Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GLD vs VGLT: how they differ
GLD is a commodity fund and VGLT a bond index fund, and over the year GLD returned more, +19.1% against −5.4%.
SPDR Gold Shares and Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund.
| GLD SPDR Gold Shares | VGLT Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | Vanguard |
| What it is | Gold | Long-term Treasury |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | −5.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | −22.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.40% | not published |
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.
VGLT in plain words
VGLT is a bond fund tracking the Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −5.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. It sat 39.2% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GLD or VGLT?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and VGLT returned −5.4%, so GLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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 VGLT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GLD-VGLT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources