Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF vs VanEck Gold Miners ETF. Is Bullion or Miners the Better Way to Invest in Gold in 2026?
AAAU tracks bullion directly with lower fees, while GDX offers mining equity exposure with higher volatility and stronger 1-year returns.
Overview
Gold is in the middle of a historic rally. The Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (CBOE:AAAU) provides direct exposure to the metal's price at a lower cost, while VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:GDX) offers leveraged potential through equity in the companies that extract it.
Gold has long been viewed as a store of value, yet the Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF and the VanEck Gold Miners ETF offer two distinct paths into this asset class. While one tracks the literal price of bullion, the other tracks an index of global mining corporations. This structural difference creates varying levels of volatility and historical returns that investors must weigh when building a portfolio.
Details
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield as of the July 9 closing price.
Source
Originally published at www.fool.com.