Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GLD vs USMV: how they differ
GLD is a commodity fund and USMV an equity index fund, and over the year GLD returned more, +19.1% against +6.6%.
SPDR Gold Shares and iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF.
| GLD SPDR Gold Shares | USMV iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | iShares |
| What it is | Gold | MSCI USA Min Vol Factor |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | +6.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | −10.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.40% | 0.15% |
| Holdings | not filed | 170 |
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.
USMV in plain words
USMV is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Min Vol Factor. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +6.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 95% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 170 positions, with the top ten at 15.7%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GLD or USMV?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and USMV returned +6.6%, so GLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GLD or USMV?
- GLD charges 0.40% a year and USMV charges 0.15%, so USMV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Where these figures came from
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Cite this page. ETFIQ, GLD against USMV, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GLD-USMV Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources