ETF Versus

GLD vs RSP

SPDR Gold Shares vs Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight 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
RSP Invesco

Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Invesco that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.20%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.58%. Launched in 2003, the fund has a 23-year track record.

AUM: $85.4B ER: 0.20% Yield: 1.58% Since: Apr 24, 2003

Quick Verdict

RSP is significantly cheaper at 0.20% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $390 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, GLD has significantly outperformed with a 49.8% return vs 23.4%.

Key Metrics

Metric GLD RSP
Expense Ratio 0.40% 0.20%
Dividend Yield N/A 1.6%
Fund Family SPDR Invesco
Category Gold US Large Cap Blend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 130 175 220 265 310 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
GLD +169.9%
RSP +35.5%

Performance Comparison

Period GLD RSP Difference
1 Month -8.02% +0.21% -8.23%
3 Months +3.74% -0.40% +4.14%
6 Months +15.85% +5.38% +10.47%
YTD +9.98% +2.14% +7.84%
1 Year +49.83% +23.42% +26.41%
3 Years +135.15% +35.95% +99.20%
5 Years +169.92% +35.50% +134.42%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period GLD Fees RSP Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $786 $396 $390
$10,000 20 years $3,334 $1,696 $1,637
$10,000 30 years $10,601 $5,443 $5,158
$50,000 10 years $3,932 $1,982 $1,950
$50,000 30 years $53,003 $27,214 $25,789
$100,000 30 years $106,005 $54,428 $51,577

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric GLD RSP
Annualized Volatility 17.8% 16.2%
Max Drawdown -21.0% -22.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.96 0.18

Dividend Comparison

Metric GLD RSP
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $3.12
Dividend Yield 0.00% 1.58%
Distribution Frequency None Quarterly

Top Holdings

RSP Top Holdings

NameWeight
APA CorporationAPA0.26%
Ciena CorporationCIEN0.26%
Dow Inc.DOW0.24%
Seagate Technology Holdings plcSTX0.24%
Dell Technologies Inc.DELL0.24%
LyondellBasell Industries N.V.LYB0.24%
VeriSign, Inc.VRSN0.23%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE0.23%
Hewlett Packard Enterprise CompanyHPE0.23%
Occidental Petroleum CorporationOXY0.23%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose RSP 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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