5 Gold ETFs With Glittering Prospects in 2026

After gold ETFs crushed markets in 2025, should we expect a repeat performance in the next 12 months? Apparently so. While volatility always plays a role in the precious metal’s prices, there’s a prevailing bullish outlook for 2026 in forecasts from the likes of JPMorgan and Bank of America, which see gold hitting $5,000 an ounce by the fourth quarter. The fervor is bolstered by gold’s surge of more than 75% over the past year, thanks in part to growing ETF and central bank demand, coupled with geopolitical and economic uncertainty. 

Year-Ahead Trends

As the financial world ponders what lies ahead for bullion, here’s a quick snapshot of trends to monitor: 

• Gold-mining ETF outperformance: According to many reports, gold mining ETFs will continue to shine, perhaps even outperforming the physical metal itself in 2026.
• Continuing robust inflows: According to the World Gold Council, global gold ETFs reported inflows six months in a row last year, led by Asia. Building on that momentum, JPMorgan Global Research predicts sustained investor demand for the precious metal, with around 250 metric tons of inflows into ETFs in 2026.
• A legacy to low-cost shift: After the price of gold hit record levels in late 2025, surpassing $4,500 per ounce, experts forecast that investors’ migration from legacy gold ETFs to low-cost “mini” and “micro” funds will become more pronounced. 
• APAC growth: With gold ownership soaring in key markets such as India and China, analysts expect sustained inflows across the APAC region this year from investors who see gold as a hedge against risk. 

Poised to Shine

A variety of gold and mining ETFs are poised to benefit from the precious metal’s record-breaking run in 2026. Among them are: 

• SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM): This more economical version of State Street’s hugely popular GLD ETF carries an expense ratio of just 0.1%, which could make it appealing to cost-conscious investors. The fund boasts $25.3 billion in assets and was introduced in June 2018. 
• abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL): While SGOL has a higher expense ratio of 0.17%, Motley Fool notes that the fund might be attractive to investors who prioritize responsible environmental, social and governance practices. The ETF seeks to hold only London Good Delivery bullion bars refined in January 2012 or later in compliance with London Bullion Market Association guidance requiring refiners to demonstrate efforts to respect the environment and fight money laundering, terrorist financing and human rights abuses. Introduced by Aberdeen Investments in September 2009, the fund has $6.24 billion in assets.
• VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX): Considering the dominance of mining ETFs in 2025, we’d be remiss not to mention one of the main funds in the game. While it can be high-risk, GDX is also high-performing and saw exponential growth in 2025, beating physical gold. The fund, which tries to replicate the performance of the MarketVector Global Gold Miners Index, was introduced in May 2006. It has an expense ratio of 0.51% and $27.8 billion in assets.
• VanEck Junior Gold Miners (GDXJ): GDXJ is highly liquid and has upside potential for small and early-stage miners, aiming to copy the performance of the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index. Introduced in November 2009, it has an expense ratio of 0.51% and $10 billion in assets under management.
• iShares Gold Trust (IAU): The highly liquid IAU is the second-largest physical gold ETF, and bridges the gap between premium GLD and low-cost micro/mini funds. With $71 billion in assets, it was introduced in January 2005 and carries an expense ratio of 0.25%.