The U.S. dollar slid to a four-year low after President Donald Trump downplayed the currency’s decline earlier this month, adding further pressure on the greenback following a prolonged period of weakness, as quoted on Reuters.The dollar’s recent weakness reflects a combination of factors, including expectations of further Fed rate cuts, tariff-related uncertainty and concerns over Fed independence, among other policy uncertainties, eroding investor confidence in the U.S. macro-outlook.According to TradingV ...

Key Takeaways Geopolitical risks and trade tensions boost gold's safe-haven appeal.Gold prices are up 6.93% over the past five days and 60.88% over the past six months.ETFs like GLD and GDX help investors ride gold's momentum.Gold prices have already climbed 60.88% over the past six months and 93.20% over the past year. The metal has seen its prices gain 6.93% over the past five days, causing it to breach the $5,200 mark. The yellow metal’s powerful 2025 rally, fueled by robust central bank purchases and pe ...

They say some people are worth their weight in gold … Well, they’re probably carrying a little extra weight right now. The price of gold grew to historic highs last week, pushing past $5,100 an ounce and rising 18% so far in January alone, according to a Financial Times analysis. The boom has extended to other precious metals, too, with silver hitting a record $109 on Monday. Gold ETFs were one of the top-performing strategies in 2025. ​​Individual investors sunk $95 million into the largest gold ETF, GLD ...

Core Viewpoint - The comparison between SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU) highlights GLDM's lower expenses and shallower historical drawdown, making it potentially more appealing for cost-conscious and risk-averse investors [1][9]. Cost & Size - IAU has an expense ratio of 0.25%, while GLDM has a lower expense ratio of 0.10% [3][4]. - As of January 9, 2026, IAU's one-year return is 67.2%, compared to GLDM's 66.2% [3]. - IAU has assets under management (AUM) of $72.9 billion, whereas GLDM has $28.0 billion [3][10]. Performance & Risk Comparison - Both IAU and GLDM have a maximum drawdown of -20.92% over five years [5]. - The growth of a $1,000 investment over five years is $2,414 for IAU and $2,427 for GLDM, indicating slightly better performance for GLDM [5]. Fund Structure - GLDM offers pure gold exposure with 100% of its portfolio aligned to gold holdings, without equities or alternative assets [6]. - IAU follows a similar structure, providing exposure to gold bullion without sector tilt or equity exposure [7]. Investment Implications - Both IAU and GLDM provide direct access to gold, but GLDM's lower expense ratio and smaller historical drawdown may attract more cost-conscious or risk-averse investors [9][10]. - The larger AUM of IAU may appeal to some investors, but GLDM's cost advantages suggest it may be the wiser choice for long-term savings [10].

January has already seen a fair share of market volatility, underscoring the year’s turbulent start and potentially setting the tone for what lies ahead in the months to come, while strengthening the case for increased portfolio exposure to gold. President Trump’s recent announcement of tariffs on eight European nations has made matters worse for an already volatile market environment.Since last Monday, the CBOE Volatility Index has surged about 27% and is up roughly 31% since the start of 2026, reflecting ...

Core Insights - The iShares Gold Trust (IAU) and abrdn Physical Platinum Shares ETF (PPLT) differ significantly in cost, assets under management, and recent performance, with IAU being more cost-effective and larger in scale, while PPLT has shown superior returns over the past year [1][3][4] Cost and Size Comparison - IAU has an expense ratio of 0.25%, while PPLT's is 0.60%, which could impact long-term investors [4] - IAU's assets under management (AUM) stand at $68.8 billion compared to PPLT's $2.86 billion, indicating a much larger scale for IAU [3][4] Performance and Risk Analysis - Over the past year, IAU delivered a return of 67.2%, while PPLT outperformed with a return of 135.6% [3] - The maximum drawdown over five years for IAU was -21.82%, compared to PPLT's -35.73%, suggesting IAU has experienced less volatility [5] Fund Composition - PPLT is focused on providing exposure to platinum, appealing to investors looking for diversification beyond gold, and has been operational for 16 years [6] - IAU offers exposure to physical gold, tracking gold's spot price minus its expense ratio, and is one of the largest gold ETFs available [9] Market Context - Both ETFs benefited from a significant rally in precious metals in 2025, driven by Federal Reserve rate cuts, inflation concerns, and substantial central bank gold purchases [8] - Platinum's performance was further boosted by supply shortages from South Africa and increasing industrial demand, particularly from hydrogen fuel cells [8][9] Investment Considerations - IAU is positioned as a lower-cost option with greater liquidity and a long-standing reputation as a stable monetary asset, while PPLT may appeal to those anticipating continued industrial demand for platinum despite its higher volatility [10]

