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Gold had a solid start this year, logging in the biggest quarterly gain since September 2020 as the ongoing war in Ukraine and concerns over sky-high inflation raised demand for the safe-haven asset. The yellow metal has gained more than 5% in the first quarter of 2022.

Given the drive for inflation hedge and flight to safety, the gold price is expected to increase further. As such, investors should tap the rally with the best-performing ETFs so far this year. Perth Mint Physical Gold ETF (AAAU - Free Report), Aberdeen Standard Physical Swiss Gold Shares ETF (SGOL - Free Report), SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM - Free Report), VanEck Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ - Free Report), and  GraniteShares Gold Trust (BAR - Free Report) has gained more than 5% each this year. All these ETFs have a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold).

Though the Fed’s decision to hike borrowing costs for the first time in three years to tame inflation with many expecting a further rise has been weighing on gold, global uncertainty triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war boosted the demand for gold as a safe haven. Gold is often used as a means of preserving wealth during times of financial and political uncertainty. It usually does well when other asset classes struggle.

Inflation has also emerged as a primary concern for investors, lifting the appeal for the bullion as an inflation hedge. The consumer price index jumped 7.9% year over year to a fresh 40-year in February, following a 7.5% increase in January. The pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and continued strength in consumer demand continued to push prices higher, thus supporting the gold price.

Here’s a detailed discussion on the five ETFs mentioned earlier:

AAAU

Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF provides an easily accessible and cost-effective way to invest in gold with the understanding that ita shares are underpinned by deliverable physical gold.

Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF has accumulated $667.8 million and trades in an average daily volume of 875,000 shares. It has 18 bps in annual fees.

SGOL

Aberdeen Standard Physical Swiss Gold Shares ETF tracks the price of gold bullion. The Trust holds allocated physical gold bullion bars stored in secure vaults in Zurich, Switzerland and London, United Kingdom.

Aberdeen Standard Physical Swiss Gold Shares ETF has amassed $2.8 billion in its asset base and trades in a solid volume of 3.3 million shares per day. It is among one of the lowest-cost choices in the space, with an expense ratio of 0.17%.

GLDM

SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust seeks to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion. It is a slightly modified alternative to the State Street behemoth gold fund SPDR Gold Trust ETF and holds roughly 1/10th as much gold per share.  

SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust is the low-cost choice in the U.S. listed physically gold-backed ETF space, charging investors 10 bps in annual fees. It has $5.2 billion in AUM and trades in a solid average daily volume of 4.2 million shares.

OUNZ

VanEck Merk Gold Trust seeks to provide investors with a convenient and cost-efficient way to buy and hold gold through an exchange-traded product with the option to take physical delivery of gold if and when desired. It holds gold bullion in the form of allocated London Bars. VanEck Merk Gold Trust is the only gold ETF with a patented delivery process providing investors with the option to request delivery on any business day.  

The fund charges 25 bps in fees per year. VanEck Merk Gold Trust is relatively unpopular and an illiquid option compared to others in the space, with AUM of $679.2 million and an average daily volume of 506,000 shares.

BAR

GraniteShares Gold Trust is designed to seek the performance of the price of gold. It provides an investment similar to an investment in gold through a Trust without having to open a metal account.

GraniteShares Gold Trust is also among the lowest cost gold ETFs on the market having an expense ratio of 0.17%. It has amassed $1 billion in its asset base while trading in an average daily volume of 650,000 shares.