Which returned more over the last year, GLD or VCLT?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and VCLT returned −4.8%, so GLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GLD or VCLT?

GLD charges 0.40% a year and VCLT charges 0.03%, so VCLT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

GLD vs VCLT: how they differ

GLD is a commodity fund and VCLT a bond index fund, and over the year GLD returned more, +19.1% against −4.8%.

SPDR Gold Shares and Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund.

GLD and VCLT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GLD SPDR Gold Shares	VCLT Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	State Street	Vanguard
What it is	Gold	Long-Term Corporate Bond
Total return, 1 year	+19.1%	−4.8%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	+1.6 pts	−22.3 pts
Expense ratio	0.40%	0.03%
Holdings	not filed	2775

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.

VCLT in plain words

VCLT is a bond fund tracking the Long-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −4.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 18.1% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GLD or VCLT?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and VCLT returned −4.8%, so GLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GLD or VCLT?: GLD charges 0.40% a year and VCLT charges 0.03%, so VCLT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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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.

GLD against VCLT, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GLD against VCLT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GLD-VCLT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources