The Gold Rush Continues: GDX's Amplified Bet vs. GLD's Steady Hold

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  • GDX has delivered acold higher one-year returns but with overmuch steeper drawdowns than GLD.

  • GLD tracks golden bullion prices directly, portion GDX holds shares of golden mining companies and introduces equity risk.

  • GDX carries a somewhat higher disbursal ratio and is overmuch smaller successful assets nether absorption than GLD.

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SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEMKT:GLD) and VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:GDX) some connection vulnerability to gold, but GLD tracks carnal bullion prices portion GDX invests successful golden mining stocks, resulting successful antithetic hazard profiles, returns, and outgo structures.

Both GLD and GDX whitethorn entreaty to investors seeking golden exposure, yet their approaches disagree significantly: GLD reflects the terms of golden itself, portion GDX tracks an scale of planetary golden mining companies. This examination highlights the trade-offs betwixt nonstop commodity vulnerability and equity-linked golden strategies.

Metric

GLD

GDX

Issuer

SPDR

VanEck

Expense ratio

0.40%

0.51%

1-yr instrumentality (as of 2026-01-22)

77.6%

180.2%

Beta

0.51

0.90

AUM

$148.2 billion

$25.8 billion

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 is much affordable connected an ongoing basis, with a 0.40% yearly disbursal ratio compared to GDX’s 0.51%, though GDX’s higher interest whitethorn beryllium offset for immoderate by its imaginable for outsized returns, arsenic seen implicit the past year.

Metric

GLD

GDX

Max drawdown (5 y)

-21.03%

-46.52%

Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years

$2,596

$2,989

GDX holds 55 planetary golden mining stocks, offering indirect vulnerability to golden done institution shares. Its apical holdings see Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM), Newmont (NYSE:NEM), and Barrick Mining (NYSE:B), which unneurotic marque up a important information of the portfolio. The money is astir 20 years aged and is afloat concentrated successful the basal materials sector, specifically golden mining. There are nary notable structural quirks oregon leverage, making GDX straightforward for those seeking gold-linked equity exposure.

By contrast, GLD is simply a axenic play connected carnal golden prices, with 100% of its portfolio successful golden bullion and nary institution stocks. It does not database idiosyncratic holdings due to the fact that it represents allocated golden held successful trust, not shares of mining companies. This makes GLD much straight tied to golden terms movements, without the added operational oregon equity marketplace risks inherent successful mining stocks.

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