SLV has delivered a better 1-year return and carries higher volatility than GLD.
GLD fees a barely decrease expense ratio and has considerably bigger property underneath administration.
Each funds monitor the value of a single valuable metallic and don’t present dividend revenue.
These 10 shares might mint the subsequent wave of millionaires ›
The iShares Silver Belief (NYSEMKT:SLV) and the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEMKT:GLD) stand aside on underlying metallic, value, and threat — SLV has larger latest returns and volatility, whereas GLD is bigger and barely cheaper to personal.
Each ETFs provide traders direct publicity to valuable metals, interesting to these looking for diversification or a hedge in opposition to inflation. This comparability examines their prices, threat, and efficiency.
Metric | SLV | GLD |
|---|
Issuer | iShares | SPDR |
Expense ratio | 0.50% | 0.40% |
1-yr return (as of Dec. 5, 2025) | 83.4% | 57.9% |
Beta (5Y month-to-month) | 1.39 | 0.46 |
AUM | $29.8 billion | $141.8 billion |
Beta measures value volatility relative to the S&P 500. The 1-yr return represents whole return over the trailing 12 months.
GLD is barely extra reasonably priced on charges, with a 0.40% expense ratio in comparison with SLV’s 0.50%. Neither fund pays a dividend, so the fee distinction could matter extra for long-term holders.
Metric | SLV | GLD |
|---|
Max drawdown (5 y) | -39.33% | -22.00% |
Progress of $1,000 over 5 years | $2,352 | $2,241 |
GLD holds bodily gold bullion, offering pure publicity to the value of gold and nothing else. The fund has existed for 21 years and sits fully inside the fundamental supplies sector. It doesn’t maintain any shares or bonds — simply gold — so there are not any prime holdings to spotlight, nor are there quirks akin to leverage or forex hedging.
In distinction, SLV presents direct publicity to silver, reflecting the value of the metallic itself. Like GLD, it doesn’t comprise shares or different property. Its complete portfolio is classed underneath actual property because of sector reporting conventions, however in actuality, it tracks silver’s spot value. Each funds lack dividend distributions and are designed to intently mirror the underlying commodity value.
For extra steering on ETF investing, try the complete information at this hyperlink.
GLD and SLV differ from many different ETFs in that they don’t comprise equities. Reasonably than offering oblique publicity to valuable metals by way of gold- or silver-mining firms, like some funds, these two ETFs permit for direct publicity to the metals themselves.
Investing in an ETF like GLD and SLV generally is a easier option to spend money on commodities with out having to bodily personal the metals themselves. Whereas valuable metals usually underperform shares over the long run, they might help diversify your portfolio and hedge in opposition to inflation.
Between these two ETFs, SLV has skilled extra value volatility — as seen with its larger beta and extra extreme max drawdown. It additionally has a better expense ratio, which means you will pay extra in charges. Nonetheless, whereas the 2 ETFs have skilled comparable five-year whole returns, SLV has considerably outperformed GLD over the previous 12 months.
ETF: Trade-traded fund; a safety that tracks an index, commodity, or asset and trades like a inventory.
Expense ratio: The annual payment, as a share of property, {that a} fund fees its shareholders.
Belongings underneath administration (AUM): The entire market worth of property a fund manages on behalf of traders.
Beta: A measure of an funding’s volatility in comparison with the general market, usually the S&P 500.
Max drawdown: The most important noticed loss from a fund’s peak worth to its lowest level over a selected interval.
Commodity: A fundamental good, akin to gold or silver, that’s interchangeable with others of its sort and traded on markets.
Spot value: The present market value at which a commodity could be purchased or offered for instant supply.
Diversification: An funding technique that spreads property throughout differing types to cut back threat.
Dividend: A cost made by an organization or fund to its shareholders, often from income.
Yield: The revenue return on an funding, usually expressed as a share of the funding’s value or market worth.
Drawdown: A decline within the worth of an funding from its peak to its trough throughout a selected interval.
Bodily bullion: Precise valuable metallic bars or cash held by a fund to again its shares.
Ever really feel such as you missed the boat in shopping for probably the most profitable shares? You then’ll wish to hear this.
On uncommon events, our skilled crew of analysts points a “Double Down” inventory suggestion for firms that they suppose are about to pop. In the event you’re anxious you’ve already missed your probability to take a position, now’s one of the best time to purchase earlier than it’s too late. And the numbers converse for themselves:
Nvidia: if you happen to invested $1,000 after we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $475,637!*
Apple: if you happen to invested $1,000 after we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $53,400!*
Netflix: if you happen to invested $1,000 after we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $556,658!*
Proper now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for 3 unimaginable firms, out there whenever you be part of Inventory Advisor, and there is probably not one other probability like this anytime quickly.
See the three shares »
*Inventory Advisor returns as of December 1, 2025
Katie Brockman has no place in any of the shares talked about. The Motley Idiot has no place in any of the shares talked about. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure coverage.
Seeking to Put money into Gold or Silver? GLD and SLV Make It Easy to Purchase By means of ETFs was initially printed by The Motley Idiot
