Best gold stocks and ETFs to buy as its price surges

Gold Market Overview - Gold price has surged by almost 30% this year, nearing the resistance point at $3,500, with analysts predicting it could reach $3,700 or even $4,000 [1][2] Company Analysis - Wheaton Precious Metals Corp (WPM): - Best gold stock to buy, with a stock price increase of 51% this year and 145% over the last five years, outperforming gold [3] - Generated over $1.28 billion in annual revenue and a net profit of over $552 million last year, using profits to pay shareholders and acquire more rights to gold mines [4] - Trades at a forward P/E ratio of 41, higher than major growth companies like NVIDIA and Microsoft [4] - Franco-Nevada (FNV): - Another quality gold stock, financing gold mining companies in exchange for royalties, ensuring low operating expenses [5] - Generated over $1.1 billion in annual revenue and a net income of $552 million last year, with a forward P/E ratio over 40 [6] - Royal Gold (RGLD): - Offers exposure to gold without operating mines, generating $712 million in revenue and a net profit of nearly $350 million last year, resulting in a margin of nearly 50% [7] - Stock price has surged by over 56% in the last 12 months, with a P/E multiple of 28, making it cheaper than Wheaton and Franco-Nevada [8] Investment Vehicles - Gold ETFs: - SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU) are popular options, with IAU recommended due to its lower expense ratio of 0.25% compared to GLD's 0.40% [9] - Analysts also recommend gold mining ETFs like VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), Sprott Gold Miners ETF (SGDM), and iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING) [10]