investing in the precious metals market, most people assume that your only choice is between gold bullion and stocks of gold miners. But there’s something that may surprise you: both gold and GLD offer investors similar benefits, and many investors are surprised to learn that they can own both through one or another ETF (Exchange Traded Fund).
Gold is what many investors think of when they hear the words “investment.” But there’s another kind of gold that is often overlooked—GLD. That said, GLD and traditional gold (or “bullion,” as it’s called when used for investment purposes) have some important differences. Both GLD and gold are forms of gold, but GLD differs from bullion like gold in that GLD is backed by assets like U.S. Treasury bonds. Because of this guarantee, GLD investors get a much lower price than gold investors when they sell their shares.
One of the most exciting parts of investing in gold is the possibility of getting exposure to gold without actually having to own physical gold. There are several ways to do this, including gold futures and precious metal exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as gold mining stocks. Gold futures trade on an exchange like stocks and involve a contract between two parties to buy or sell gold in the future. ETFs trade like stocks on an exchange and are similar to mutual funds in that they hold stocks. But instead of shares in various companies, as mutual funds do, ETFs hold gold, silver, and other precious metals.
Does GLD Hold Actual Gold?
A lot of people are worried about the mysterious GLD, which you can buy through a variety of online brokers. But GLD, as it’s called, doesn’t actually hold any gold. It’s a fund that holds gold shares. Other precious metals like silver, platinum, and palladium are also held, but gold makes up the vast majority of GLD’s holdings. The U.S. dollar price of gold is set each day by a commodity exchange in each respective country, and the price of GLD’s gold shares is adjusted accordingly. Gold shares are bought and sold just like stocks, and the price changes each day.
GLD is a little-known gold-based Exchange Traded Fund that can be bought and sold just like stocks. However, GLD holds no gold. Instead, it holds 58.9 grams of gold bars with a value of about $1.23 billion. Does GLD hold actual gold? No. GLD stands for “Good Delivery” certificate of gold, which is a certificate issued by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), a global organization for precious metals trading that consulted with the Responsible Gold Standards Foundation to develop the Good Delivery Principles and standards.
Is GLD the Same as Gold?
Gold is the most widely used precious metal in the world, but did you know that there is now an extremely rare (and rather expensive) version available for investors to purchase? Dubbed crypto-metallic gold (or GLD), this new gold-like coin looks and feels like gold, but it’s actually backed by real gold. Known as an ETF or exchange-traded fund, GLD allows you to invest in gold without actually owning gold.
If you’re new to gold investing, you may have been confused by terms like ‘GLD’ and ‘gold’ and their sometimes similar-sounding meanings. Gold, while usually associated with the yellow metal, can refer to any pure, 24-karat metal—meaning all gold bars/coins/rounds/etc. No matter their color is actually gold. Gold bars and coins, on the other hand, are representations of the actual gold itself. The difference between GLD and gold is that GLD is actually just a type of gold coin, whereas gold is the actual metal.
GLD vs. Gold for investment
Gold has always held a special allure for investors. It’s perceived as being valuable, durable, and rare, and it’s difficult to counterfeit. But gold prices can vary drastically, and investing in gold comes with significant risks. Making sense of the seemingly complicated array of gold options—GLD vs. Gold—can prove difficult since gold products are often sold as “digital gold,” “gold bars,” or “gold coins.”
Gold and GLD are different investment options in that they are two different metals. Gold is yellow in color and is malleable. GLD (Gold Shares) are shares of gold. Gold is the most commonly traded of the two, and GLD trades just like a share. One troy ounce of gold sells for $1,295.95. One troy ounce of GLDO (Gold Shares ETF) sells for $87.22. This price difference indicates that gold is more volatile than GLD.
Gold and GLD are two popular investment assets that currently trade on major stock exchanges. Both have value and can be bought and sold in the form of gold bullion, coins, and bars. However, both GLD and Gold have unique benefits that make them worth looking into. Gold has value because of its historical value, while GLD has value because of its current exchange value. Both of these factors make Gold and GLD a good choice for anyone looking to make an investment.
Can GLD Stock a Great Way to Gain Gold Exposure?
In the world of precious metals, gold (and silver) is the best long-term investment. Gold’s value has steadily risen over the last century and is expected to continue the trend. This market is unpredictable, however, and it’s important to keep your investments diversified so that if one class of metal does poorly, another class can step in and make up for the loss. Gold stocks are one of the best vehicles you can use to diversify your portfolio, gaining exposure to long-term price appreciation in precious metals.
GLD (GLD Stock Quote, Chart, News: NYSE) is a gold ETF that invests in the SPDR Gold Shares, the largest gold-backed Exchange Trade Fund. GLD charges a small 0.3% management fee as well as a 15% dividend, meaning it offers a high yield and minimal management costs.
Gold stocks traditionally have outperformed other commodities, so GLD is likely to continue to gain value over the long term.