What is the primary asset held by ISHARES GOLD TRUST (IAU)?

The primary asset held by ISHARES GOLD TRUST (IAU) is gold bullion. As of September 30, 2021, the Trust held approximately 16,014,073 ounces of gold bullion valued at $27,909,324,999.

What caused the decrease in the Trust's Net Assets and NAV per Share during the nine months ended September 30, 2021?

The decrease was primarily driven by a decline in the price of gold. The LBMA Gold Price decreased by 7.84% during this period. Additionally, unrealized losses on gold bullion holdings contributed significantly to the net decrease in assets from operations.

What are the main expenses for the ISHARES GOLD TRUST (IAU)?

The Trust's primary expense is the Sponsor's fee, which accrues daily at an annualized rate of 0.25% of the net asset value. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, these fees totaled $54,767,768. The Sponsor also assumes other administrative and marketing expenses.

How does an investor buy or sell shares of ISHARES GOLD TRUST (IAU)?

Individual investors cannot buy or sell shares directly with the Trust. Shares are issued and redeemed in large aggregations (baskets) only in exchange for gold bullion with Authorized Participants, who are registered broker-dealers. Individual investors can buy or sell shares on the NYSE Arca stock exchange under the ticker symbol IAU through their brokerage accounts.

IAU 10-Q Quarterly Report Q3 FY2021 — Revenue, Net Income, EPS

Summary

The ISHARES GOLD TRUST (IAU) 10-Q filing for the period ending September 29, 2021, reveals a decline in the Trust's Net Assets and Net Asset Value (NAV) per Share compared to the prior year and prior quarter. This decline is primarily attributed to a decrease in the price of gold, which fell by approximately 7.84% during the nine-month period. While the Trust holds gold bullion valued at $27.91 billion as of September 30, 2021, this represents a decrease from $31.92 billion at the end of 2020. The Trust experienced a net decrease in net assets from operations of $2.60 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, largely due to unrealized losses on its gold bullion holdings. Despite this, the Trust continues to operate as a passive investment vehicle seeking to track the price of gold, with its primary expense being the Sponsor's fee. Investors should note the impact of gold price fluctuations on the Trust's performance and the slight NAV decrease exceeding the gold price decrease due to expenses.

Financial Highlights

8 data points

Beta

Net Income

-$343.21M

EPS (Diluted)

$-0.41

Cash & Equivalents

$0.00

Free Cash Flow

$0.00

Financial Statements

Beta

Operating Expenses	$18.06M
Operating Income	-$18.06M
Net Income	-$343.21M
EPS (Basic)	$-0.41

Key Highlights

1Net Assets decreased to $27.90 billion as of September 30, 2021, down from $31.92 billion as of December 31, 2020.
2NAV per Share declined to $33.17 as of September 30, 2021, from $36.06 as of December 31, 2020.
3The primary driver for the decrease in Net Assets was a 7.84% decline in the LBMA Gold Price during the nine months ended September 30, 2021.
4The Trust incurred a net decrease in net assets from operations of $2.60 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, primarily due to unrealized losses on gold bullion.
5Total expenses for the nine-month period were $54.77 million, consisting almost entirely of Sponsor's fees.
6The Trust's gold bullion holdings are valued at $27.91 billion as of September 30, 2021, classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy.
7There was a net decrease in the number of outstanding Shares during the nine months, with 45.075 million Shares issued and 89 million Shares redeemed.

ISHARES GOLD TRUST Quarterly Report for Q3 Ended Sep 30, 2021

Summary

Financial Highlights

Key Highlights

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