ETF Versus

GLD vs VGT

SPDR Gold Shares vs Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares

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
VGT Vanguard

Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares (VGT) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to us sector - technology securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.41%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $111.1B ER: 0.09% Yield: 0.41% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VGT is significantly cheaper at 0.09% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $607 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. GLD has edged ahead over the past year (49.8% vs 45.9%).

Key Metrics

Metric GLD VGT
Expense Ratio 0.40% 0.09%
Dividend Yield N/A 0.4%
Fund Family SPDR Vanguard
Category Gold US Sector - Technology

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%
VGT +95.4%

Performance Comparison

Period GLD VGT Difference
1 Month -8.02% +1.18% -9.20%
3 Months +3.74% -2.85% +6.59%
6 Months +15.85% -1.56% +17.41%
YTD +9.98% -1.62% +11.60%
1 Year +49.83% +45.89% +3.94%
3 Years +135.15% +97.36% +37.79%
5 Years +169.92% +95.36% +74.56%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period GLD Fees VGT Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $786 $179 $607
$10,000 20 years $3,334 $771 $2,563
$10,000 30 years $10,601 $2,486 $8,115
$50,000 10 years $3,932 $896 $3,036
$50,000 30 years $53,003 $12,428 $40,575
$100,000 30 years $106,005 $24,855 $81,150

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric GLD VGT
Annualized Volatility 17.8% 25.1%
Max Drawdown -21.0% -35.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.96 0.48

Dividend Comparison

Metric GLD VGT
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $3.06
Dividend Yield 0.00% 0.41%
Distribution Frequency None Quarterly

Top Holdings

VGT Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA18.07%
Apple Inc.AAPL15.84%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT10.39%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.34%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU2.37%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD1.65%
Cisco Systems, Inc.CSCO1.63%
Palantir Technologies Inc.PLTR1.57%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT1.54%
Lam Research CorporationLRCX1.53%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VGT 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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