Core Viewpoint - The outlook for gold in 2026 is bullish, with forecasts from JPMorgan and Bank of America predicting prices could reach $5,000 per ounce by Q4, driven by a surge of over 75% in the past year due to increased ETF and central bank demand, alongside geopolitical and economic uncertainties [1]. Group 1: Market Trends - Gold and mining ETFs are expected to benefit significantly from the anticipated record-breaking performance of gold in 2026 [2]. - Gold mining ETFs are projected to outperform physical gold in 2026, indicating a strong market for these investment vehicles [2]. - Global gold ETFs experienced six consecutive months of inflows last year, primarily from Asia, with JPMorgan predicting around 250 metric tons of inflows into ETFs in 2026 [2]. Group 2: Investment Shifts - Investors are expected to shift from legacy gold ETFs to lower-cost "mini" and "micro" funds following the record high gold prices in late 2025, which surpassed $4,500 per ounce [2]. - The APAC region is anticipated to see sustained inflows as gold ownership increases in markets like India and China, with investors viewing gold as a risk hedge [2]. Group 3: Notable ETFs - SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM) has an expense ratio of 0.1% and $25.3 billion in assets, appealing to cost-conscious investors [2]. - abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL) has a higher expense ratio of 0.17% but focuses on responsible environmental, social, and governance practices, with $6.24 billion in assets [2]. - VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) has an expense ratio of 0.51% and $27.8 billion in assets, showing high performance and growth in 2025 [2]. - VanEck Junior Gold Miners (GDXJ) targets small and early-stage miners with an expense ratio of 0.51% and $10 billion in assets [2]. - iShares Gold Trust (IAU) is the second-largest physical gold ETF with $71 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.25% [2].

Core Insights - Gold reached a record high of nearly $4,600 an ounce due to escalating political tensions in the U.S. and unrest in Iran, driving investors towards safe-haven assets [1] Group 1: Political and Geopolitical Factors - The Federal Reserve faced grand jury subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department, raising concerns about the independence of U.S. monetary policy amid political disputes [2] - Protests in Iran have intensified geopolitical risks, contributing to increased demand for precious metals as uncertainty in global geopolitics and oil markets rises [3] - President Trump's comments regarding potential actions on Iran and NATO have further added to market unease [3] Group 2: Economic Indicators and Market Expectations - A softer-than-expected U.S. jobs report has led to expectations of at least two interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year, supporting the gold market [4] - Central bank demand, particularly from BRICS nations and emerging economies, is driving a global trend of de-dollarization, resulting in record levels of sovereign gold purchases [5] Group 3: Investment Trends and Predictions - Gold is projected to potentially reach $10,000 an ounce by 2030, driven by factors such as Fed rate cuts, trade tensions, and declining confidence in the U.S. dollar [6] - Ray Dalio has recommended that investors allocate up to 15% of their portfolios to gold, highlighting its role as a hedge against monetary debasement and geopolitical uncertainty [7] Group 4: Performance of Gold and Other Safe-Haven Assets - Gold ETFs like SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) have shown significant gains, with a 68.7% increase over the past year and a 3.2% rise year-to-date [6] - Other safe-haven assets have underperformed, with the Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (UUP) declining about 8.4% over the past year, while gold remains a more attractive option [10] Group 5: Investment Opportunities in Gold ETFs - Investors looking to capitalize on the bullish trend in gold may consider gold ETFs such as SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), iShares Gold Trust (IAU), and SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (IAUM) [11]

Group 1 - BlackRock has identified its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF as one of the top three investment themes for 2025, despite Bitcoin's decline this year [1] - Bitcoin has experienced a drop of over 4% year-to-date, marking its first decline in three years, and IBIT has reflected this performance [2] - IBIT has attracted significant investor interest, ranking sixth among all ETFs for 2025 inflows with over $25 billion since January [2] Group 2 - The emphasis on IBIT suggests BlackRock's strong conviction that Bitcoin should be included in diversified portfolios, rather than merely promoting a high-revenue product [2][3] - BlackRock's decision to spotlight IBIT, despite its underperformance compared to other ETFs, indicates a long-term commitment to the crypto asset [3] - Positioning Bitcoin alongside traditional assets like cash and stocks may alter perceptions of cryptocurrency among investors who view it as speculative [3]

Key Points Cost is a primary consideration when choosing between gold ETFs. The SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) and the iShares Gold Trust (IAU) are the most popular. They're also the most expensive. Here are three other ETFs you should consider for your gold exposure. 10 stocks we like better than SPDR Gold Shares › Through Dec. 15, 2025, the price of gold is up 62% year to date. If it's able to hold on to that gain through the end of the year, it would be the fourth-best calendar year performance going b ...