ETF Versus

GLD vs IJH

SPDR Gold Shares vs iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

GLD SPDR

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to gold securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.40%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $162.2B ER: 0.40% Yield: N/A Since: Nov 18, 2004
IJH iShares

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.26%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $111.0B ER: 0.05% Yield: 1.26% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

IJH is significantly cheaper at 0.05% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $687 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, GLD has significantly outperformed with a 49.8% return vs 31.3%.

Key Metrics

Metric GLD IJH
Expense Ratio 0.40% 0.05%
Dividend Yield N/A 1.3%
Fund Family SPDR iShares
Category Gold US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 126 172 218 264 310 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
GLD +169.9%
IJH +31.9%

Performance Comparison

Period GLD IJH Difference
1 Month -8.02% +3.07% -11.09%
3 Months +3.74% +1.81% +1.93%
6 Months +15.85% +9.27% +6.58%
YTD +9.98% +5.32% +4.66%
1 Year +49.83% +31.28% +18.55%
3 Years +135.15% +41.49% +93.66%
5 Years +169.92% +31.89% +138.03%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period GLD Fees IJH Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $786 $100 $687
$10,000 20 years $3,334 $430 $2,904
$10,000 30 years $10,601 $1,388 $9,212
$50,000 10 years $3,932 $499 $3,433
$50,000 30 years $53,003 $6,941 $46,061
$100,000 30 years $106,005 $13,882 $92,123

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric GLD IJH
Annualized Volatility 17.8% 19.8%
Max Drawdown -21.0% -24.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.96 0.15

Dividend Comparison

Metric GLD IJH
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $0.89
Dividend Yield 0.00% 1.26%
Distribution Frequency None Quarterly

Top Holdings

IJH Top Holdings

NameWeight
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.88%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.81%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.81%
United Therapeutics CorporationUTHR0.75%
XPO, Inc.XPO0.75%
Woodward, Inc.WWD0.71%
FabrinetFN0.66%
Royal Gold, Inc.RGLD0.65%
MasTec, Inc.MTZ0.64%
Carpenter Technology CorporationCRS0.64%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJH if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose GLD if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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