79.9% | Themes Silver Miners ETF (AGMI) |
| 79.1% | Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF (SILJ) |
| 76.8% | iShares MSCI Global Silver&Mtls Mnrs ETF (SLVP) |
| 75.8% | Sprott Silver Mnrs & Physical Silver ETF (SLVR) |
| 64.4% | Sprott Junior Gold Miners ETF (SGDJ) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF Overview
US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF (GOAU) is an actively managed Sector Equity Equity Precious Metals exchange-traded fund (ETF). U.S. Global Investors launched the ETF in 2017.
The investment seeks total return.
Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in Precious Metals Companies and at least 20% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in Precious Metals Companies that primarily derive their revenue from gold (“Gold Companies”). The fund is non-diversified.
About US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF (GOAU)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 9.01 years: Ralph Aldis (2017) and Frank Holmes (2017). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100% and U.S. Gbl Go Gold&Prec MetalMiners TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF has 35 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 54.9% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF has 94.9% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 2.8% There is 94.9% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF has 2.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $164 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Equity Precious Metals category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
GOAU Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Equity Precious Metals category. US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF has an expense ratio of 0.60%, which is 4% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 181%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 55% for the Equity Precious Metals category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF returned -14.0%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Equity Precious Metals category had an average return of -16.0%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF has a trailing yield of 1.08%, which is below the 2.60% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
US Global GO GOLD and Prec Mtl Mnrs ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned -13.0%, 2.2 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 28.2% over the past year (grade of F), 32.9% over the past three years (grade of F) and 15.7% per year over the past five years (grade of D).
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GOAU Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| GOAU Return (NAV) | -14.0% | -16.4% | 28.2% | 32.9% | 15.7% | na |
| GOAU Return (Price) | -13.7% | -16.2% | 27.9% | 32.9% | 15.8% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.330% | -0.188% | 0.301% | -0.011% | -0.101% | na |
| Equity Precious Metals Avg | -16.0% | -15.1% | 57.7% | 42.4% | 17.1% | 10.0% |
| GOAU Grade (NAV) | A | C | F | F | D | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 2.0% | -1.3% | -29.4% | -9.5% | -1.5% | na |
| GOAU Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.5% | na |
GOAU Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| GOAU Return (NAV) | -13.0% | 127.0% | 13.7% | 10.7% | -11.7% | -8.7% | 20.9% | 53.4% | -10.5% | na | na |
| GOAU Return (Price) | -12.6% | 126.7% | 13.8% | 10.7% | -11.7% | -9.2% | 20.5% | 54.2% | -11.9% | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.032% | -0.002% | 0.010% | -0.001% | -0.000% | 0.061% | -0.019% | 1.5% | 13.6% | na | na |
| Equity Precious Metals Avg | -10.9% | 169.5% | 15.1% | 4.9% | -15.7% | -15.1% | 33.4% | 43.1% | -17.3% | 6.2% | 77.4% |
| GOAU Grade (NAV) | D | F | D | A | B | A | F | A | A | na | na |
| +/- Category | -2.2% | -42.5% | -1.5% | 5.8% | 4.0% | 6.4% | -12.6% | 10.3% | 6.8% | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.80 |
| R-Squared: | 8% |
| Standard Deviation: | 35.7% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.92 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 2.93 |
| Total Risk Rating: | High |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 1.1% |
| Total Assets: | $ 165 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 165 Mil |
| Turnover: | 181.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.60% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) (1970) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 9.0 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 9.0 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Aldis Ralph (2017), Holmes Frank (2017) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 35 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 54.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 94.9% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 2.8% |
| Foreign Stock: | 94.9% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 2.2% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | U.S. Global Investors |
| Phone Number: | 800-617-0004 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | June 27, 2017 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.60% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.62% |
