Gold Assets Sparkle: GLD Sees Highest Volume In 12 Years, Surpassing Mag 7 As Yellow Metal Soars Nearly 57% In A Year - SPDR Gold Trust (ARCA:GLD)

Core Insights - Gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are witnessing unprecedented demand, with SPDR Gold Shares ETF recording its second-highest trading volume of $12.5 billion on October 9, indicating a significant surge in investor interest in gold [1][2] - Gold prices have surged nearly 57% over the past year, recently surpassing the $4,000 per ounce threshold and approaching an all-time high of $4,179.71 [2][3] - Central banks are increasingly accumulating gold and silver, with foreign investors now holding more gold than U.S. Treasuries, reflecting a fundamental shift in global safe haven preferences [4][5][6] Trading Volume and Market Dynamics - The trading activity of the SPDR Gold Shares ETF has outpaced that of most major tech stocks, indicating a significant rotation of capital within financial markets [2] - The robust performance of gold and silver is dramatically outperforming traditional equities, with silver prices up 68% in 2025 [3] Institutional and Global Trends - Central banks are actively accumulating silver for the first time in over five decades, with notable purchases such as the Saudi Central Bank acquiring $28.5 million worth in August [4] - The share of U.S. Treasuries held by foreign entities has decreased from 49% in 2013 to 31% today, indicating a re-evaluation of global safe havens [5] Price Action and ETF Performance - As of the publication date, gold prices were $4,108.05 per ounce, having gained 54.89% over the year and 28.02% over the last six months [7] - Various gold ETFs have shown strong year-to-date and one-year performance, with Franklin Responsibly Sourced Gold ETF leading at 55.00% YTD [8]