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SPDR Gold Shares (GLD)
Performance
Return for Risk
Dividends
Drawdowns
Volatility

ETF Info

ISIN
US78463V1070
CUSIP
78463V107
Inception Date
Nov 18, 2004
Region
Global (Global)
Leveraged
1x (No leverage)
Index Tracked
LBMA Gold Price PM
Domicile
United States
Distribution Policy
Accumulating
Asset Class
Commodity

Share Price Chart


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Performance

Performance Chart

The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in SPDR Gold Shares, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends.


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S&P 500 Index

Returns By Period

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) has returned 8.35% so far this year and 49.02% over the past 12 months. Looking at the last ten years, GLD has achieved an annualized return of 13.97%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 12.29% per year.


SPDR Gold Shares

1D
-1.92%
1M
-8.27%
YTD
8.35%
6M
21.03%
1Y
49.02%
3Y*
32.51%
5Y*
21.53%
10Y*
13.97%

Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)

1D
0.11%
1M
-3.43%
YTD
-3.84%
6M
-1.98%
1Y
16.08%
3Y*
16.86%
5Y*
10.37%
10Y*
12.29%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Monthly Returns

Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Nov 18, 2004, GLD's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +1.00%. At this rate, your investment would double in approximately 5.8 years.

Historically, 53% of months were positive and 47% were negative. The best month was Nov 2009 with a return of +12.8%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -16.1%. The longest winning streak lasted 7 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 7 months.

On a daily basis, GLD closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Sep 17, 2008 with a return of +11.3%, while the worst single day was Jan 30, 2026 at -10.3%.


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
202612.27%8.72%-11.05%-0.20%8.35%
20256.79%1.82%9.45%5.42%-0.06%0.41%-0.61%4.99%11.76%3.56%5.37%2.17%63.68%
2024-1.42%0.46%8.67%2.99%1.62%-0.13%5.37%2.09%5.09%4.30%-3.12%-1.41%26.66%
20235.76%-5.37%7.92%0.86%-1.34%-2.22%2.29%-1.28%-4.76%7.37%2.53%1.28%12.69%
2022-1.68%6.12%1.27%-2.07%-3.26%-1.57%-2.59%-2.94%-2.89%-1.78%8.49%2.93%-0.77%
2021-3.22%-6.26%-1.14%3.56%7.68%-7.15%2.53%-0.08%-3.22%1.48%-0.69%3.30%-4.15%

Benchmark Metrics

SPDR Gold Shares has an annualized alpha of 12.45%, beta of 0.06, and R² of 0.00 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since November 19, 2004.

  • This ETF captured 27.20% of S&P 500 Index gains and tended to rise during its downturns (downside capture of -25.38%) — a profile typical of hedging or uncorrelated assets.
  • Beta of 0.06 may look defensive, but with R² of 0.00 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index — low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
  • R² of 0.00 means this ETF moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index — capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.

Alpha
12.45%
Beta
0.06
0.00
Upside Capture
27.20%
Downside Capture
-25.38%

Expense Ratio

GLD has an expense ratio of 0.40%, placing it in the medium range.


Return for Risk

Risk / Return Rank

GLD ranks 79 for risk / return — better than 79% of ETFs on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.


GLD Risk / Return Rank: 7979
Overall Rank
GLD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8585
Sharpe Ratio Rank
GLD Sortino Ratio Rank: 8181
Sortino Ratio Rank
GLD Omega Ratio Rank: 8080
Omega Ratio Rank
GLD Calmar Ratio Rank: 7575
Calmar Ratio Rank
GLD Martin Ratio Rank: 7272
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

Return / Risk — by metrics

The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and compare them to a chosen benchmark (S&P 500 Index).


GLDBenchmarkDifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

1.77

0.88

+0.88

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

2.19

1.37

+0.83

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.32

1.21

+0.12

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

2.57

1.39

+1.18

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

9.28

6.43

+2.84

Explore GLD risk-adjusted metrics in detail

Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.

Dividends

Dividend History


SPDR Gold Shares doesn't pay dividends

Drawdowns

Drawdowns Chart

The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.


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Worst Drawdowns

The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the SPDR Gold Shares. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.

The maximum drawdown for the SPDR Gold Shares was 45.56%, occurring on Dec 17, 2015. Recovery took 1160 trading sessions.

The current SPDR Gold Shares drawdown is 13.41%.


Depth

Start

To Bottom

Bottom

To Recover

End

Total

-45.56%Aug 23, 20111088Dec 17, 20151160Jul 29, 20202248
-29.41%Mar 18, 2008168Nov 12, 2008211Sep 16, 2009379
-22%Aug 7, 2020538Sep 26, 2022360Mar 4, 2024898
-21.79%May 15, 200622Jun 14, 2006317Sep 18, 2007339
-19.21%Jan 30, 202639Mar 26, 2026

Volatility

Volatility Chart

The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.


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Portfolio Analyzer

Build a portfolio with GLD

Add SPDR Gold Shares to a portfolio and analyze allocations for your target — whether that's maximizing returns, minimizing drawdowns, or balancing risk across holdings.

Open Portfolio Analyzer with GLD