Gold ETFs Boom: GLD Is Larger in Size But AAAU Is More Affordable

The Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (NYSEMKT:AAAU) and the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEMKT:GLD) some connection nonstop vulnerability to carnal gold. The 2 ETFs, however, disagree successful presumption of cost, trading liquidity, and size, which is wherever investors request to measurement the 2 options earlier deciding wherever to invest.

Both AAAU and GLD are designed to bespeak the terms of golden bullion, minus expenses, and entreaty to investors seeking a elemental mode to clasp golden via the banal market. The examination beneath looks astatine however the 2 ETFs stack up connected fees, performance, risk, and what sets them isolated for antithetic investing needs.

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year play returns. The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months.

GLD holds carnal golden bullion. With implicit 21 years successful operation, it is the oldest and largest golden ETF, managing $146.7 cardinal successful assets arsenic of Dec. 19, 2025. The ETF's operation and size person made it a go-to enactment for investors seeking heavy liquidity and choky bid-ask spreads.

AAAU besides holds carnal golden but is smaller successful size, with $2.5 cardinal successful assets nether management. Both funds debar leverage, derivatives, and added complexity, focusing connected nonstop golden exposure.

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2025 has been a phenomenal twelvemonth for gold, with prices of the precious metallic surging astir 65% and hitting all-time highs of $4,381.58 per ounce successful October 2025. While geopolitical tensions marque golden appealing arsenic a safe-haven asset, involvement complaint cuts marque it much luring arsenic an concern arsenic compared to bonds. Strong request from cardinal banks, particularly from emerging markets, arsenic they question to diversify distant from the U.S. dollar and physique golden reserves, has further fueled golden prices successful caller months.

Investors person been capable to payment from the golden roar by holding carnal gold, investing successful golden stocks, oregon golden ETFs. Among these, golden ETFs are often the preferred prime arsenic they let investors to summation vulnerability to golden prices without the hassles, costs, and risks of owning bullion and without the request to analyse idiosyncratic stocks. Within ETFs, portion immoderate put successful the underlying commodity, others put successful a clump of stocks.