I’m adding the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD) to my Jubak Picks and Volatility portfolios today. Gold has sold off today with worries over a new missile test from North Korea in abeyance. And with traders relieved–and apparently surprised–to discover that Hurricane Irma didn’t wash Florida out to sea over the weekend.
As I have noted over the last few days the likelihood is that the U.S. dollar will continue to weaken for the rest of 2017–if not longer.
The North Korea nuclear “problem” certainly hasn’t been solved. Last week’s deal on the debt ceiling and funding the government only pushes that crisis off to December. A Federal Reserve with four vacancies to be filled by President Donald Trump creates worries about policy continuity and the Fed’s willingness to start paying down its balance sheet. And Republicans in Congress, hungry for a victory on tax cuts, could decide, “Oh, what the Hell! Let’s blow out the deficit!”
So, yes, this pick is a bet on a weaker dollar, on a return of geopolitical worries, and on turmoil in Washington.
Gold hit a one year high on Friday but it was sold down by almost $20 an ounce or 1.47% to $1331.40 today. The SPDR Gold Shares ETF, which holds $36 billion in gold, traded down 1.4% to $126.18.
The ETF was up 5.20% in the last three months and 14.79% for 2017 as of the close on September 8.
The fund shares gold’s volatility. It was down 10.6% in 2015 and 2.19% in 2014, although the big drop was the 28.33% decline in 2013.
The ETF has an expense ratio of 0.4%.
Already own a gold miner ETF GDXJ. Interesting to me that gold has been outperforming the mining stocks, which you’d figure would go up more since they’re leveraged to price of gold. My guess is that when fear is the driver on gold buying, buyers want to own the gold itself and see gold mining stock as just members of the risky stock asset class.
Hi Jim,why a gold ETF rather than a gold mine, say AUY?