iShares Gold Trust vs Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. — how do they compare? iShares Gold Trust trades at $82.74, while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. trades at $430.05 (market cap $1.93T). The key difference: Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. pays a 0.9% dividend while iShares Gold Trust pays none, and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. is trading nearer its 52-week high, iShares Gold Trust nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| IAU | TSM | |
|---|---|---|
Sector | Commodities - Metals/Agriculture | Technology |
52-Week High | $101.57 | $477.57 |
52-Week Low | $62.49 | $227.33 |
Market Cap | — | $1.93T |
Enterprise Value | — | $1.85T |
Dividend Yield | — | 0.9% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
IAU, the iShares Gold Trust ETF, trades at $82.98 with a 0.57% daily gain amid bullish technical signals from moving averages. The ETF benefits from gold's recent momentum as spot gold reached two-month highs above $4,430/oz following cooling CPI data. While oscillators show bearish signals with RSI at overbought levels, institutional interest remains strong with Deane Retirement Strategies increasing its stake by 36.5% in the latest quarter.
Outlook remains positive as gold gains support from inflation dynamics, geopolitical tensions, and central bank buying. Key risks include potential Fed policy shifts and dollar strength. The 0.25% expense ratio makes IAU attractive for conservative investors seeking gold exposure with lower volatility compared to mining stocks.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) trades at $432.11, up 3.26% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong earnings momentum after beating estimates for three consecutive quarters. Revenue growth is robust, with July 2026 sales up 44.7% year-over-year (Bloomberg, 2026-08-10), driven by AI demand. The stock is supported by high profitability margins and a consensus analyst price target of $545.67, indicating significant upside potential.
The outlook remains positive given accelerating AI-driven revenue and expansion investments, but risks include geopolitical tensions in Taiwan and competitive pressures. Valuation multiples are elevated, with a P/E of 31.86, requiring sustained growth to justify current levels. Institutional sentiment is strongly bullish, with 72% of analysts rating the stock a buy.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
IAU is a physically backed ETF that seeks to reflect the performance of the price of gold. It provides a convenient and liquid way for investors to include gold in their portfolios as a potential hedge.
Read more on IAU →Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is the world's largest dedicated chip foundry, with over 57% market share in 2021 per Gartner. TSMC was founded in 1987 as a joint venture of Philips, the government of Taiwan, and private investors. It went public as an ADR in the U.S. in 1997. TSMC's scale and high-quality technology allow the firm to generate solid operating margins, even in the highly competitive foundry business. Furthermore, the shift to the fabless business model has created tailwinds for TSMC. The foundry leader has an illustrious customer base, including Apple, AMD and Nvidia, that looks to apply cutting-edge process technologies to its semiconductor designs.
Read more on TSM →