ETF Versus

GLD vs RSP

SPDR Gold Shares vs Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

GLD State Street

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by State Street that provides exposure to gold securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.40%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $151.9B ER: 0.40% Yield: 0.00% Since: Nov 18, 2004
RSP Invesco

Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Invesco that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.20%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.62%. Launched in 2003, the fund has a 23-year track record.

AUM: $84.5B ER: 0.20% Yield: 1.62% Since: Apr 24, 2003

Quick Verdict

RSP is significantly cheaper at 0.20% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $390 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, GLD has significantly outperformed with a 52.3% return vs 11.0%. Income investors may prefer RSP for its higher yield (1.6% vs 0.0%).

Key Metrics

Metric GLD RSP
Expense Ratio 0.40% 0.20%
Dividend Yield 0.0% 1.6%
Fund Family State Street Invesco
Category Gold US Large Cap Blend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 127 169 211 253 295 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
GLD +170.4%
RSP +33.4%

Performance Comparison

Period GLD RSP Difference
1 Month -10.65% -5.89% -4.76%
3 Months +9.93% -0.17% +10.10%
6 Months +22.42% +0.67% +21.75%
YTD +9.93% -0.17% +10.10%
1 Year +52.25% +11.03% +41.22%
3 Years +137.25% +33.02% +104.23%
5 Years +170.39% +33.36% +137.03%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period GLD Fees RSP Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $786 $396 $390
$10.000 20 years $3.334 $1.696 $1.637
$10.000 30 years $10.601 $5.443 $5.158
$50.000 10 years $3.932 $1.982 $1.950
$50.000 30 years $53.003 $27.214 $25.789
$100.000 30 years $106.005 $54.428 $51.577

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric GLD RSP
Annualized Volatility 17.8% 16.2%
Max Drawdown -21.0% -22.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.96 0.16

Dividend Comparison

Metric GLD RSP
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $3.12
Dividend Yield 0.00% 1.62%
Distribution Frequency None Quarterly

Top Holdings

RSP Top Holdings

NameWeight
APA CorporationAPA0.28%
LyondellBasell Industries N.V.LYB0.25%
Dow Inc.DOW0.25%
Occidental Petroleum CorporationOXY0.25%
CF Industries Holdings, Inc.CF0.24%
Coterra Energy Inc.CTRA0.24%
Devon Energy CorporationDVN0.24%
ConocoPhillipsCOP0.24%
EOG Resources, Inc.EOG0.24%
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM0.24%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose RSP if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose GLD if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose RSP if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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