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Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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Across categories

GLD vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GLD returned +2.5% to XBI's +41.2%, and XBI charges 0.35% to GLD's 0.40%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $135.8bn for SPDR Gold Shares and $10.3bn for State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF.

GLD on its own →XBI on its own →
At a glance
+2.5%
GLD total return, 1 year
+41.2%
XBI total return, 1 year
0.40%
GLD expense ratio
0.35%
XBI expense ratio

Pair scorecard

XBI costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 38.7 points; GLD is 13.2 times larger.

GLD vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureGLDXBI
Return
Total return, 1 year+2.5%+41.2%
Drawdown
Below its high24.7%, high on Jan 29, 2026
Below its all-time high8.9%, high on Feb 8, 2021
Benchmark
What it tracksGoldBiotech
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.40%0.35%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$135.8bn$10.3bn
Active share vs the S&P 50098%
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
In the S&P 500, by weight13%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund18%

Method

Side by side

GLD SPDR Gold Shares XBI State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF
Where it sits Commodity ETF Thematic ETF
Issuer State Street State Street
What it is Holds gold Biotech
Total return, 1 year +2.5% +41.2%
Its benchmark over the same days +2.7% (IAU) not measured
Gap to its benchmark −0.2 pts vs IAU not measured
Expense ratio 0.40% 0.35%
Holdings not counted 165
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $135.8bn $10.3bn

GLD and XBI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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About each fund
GLD

Its expense ratio is 0.40% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.

GLD holds gold. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.5% with distributions reinvested, against +2.7% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.7% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

XBI

By weight, 13% of XBI's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 18% of the fund across 165 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +41.2% with distributions reinvested. It sits 8.9% below its all-time high of Feb 8, 2021.

Questions people ask

Are GLD and XBI in the same category?
GLD is a commodity ETF and XBI is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which returned more over the last year, GLD or XBI?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +2.5% and XBI +41.2%.
Which is cheaper, GLD or XBI?
XBI is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.
Other comparisons
GLD vs IBBGLD vs REMXGLD vs LYTEGDX vs GLDSIVR vs XBIIAU vs XBISLV vs XBIGLDM vs XBI
Where to next
GLD on its own →XBI on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →XBI dividend history →XBI holdings →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
State Street website ↗
XBI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
XBI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

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ETFIQ, GLD against XBI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gld-vs-xbi

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