ETFs

SPDR S&P 500 ETF vs. Gold Fund: Cost, Performance, and Risk Comparison – News and Statistics

Web Desk Send an email May 21, 2026
0 15 4 minutes read
SPDR S&P 500 ETF vs. Gold Fund: Cost, Performance, and Risk Comparison – News and Statistics

May 21, 2026

Investors frequently turn to gold as a way to shield themselves from swings in the stock market. According to a comparison published by Yahoo Finance on May 21, 2026, two prominent funds managed by the same issuer—the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and SPDR Gold Shares—offer contrasting approaches to portfolio construction.

Cost and Size Differences

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust carries an expense ratio of 0.09%, notably lower than the 0.4% charged by SPDR Gold Shares. The equity fund also provides a dividend yield of 0.96%, while the gold fund pays none. In terms of assets under management, the S&P 500 fund holds $762 billion, far exceeding the $151 billion held by the gold fund.

Performance and Risk

Over the trailing twelve months ending May 18, 2026, the gold fund delivered a total return of 42.2%, outpacing the 25.7% return of the equity fund. Both funds experienced maximum drawdowns over the past five years, with the S&P 500 fund falling 24.5% and the gold fund declining 22%. An investment of $1,000 in the gold fund five years ago would have grown to $2,389, compared to $1,925 for the S&P 500 fund. The gold fund has a beta of 0.16 relative to the S&P 500, indicating much lower price volatility.

What Each Fund Holds

SPDR Gold Shares invests solely in physical gold bullion stored in secure vaults and does not hold any income-generating securities. Launched in 2004, it was the first U.S.-listed exchange-traded fund backed by a physical asset, allowing investors to trade gold without dealing with physical storage. The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, meanwhile, holds a diversified portfolio of 504 stocks. Its top three holdings are Nvidia at 8.5%, Apple at 6.9%, and Microsoft at 5%. The fund was launched in 1993 and has a trailing-12-month dividend of $7.38 per share. Its sector allocation is heavily weighted toward technology at 37%, followed by financial services at 12% and communication services at 11%.

Implications for Investors

The S&P 500-tracking ETF is often recommended as a core portfolio holding, and many investors—including Warren Buffett—have argued that a low-cost S&P 500 index fund alone can build wealth. With an expense ratio of just 0.09%, the equity fund is significantly cheaper than the gold fund’s 0.4% fee.

  1. 1. INTRODUCTION

    Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

    1. REPORT DESCRIPTION
    2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
    3. DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
    4. GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS

  2. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    A Quick Overview of Market Performance

    1. KEY FINDINGS
    2. MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO

  3. 3. MARKET OVERVIEW

    Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

    1. MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. MARKET FORECAST TO 2035

  4. 4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

    Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

    1. TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
    2. BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
    3. MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
    4. MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT

  5. 5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

    Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

    1. TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
    3. TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
    4. LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES

  6. 6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

    Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

    1. TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
    3. UNSATURATED MARKETS
    4. TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS

  7. 7. PRODUCTION

    The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

    1. PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

  8. 8. IMPORTS

    The Largest Import Supplying Countries

    1. IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

  9. 9. EXPORTS

    The Largest Destinations for Exports

    1. EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

  10. 10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

    The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

  11. 11. COUNTRY PROFILES

    The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

    This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition
    PRO

    1. 11.1

      United States

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    2. 11.2

      China

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    3. 11.3

      Japan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    4. 11.4

      Germany

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    5. 11.5

      United Kingdom

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    6. 11.6

      France

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    7. 11.7

      Brazil

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    8. 11.8

      Italy

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    9. 11.9

      Russian Federation

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    10. 11.10

      India

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    11. 11.11

      Canada

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    12. 11.12

      Australia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    13. 11.13

      Republic of Korea

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    14. 11.14

      Spain

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    15. 11.15

      Mexico

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    16. 11.16

      Indonesia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    17. 11.17

      Netherlands

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    18. 11.18

      Turkey

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    19. 11.19

      Saudi Arabia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    20. 11.20

      Switzerland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    21. 11.21

      Sweden

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    22. 11.22

      Nigeria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    23. 11.23

      Poland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    24. 11.24

      Belgium

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    25. 11.25

      Argentina

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    26. 11.26

      Norway

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    27. 11.27

      Austria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    28. 11.28

      Thailand

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    29. 11.29

      United Arab Emirates

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    30. 11.30

      Colombia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    31. 11.31

      Denmark

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    32. 11.32

      South Africa

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    33. 11.33

      Malaysia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    34. 11.34

      Israel

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    35. 11.35

      Singapore

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    36. 11.36

      Egypt

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    37. 11.37

      Philippines

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    38. 11.38

      Finland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    39. 11.39

      Chile

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    40. 11.40

      Ireland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    41. 11.41

      Pakistan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    42. 11.42

      Greece

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    43. 11.43

      Portugal

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    44. 11.44

      Kazakhstan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    45. 11.45

      Algeria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    46. 11.46

      Czech Republic

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    47. 11.47

      Qatar

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    48. 11.48

      Peru

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    49. 11.49

      Romania

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

    50. 11.50

      Vietnam

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports

  12. LIST OF TABLES

    1. Key Findings In 2025
    2. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    3. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    4. Per Capita Consumption, by Country, 2022–2025
    5. Production, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    6. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    7. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    8. Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    9. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    10. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    11. Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)

  13. LIST OF FIGURES

    1. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    2. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    3. Consumption, by Country, 2025
    4. Market Volume Forecast to 2035
    5. Market Value Forecast to 2035
    6. Market Size and Growth, By Product
    7. Average Per Capita Consumption, By Product
    8. Exports and Growth, By Product
    9. Export Prices and Growth, By Product
    10. Production Volume and Growth
    11. Exports and Growth
    12. Export Prices and Growth
    13. Market Size and Growth
    14. Per Capita Consumption
    15. Imports and Growth
    16. Import Prices
    17. Production, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    18. Production, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    19. Production, by Country, 2025
    20. Production, In Physical Terms, by Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    21. Imports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    22. Imports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    23. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
    24. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    25. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    26. Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    27. Exports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    28. Exports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    29. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
    30. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    31. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    32. Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)

Web Desk Send an email May 21, 2026
0 15 4 minutes read

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