Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and gold mining ETFs offer different ways to invest in the gold industry. Gold ETFs invest in gold itself, either directly in physical gold bullion or through derivatives contracts. Gold mining ETFs, on the other hand, invest in the stocks of gold mining companies.
Key Takeaways: – Gold ETFs and gold mining ETFs provide exposure to the gold industry and help diversify investment portfolios. – Gold ETFs hold physical gold or use derivatives contracts. – Gold mining ETFs hold portfolios of gold mining companies’ stocks. Investors should consider expense ratios, performance, holdings, and liquidity when researching gold ETFs and gold mining ETFs. Popular options include SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), and iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING). How Gold ETFs and Gold Mining ETFs Work: Like other ETFs, they trade like shares of stock on major stock exchanges. Investors can buy and sell them throughout the day with low or no commissions. For gold ETFs, each share represents a fixed amount of gold stored in a vault. They give investors exposure to the price of gold without direct ownership of physical metal. Meanwhile, gold mining ETF shares represent ownership in a portfolio of gold mining firms, and their performance is tied to the profits of extracting and refining gold and broader stock market trends. Gold ETFs can be physical or synthetic. Physical gold ETFs like SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU) own gold bullion stored in vaults. Some issuers offer a ‘mini’ version for smaller investors. The metal is audited and insured. Synthetic gold ETFs use derivatives like futures and options contracts to track the price of gold but may have counterparty and other risks. Many gold ETFs track the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) gold price.Gold ETFs track the price of physical gold. Investors own a portion of the entire gold stockpile held by the ETF. Storage and insurance costs are factored into the ETF’s expense ratio. ETF shares are highly liquid and can be bought and sold daily on the open market. Physical gold ETFs are also subject to audit.
Gold Mining ETFs hold a basket of publicly traded gold mining stocks and related companies. Their portfolios typically include miners focusing on gold exploration, production, and processing. By owning shares of gold mining firms, the ETFs provide equity exposure to the industry rather than the price of gold itself. Many gold mining ETFs hold a broad portfolio of gold producers, but some focus on junior gold mining firms. These are smaller companies exploring or in early production. Gold ETFs vs. Gold Mining ETFs: Gold ETFs have the investment objective of tracking the price of physical gold. Their benefits include inflation hedge, diversification, liquidity, ease of investment, and price transparency. Risks include price volatility, no income generation (if holding physical gold), and storage and insurance costs. Gold Mining ETFs invest in a basket of gold mining companies. Benefits include leveraged exposure to gold, dividend potential, and company growth beyond the price of gold. Risks include operational risks, higher volatility, and market risks influenced by company-specific factors. Benefits and Risks of Investing in Gold ETFs and Gold Mining ETFs: The primary benefit of gold ETFs is that they expose investors to gold more easily than traditional methods. Owning gold can help diversify a portfolio and provide a hedge against inflation. ETFs are transparent and their holdings are published daily. Physical gold ETFs are subject to audit. Gold Mining ETFs provide potential for dividends and exposure to company growth, but come with higher risks. Other benchmarks for gold ETFs include the Bloomberg Gold Subindex and futures prices on the COMEX in the United States. While companies’ profits in gold mining ETFs are often tied to the price of spot gold, owning shares in them exposes investors to operational risks, costs, labor issues, and geological uncertainty involved in gold mining operations. Junior mining companies in gold mining ETFs have more upside potential and more risk. As gold prices rise, junior firms may see greater growth as they produce new reserves. However, they are less diversified in their operations, often with weaker balance sheets and higher failure rates.Gold ETFs and gold mining ETFs offer investors exposure to gold and gold mining companies, respectively. While some gold mining stocks and their ETFs may pay dividends, most gold ETFs do not provide interest income. An exception is the FT Vest Gold Strategy Target income ETF (IGLD), which financially engineers an income flow.
