SPTL vs. GLDM
SPTL (SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF) and GLDM (SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust) are both exchange-traded funds - SPTL is a Government Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg Long U.S. Treasury Index, while GLDM is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, SPTL returned -5.32%/yr vs 18.49%/yr for GLDM. At a 0.28 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. SPTL charges 0.03%/yr vs 0.10%/yr for GLDM.
Performance
SPTL vs. GLDM - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SPTL achieves a -0.38% return, which is significantly lower than GLDM's 3.00% return.
SPTL
- 1D
- -0.38%
- 1M
- 0.71%
- YTD
- -0.38%
- 6M
- -1.67%
- 1Y
- 5.22%
- 3Y*
- -0.70%
- 5Y*
- -5.32%
- 10Y*
- -1.12%
GLDM
- 1D
- -0.96%
- 1M
- -1.62%
- YTD
- 3.00%
- 6M
- 5.60%
- 1Y
- 32.42%
- 3Y*
- 31.49%
- 5Y*
- 18.49%
- 10Y*
- —
SPTL vs. GLDM - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SPTL SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF | -0.38% | 5.28% | -6.23% | 3.30% | -29.44% | -4.99% | 18.07% | 13.74% | 2.38% |
GLDM SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust | 3.00% | 64.20% | 27.08% | 13.04% | -0.47% | -4.01% | 25.10% | 18.10% | 1.84% |
Correlation
The correlation between SPTL and GLDM is 0.19, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.25 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 27, 2018 | 0.28 |
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Return for Risk
SPTL vs. GLDM — Risk / Return Rank
SPTL
GLDM
SPTL vs. GLDM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL) and SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM). 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.
| SPTL | GLDM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.65 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.73 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.10 | 1.25 | -0.14 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.74 | 1.70 | -0.96 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.94 | 4.23 | -2.29 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| SPTL | GLDM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.59 | 1.24 | -0.65 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.37 | 1.04 | -1.40 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | -0.08 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.24 | 1.02 | -0.78 |
Drawdowns
SPTL vs. GLDM - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SPTL drawdown since its inception was -46.20%, which is greater than GLDM's maximum drawdown of -21.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPTL and GLDM.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SPTL | GLDM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.20% | -21.63% | -24.57% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.04% | -19.14% | +12.10% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -17.55% | -19.14% | +1.59% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -41.02% | -20.92% | -20.10% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.20% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -36.87% | -17.65% | -19.22% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -14.24% | -6.22% | -8.02% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.69% | 7.69% | -5.00% |
Volatility
SPTL vs. GLDM - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL) is 2.63%, while SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM) has a volatility of 5.47%. This indicates that SPTL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GLDM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SPTL | GLDM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.63% | 5.47% | -2.84% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.97% | 22.99% | -17.02% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.92% | 26.39% | -17.47% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 14.63% | 17.91% | -3.28% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 13.95% | 16.85% | -2.90% |
SPTL vs. GLDM - Expense Ratio Comparison
SPTL has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than GLDM's 0.10% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
SPTL vs. GLDM - Dividend Comparison
SPTL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.21%, while GLDM has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GLDM SPDR Gold MiniShares 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% |
SPTL SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF | 4.21% | 4.12% | 4.03% | 3.24% | 2.75% | 1.68% | 1.71% | 2.45% | 2.69% | 2.53% | 2.56% | 2.60% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SPTL and GLDM have a correlation of 0.19, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GLDM has higher volatility (5.47%) compared to SPTL (2.63%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SPTL dropped -46.20% vs GLDM's -21.63%.
On 5-year performance, GLDM leads with 18.49% vs -5.32% for SPTL. On fees, SPTL is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, SPTL has been the lower-risk option at 2.63%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, GLDM has performed better with a 18.49% return vs -5.32%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
SPTL is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.10% for GLDM.
SPTL has the higher dividend yield at 4.21%, compared with 0.00% for GLDM.
SPTL is categorized as Government Bonds, while GLDM is Gold. SPTL tracks Bloomberg Long U.S. Treasury Index, while GLDM tracks LBMA Gold Price PM. Their fees differ too: 0.03% for SPTL and 0.10% for GLDM.
GLDM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.24 vs 0.59), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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