GLD vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
GLD and SPY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GLD is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Gold Bullion. It was launched on Nov 18, 2004. SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993. Both GLD and SPY are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Scroll down to visually compare performance, riskiness, drawdowns, and other indicators and decide which better suits your portfolio: GLD or SPY.
Correlation
The correlation between GLD and SPY is 0.06, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Performance
GLD vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
Key characteristics
GLD:
2.41
SPY:
0.72
GLD:
3.21
SPY:
1.13
GLD:
1.41
SPY:
1.17
GLD:
5.01
SPY:
0.76
GLD:
13.43
SPY:
3.04
GLD:
3.03%
SPY:
4.72%
GLD:
16.89%
SPY:
20.06%
GLD:
-45.56%
SPY:
-55.19%
GLD:
-5.58%
SPY:
-7.25%
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GLD achieves a 23.07% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -3.01% return. Over the past 10 years, GLD has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 10.08%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 12.50% annualized return.
GLD
23.07%
4.04%
18.03%
39.92%
13.24%
10.08%
SPY
-3.01%
5.60%
-0.12%
12.26%
16.60%
12.50%
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GLD vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
GLD has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Risk-Adjusted Performance
GLD vs. SPY — Risk-Adjusted Performance Rank
GLD
SPY
GLD vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Performance Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Dividends
GLD vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
GLD has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SPY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.26%.
| TTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GLD SPDR Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.26% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% | 1.87% |
Drawdowns
GLD vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GLD drawdown since its inception was -45.56%, smaller than the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GLD and SPY. For additional features, visit the drawdowns tool.
Volatility
GLD vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is 8.73%, while SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 15.07%. This indicates that GLD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.