Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GLD vs LYTE: how they differ
GLD and LYTE are measured over different days, and GLD charges 0.40% against 0.65%.
SPDR Gold Shares and Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF.
| GLD SPDR Gold Shares | LYTE Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Thematic ETF |
| Issuer | State Street | Roundhill |
| What it is | Gold | Photonics and optics |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | −0.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | −0.6% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | +0.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.40% | 0.65% |
GLD in plain words
GLD is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
LYTE in plain words
LYTE has no public holdings filing captured yet. Since it launched on Aug 6, 2026 the fund returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested against −0.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was about even. It sits 11.4% below its all-time high of Aug 17, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, GLD or LYTE?
- GLD charges 0.40% a year and LYTE charges 0.65%, so GLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are GLD and LYTE the same kind of fund?
- No. GLD is an index ETF and LYTE is a thematic ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, GLD against LYTE, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GLD-LYTE Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources