SPDR Gold Shares (GLD)

Profile

SPDR Gold Shares is a physically backed exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to the price of gold bullion through an accessible, exchange-traded vehicle. Its primary purpose is to reflect the performance of gold, net of trust expenses, by holding allocated bars in secure vaults under the custody of major global banks, with a structure that represents fractional, undivided beneficial ownership in the trust’s gold holdings. The fund’s design includes a creation and redemption mechanism that helps keep market prices aligned with the underlying bullion value, with shares originally calibrated to represent one-tenth of a troy ounce of gold. Sponsored by World Gold Trust Services and marketed by State Street Global Advisors, the trust emphasizes daily transparency of holdings and net asset value, and has historically ranked among the largest commodity-backed funds globally. SPDR Gold Shares plays a prominent role in the commodities ecosystem by offering a standardized, liquid instrument for institutions and individuals to access gold’s characteristics as a monetary metal and portfolio diversifier without the logistics of physical storage.