Overview

World's largest physically-backed gold ETF. Each share represents approximately 1/10th of a troy ounce of gold held in secure vaults in London and Zurich.

Top Holdings

Fund Details

Investment Thesis

GLD pioneered the gold ETF category in 2004 and remains the world's largest physically-backed gold fund with over 75 billion dollars in assets under management. Each share represents approximately one-tenth of a troy ounce of gold held in HSBC's London vaults, providing investors pure gold price exposure without the logistics of physical storage or ownership. Gold serves as portfolio insurance, historically rising when equities fall, inflation surges, and currency values erode. The combination of zero counterparty risk, deep liquidity exceeding one billion dollars in daily trading volume, and rock-solid physical backing makes GLD the institutional gold standard for precious metals exposure. Central bank buying, geopolitical uncertainty, and dollar weakness are the primary catalysts that drive gold price appreciation over multi-year cycles.

Who It's For

GLD is appropriate for virtually all investor types as a 5-10% strategic allocation within a diversified portfolio. Conservative investors and retirees use it for inflation protection and portfolio insurance during equity market downturns. Tactical investors increase gold exposure during periods of elevated geopolitical risk, currency debasement, or monetary policy uncertainty. Institutional portfolio managers hold GLD as a non-correlated diversifier that reduces overall portfolio volatility without sacrificing liquidity. It is particularly valuable in retirement accounts and taxable portfolios where physical gold storage is impractical but precious metals exposure is desired for long-term wealth preservation.

10-Year History

Historical figures are ETFHub estimates modelled from asset-class return patterns and may differ from official fund records. Data as of August 2026.

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