What They Are and How They Work

Gold ETFs and gold mining exchange-traded funds (ETFs) invest in either gold itself or gold mining companies. Both offer a way to diversify, invest in gold, and benefit from higher prices. The key difference is in what assets these ETFs hold. Gold ETFs invest directly in physical gold bullion or use derivatives contracts to gain indirect exposure. Gold mining ETFs instead invest in the stocks of gold mining companies.

How Gold and Gold Mining ETFs Work

As with other ETFs, gold and gold miner ETFs trade like shares of stock and are listed on the major stock exchanges. This means investors can buy and sell these ETFs throughout the day with low or no commissions.

For gold ETFs, each share represents a fixed amount of gold stored securely in a vault controlled by the ETF manager. They give investors exposure to the price of gold without owning the physical metal directly. Meanwhile, gold miner ETF shares represent ownership in a portfolio of gold mining firms, and their performance is tied to the profits of extracting and refining gold and broader stock market trends.

Gold ETFs

Physical gold ETFs like SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU) own gold bullion stored in vaults in London, New York, Switzerland, Canada, and other safe jurisdictions. Each ETF share represents fractional ownership of the underlying gold. Some issuers offer a “mini” version of the ETF with a lower share price for smaller investors. For example, one share of GLD represents 1/10 of one ounce of gold, while the “mini” version of GLD, GLDM, holds 1/50, making it a more affordable option for those looking to invest in gold without committing too much money.

The metal is audited and insured for physical gold ETFs to confirm its bona fides. These ETFs regularly publish lists of their gold holdings, and for investors, they have fewer fees and other costs than storing the gold themselves.

Synthetic gold ETFs instead use derivatives like futures and options contracts to track the price of gold rather than owning physical gold. This can lower expenses but adds counterparty and other potential risks. Some gold ETFs may employ derivative contracts for leverage (e.g., two or three times returns) or inverse returns (i.e., the ETF’s price falls when the gold’s value rises).

Many gold ETFs track the LBMA gold price, which replaced the London Gold Fix in 2015 and is the global benchmark based on auctions between large gold traders and refiners. Other benchmarks include the Bloomberg Gold Subindex and futures prices on the COMEX in the U.S.

Gold Mining ETFs

Gold mining ETFs hold a basket of publicly traded gold mining stocks and related companies. Their portfolios typically include miners focusing on gold exploration, production, and processing. By owning shares of gold mining firms, the ETFs provide equity exposure to the industry rather than the price of gold itself.

While these companies’ profits are often tied to the price of spot gold, owning shares in them exposes investors to the operational risks, costs, labor issues, and geological uncertainty involved in gold mining operations.

Many gold mining ETFs hold a broad portfolio of gold producers, but some focus on so-called “junior” gold mining firms. These are smaller companies exploring or are in early production, working to identify and prove gold deposits. The rationale for carving out specific ETFs for them is that junior firms have more upside potential and more risk. As gold prices rise, junior firms may see greater growth as they produce new reserves. However, junior mining companies are less diversified in their operations, often with weaker balance sheets and higher failure rates.