1. Total Metals Corp (TSXV:TT, FSE: O4N)
Total Metals Corp. is focused on advancing high-grade gold projects to production.
For many investors, gold is often seen as a tool to hedge against stock market volatility. Meanwhile, the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), which tracks 500 large U.S. companies, is a core holding in numerous portfolios, while SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) offers an alternative with lower correlation to equities. The latter focuses on the physical price of gold and has recently delivered higher returns with lower volatility.
Below is a comparison of these two major SPDR-issued products across three dimensions: cost, risk, and portfolio role.
From an expense ratio perspective, SPY has the advantage at 0.09%, compared to GLD’s 0.4%. SPY holds dividend-paying companies, thus offering a dividend yield of approximately 1%, whereas GLD generates no cash dividends. As of May 18, 2026, SPY’s one-year return was 25.7%, while GLD’s reached 42.2%. SPY has $762 billion in assets under management, compared to GLD’s $151 billion. In terms of beta, SPY has a beta of 1, while GLD has a beta of 0.16 (calculated based on five years of monthly return data, measuring price volatility relative to the S&P 500).
Over the past five years, SPY’s maximum drawdown was -24.5%, compared to GLD’s -22%. Over the same five-year period, a $1,000 investment in SPY grew to a total return of $1,925, while in GLD it grew to $2,389.
SPDR Gold Shares tracks the price of gold by storing physical gold in secure vaults. Because it is backed by a physical commodity, its portfolio is 100% concentrated in physical gold, rather than shares of multiple companies. Launched in 2004, it was the first U.S. exchange-traded fund backed by physical assets, allowing investors to trade gold without the complexities of physical storage.
In contrast, the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust holds a diversified portfolio of 504 component stocks. Its top three holdings are Nvidia (8.5%), Apple (6.9%), and Microsoft (5%). Launched in 1993, it has a dividend per share of $7.38 over the past 12 months. In terms of sector allocation, technology stocks account for 37%, financial services for 12%, and communication services for 11%.
S&P 500-tracking ETFs are generally recommended as the foundation of an investment portfolio. Many well-known investors, including Warren Buffett, believe that retail investors can build wealth simply by investing in low-cost S&P 500 index funds. SPY’s 0.09% expense ratio is indeed lower than GLD’s 0.4%.
However, GLD has significantly outperformed the S&P 500 fund over the past year, and has even delivered better performance over the past five years. Gold prices have recently experienced a historic rally, hitting a record high in early January 2026. Some analysts believe that despite geopolitical volatility, gold may continue to reach new highs this year. Gold has demonstrated its unique ability to serve as both a store of value and a vehicle for high returns, and a physically backed, gold-price-tracking index fund is a smart and convenient way to capitalize on this advantage.
For investors seeking a relatively safe and straightforward way to grow their money, both funds are solid choices. However, the smartest approach may be to allocate a portion of capital to both strategies to achieve a more diversified portfolio. Investors should make their choices based on their own risk tolerance and asset allocation needs, or include both in their portfolios for a more balanced allocation.