Precious metals and the companies that mine them can be highly volatile, particularly the younger firms. This volatility may make gold ETFs and gold mining ETFs unsuitable for conservative investors seeking wealth preservation. Here is a comparison of top gold ETFs and gold mining ETFs: Symbol – ETF Name – Mandate – Backed by Physical Gold? – Total Assets ($Millions) – Expense Ratio GLD – SPDR Gold Shares – The largest physically backed gold ETF in the world – Yes – $57,122 – 0.40% IAU – iShares Gold Trust – Tracks the performance of the price of gold – Yes – $26,065 – 0.25% GLDM – SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust – Lower share price than GLD, convenient access to the market – Yes – $6,305 – 0.10% SGOL – abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF – Reflects the performance of the price of gold bullion – Yes – $2,758 – 0.17% IAUM – iShares Gold Trust Micro ETF – Lower share price than IAU – Yes – $972 – 0.09% BAR – GraniteShares Gold Trust – Reflects the performance of gold bullion – Yes – $957 – 0.17% OUNZ – VanEck Merk Gold Trust – Holds gold bullion, offers physical delivery option – Yes – $778 – 0.25% AAAU – Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF – Reflects the performance of gold bullion – Yes – $631 – 0.18% UGL – ProShares Ultra Gold – Seeks twice the daily performance of the Bloomberg Gold Subindex – No – $184 – 0.95% DBP – Invesco DB Precious Metals Fund – Holds gold and silver futures contracts – No – $145 – 0.77% IGLD – FT Vest Gold Strategy Target Income ETF – Offers participation in GLD ETF price returns with consistent income – No – $86 – 0.85% DGPD – DB Gold Double Long Exchange-Traded Notes – Offers 2× daily long leverage to a gold index – No – $80 – 0.75% FGDL – Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF – Reflects the performance of gold bullion, responsibly sourced – Yes – $57 – 0.15% IAUF – iShares Gold Strategy ETF – Tracks an index providing exposure to gold price performance – No – $43 – 0.34% BGLD – FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF – Matches GLD ETF price returns with a cap and buffer against losses – No – $29 – 0.91% GLL – ProShares UltraShort Gold – Seeks twice the daily performance of the Bloomberg Gold Subindex – No – $13 – 0.95% DZZ – DB Gold Double Short Exchange-Traded Notes – Offers 2× daily short leverage to a gold index – No – $4 – 0.75% DGZ – DB Gold Short Exchange-Traded Notes – Offers 1× daily short exposure to a gold index – No – $3 – 0.75%Gold ETFs and Gold Mining ETFs are investment options that offer unique characteristics. For example, the 20.75%GLDXUSCF Gold Strategy Plus Income Fund ETF seeks the performance of the price of gold while generating dividend income by selling gold call options and gaining collateral interest income. As of Jan. 24, 2024, it has a certain price and percentage change.
Gold Mining ETFs include various symbols and names. GDXVanEck Gold Miners ETF tracks the overall performance of companies involved in the gold mining industry with a significant amount of assets managed and a specific expense ratio. Similarly, GDXJVanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF tracks the performance of small-capitalization companies involved primarily in mining gold and silver. Other ETFs like NUGTDirexion Daily Gold Miners Index Bull 2× Shares, RINGiShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, JNUGDirexion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bull 2× Shares, SGDMSprott Gold Miners ETF, GDXUMicroSectors Gold Miners 3× Leveraged ETN, JDSTDirexion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 2× Shares, SGDJSprott Junior Gold Miners ETF, GOAUUS Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF, DUSTDirexion Daily Gold Miners Index Bear 2× Shares, GDXDMicroSectors Gold Miners -3× Inverse Leveraged ETN, and GOEXGlobal X Gold Explorers ETF have their own mandates, assets managed, and expense ratios. To buy shares in a Gold ETF or Gold Mining ETF, they are readily available through brokerage firms. Research and identify the particular ETF that interests you and then load the ticker symbol into your broker’s order entry platform. Many brokers offer commission-free trading in ETFs. When comparing Gold ETFs and Gold Mining ETFs with other investments, ETFs provide more liquidity, lower costs, and storage ease than owning physical gold.Gold ETFs and Gold Mining ETFs are two popular investment vehicles for gaining exposure to gold. Gold ETFs provide investors with indirect exposure to the price of gold, while Gold Mining ETFs invest in companies involved in the gold mining industry.
Physical gold ownership offers a sense of security and eliminates risks associated with fund management. However, it requires secure storage and insurance, which can be costly and inconvenient. ETFs, on the other hand, are simpler and fully asset-backed, offering a more convenient investment option. Investing directly in gold or through ETFs depends on individual goals, risk tolerance, and preferences. Physical gold can be held and stored, but selling it is less convenient and takes more time compared to selling ETF shares. Gold ETFs can be included in retirement accounts like traditional or Roth IRAs, which is more advantageous than holding physical gold in an IRA, as physical gold requires a special gold IRA with its own rules and fees. The choice between gold ETFs and gold mining ETFs depends on your investment needs, risk tolerance, and goals. It’s crucial to consider expense ratios, liquidity, benchmarks, and the ETF’s holdings when making your decision.