GLD vs XLI — 20-Year Performance Comparison
Gold vs Industrials — backtested 2005–2024
XLI wins$62,827 vs $55,289 on $10,000 over 20 years
GLDGold
Final value$55,289
CAGR+8.9%
Max drawdown-37.4%
Best year+31% (2007)
Years won11 of 20
XLIIndustrials
Final value$62,827
CAGR+9.6%
Max drawdown-39.9%
Best year+41% (2013)
Years won9 of 20
Growth of $10,000
2005–2024GLDXLI
GLD$55,289
XLI$62,827
50/50 mix$66,318
50/50 blend: $66,318 (+9.9%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between GLD and XLI would have outperformed both individually — diversification smoothed the ride. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: GLD vs XLI
| Year | GLD | XLI | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +26.7% | +17.5% | GLD |
| 2023 | +12.7% | +18.0% | XLI |
| 2022 | -0.8% | -5.9% | GLD |
| 2021 | -4.2% | +21.1% | XLI |
| 2020 | +24.8% | +11.5% | GLD |
| 2019 | +17.9% | +29.4% | XLI |
| 2018 | -1.9% | -14.7% | GLD |
| 2017 | +12.8% | +21.0% | XLI |
| 2016 | +8.0% | +18.9% | XLI |
| 2015 | -10.7% | -2.5% | XLI |
| 2014 | -2.2% | +9.9% | XLI |
| 2013 | -28.3% | +40.7% | XLI |
| 2012 | +6.6% | +15.3% | XLI |
| 2011 | +9.6% | -0.6% | GLD |
| 2010 | +29.3% | +26.8% | GLD |
| 2009 | +24.0% | +20.9% | GLD |
| 2008 | +5.0% | -39.9% | GLD |
| 2007 | +30.6% | +12.2% | GLD |
| 2006 | +22.2% | +14.3% | GLD |
| 2005 | +18.0% | +10.0% | GLD |
More comparisons
Build your portfolio
Mix GLD + XLI with custom allocations
Try a 70/30 or 40/60 split — or add up to 3 more ETFs. See exactly how your custom portfolio would have performed.
Open Portfolio Builder →Past performance does not guarantee future results.