AU vs. GFI: AngloGold Ashanti vs. Gold Fields Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI) are both classified in the Gold sub-industry within the broader Metals & Mining industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) trades as ordinary local shares, while Gold Fields (GFI) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Profile Item	AU	GFI
Name	AngloGold Ashanti plc	Gold Fields Ltd. Sponsored ADR
Country/Region	United States	South Africa
GICS Sector	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry Group	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry	Metals & Mining	Metals & Mining
GICS Sub-Industry	Gold	Gold
Market Capitalization	47.04 billion USD	34.65 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	August 5, 1998	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GFI

GSPC

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…

Trailing total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…

Calendar-year total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	AU	GFI
Total Return (1Y)	47.97%	9.54%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	87.34%	51.07%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	42.76%	38.08%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GFI

GSPC

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…

Distribution of monthly total returns for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	AU	GFI
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	60.11%	60.41%
Beta (5Y)	0.67	0.64
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-51.75%	-56.22%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.54M	3.78M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AU and GFI are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	AU	GFI
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.73	0.09
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.07	0.12

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Gold Fields (GFI) at 58.68% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 44.33% also sits in the top quartile.

AU

Materials industry group

44.33%

Max: 52.88%
AU: 44.33%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

GFI

Materials industry group

58.68%

GFI: 58.68%
Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their ROE against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 32.64% and Gold Fields (GFI) at 38.66% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

AU

Materials industry group

32.64%

Max: 38.66%
AU: 32.64%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

GFI

Materials industry group

38.66%

GFI: 38.66%
Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 45.36% and Gold Fields (GFI) at 55.00% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

AU

Materials industry group

45.36%

Max: 66.70%
AU: 45.36%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

GFI

Materials industry group

55.00%

Max: 66.70%
GFI: 55.00%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	AU	GFI
ROE (TTM)	44.33%	58.68%
ROA (TTM)	24.39%	28.52%
Net Margin (TTM)	32.64%	38.66%
Operating Margin (TTM)	45.36%	55.00%
Gross Margin (TTM)	54.84%	57.77%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 70.78% and Gold Fields (GFI) at 68.24% sit in the top peer quartile for revenue growth, so each is growing its top line faster than typical industry peers.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 122.32% and Gold Fields (GFI) at 185.51% sit in the top peer quartile for EPS growth, so each is compounding per-share earnings faster than typical industry peers.

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	AU	GFI
Revenue Growth (YoY)	70.78%	68.24%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	30.02%	26.86%
EPS Growth (YoY)	122.32%	185.51%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	93.95%	71.58%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 2.55 and Gold Fields (GFI) at 1.87 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

AU

Materials industry group

2.55

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
AU: 2.55
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16

GFI

Materials industry group

1.87

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
GFI: 1.87
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 0.16 and Gold Fields (GFI) at 0.29 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

AU

Materials industry group

0.16

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
AU: 0.16
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

GFI

Materials industry group

0.29

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
GFI: 0.29
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	AU	GFI
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.55	1.87
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.16	0.29
Net Debt / EBITDA	-0.17	0.06

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 4.88% and Gold Fields (GFI) at 5.65% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

AU

Materials industry group

4.88%

AU: 4.88%
Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GFI

Materials industry group

5.65%

GFI: 5.65%
Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Gold Fields (GFI) at 31.81% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 58.78% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

AU

Materials industry group

58.78%

Max: 83.62%
AU: 58.78%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GFI

Materials industry group

31.81%

Max: 83.62%
Q3: 41.37%
GFI: 31.81%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	AU	GFI
Dividend Yield (TTM)	4.88%	5.65%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	58.78%	31.81%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Gold Fields (GFI) at 8.03 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 12.09 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for GFI, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

AU

Materials industry group

12.09

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
AU: 12.09
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

GFI

Materials industry group

8.03

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
GFI: 8.03
Min: 3.93

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 3.91 and Gold Fields (GFI) at 3.05 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

AU

Materials industry group

3.91

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
AU: 3.91
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

GFI

Materials industry group

3.05

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
GFI: 3.05
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: AngloGold Ashanti (AU) at 5.01 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Gold Fields (GFI) at 7.78 prices even higher, above its industry range.

AU

Materials industry group

5.01

Max: 6.59
AU: 5.01
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

GFI

Materials industry group

7.78

GFI: 7.78
Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

AngloGold Ashanti (AU) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AngloGold Ashanti (AU) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	AU	GFI
P/E Ratio (TTM)	12.09	8.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.91	3.05
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	5.01	7.78
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	7.61%	12.05%