Core Insights - Gold has seen significant demand this year due to U.S. policy uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, leading to substantial investments in gold ETFs, with global inflows reaching $43.6 billion as of August 15, 2025, potentially surpassing the record of $49.5 billion set in 2020 [1][11] Group 1: Investment Trends - North America contributed approximately $24 billion in gold ETF inflows, marking its second-strongest annual performance, with SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) attracting $9.6 billion, followed by iShares Gold Trust (IAU) with $6.1 billion and SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM) with $4.8 billion [2] - China led international inflows with $7.8 billion, followed by the UK ($2.9 billion), Switzerland ($2.5 billion), Japan and France ($1.2 billion each), and India and Germany ($1.1 billion each) [3] Group 2: Market Drivers - U.S. policy uncertainty, particularly regarding tariffs, has driven investors towards gold as a defensive investment, with gold traditionally serving as a wealth preservation tool during financial and political instability [4] - A weaker U.S. dollar, down 9.4% this year, and increased central bank purchases have also supported gold prices, with 95% of central banks expecting to increase their gold reserves in the next 12 months [5] - The likelihood of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve has risen, with markets predicting over 90% probability for cuts in September, making gold more attractive compared to fixed-income investments [6] Group 3: ETF Details - SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD) has an AUM of $103.5 billion, with an average daily volume of 9.3 million shares and annual fees of 40 bps [7] - iShares Gold Trust (IAU) has an AUM of $48.6 billion, with average daily volumes of 6 million shares and annual fees of 25 bps [9] - SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM) has an AUM of $16.8 billion, with an average daily volume of 3 million shares and low annual fees of 10 bps [10] Group 4: Future Outlook - Given the ongoing tariff uncertainties and potential Fed rate cuts, investor interest in gold ETFs is expected to remain robust in the coming months [11]