Gold’s Stability or Silver’s Explosive Gains? GLDM vs. SIVR

Both funds delivered exceptional returns in 2025’s precious metals rally, but silver dramatically outpaced gold. SIVR surged approximately 180% over the past year while GLDM gained roughly 70%, as silver benefited from both safe-haven demand and surging industrial use.

GLDM is one of the cheapest ways to own gold. It holds physical gold bullion with an ultra-low 0.10% expense ratio and has $25.2 billion in assets. The fund tracks gold’s spot price closely, providing straightforward exposure without complexity. Gold’s role as a monetary asset and hedge against currency debasement attracted massive investor flows throughout the year.

SIVR stores physical silver at a 0.30% expense ratio — three times GLDM’s cost but still reasonable for metals exposure. SIVR’s $5.4 billion fund captured both investment demand and critical industrial applications that gold lacks, driving its superior performance despite higher volatility.

GLDM makes sense if you want the lower fees and steadier price movements that come with gold’s established role as a monetary safe haven. It’s been a reliable store of value for thousands of years, which brings a certain stability. SIVR offers greater potential for gains thanks to silver’s growing industrial importance, particularly in green energy and electronics. Just remember that silver’s price can swing much more dramatically than gold’s, and what went up sharply this year could face bigger pullbacks ahead.

Exchange-traded fund (ETF): A fund that trades on stock exchanges like a stock, holding underlying assets.
Physically backed ETF: An ETF that holds the actual commodity (like gold or silver) in storage to track its price.
Expense ratio: The annual fee a fund charges investors, expressed as a percentage of assets invested.
Assets under management (AUM): The total market value of all assets managed by a fund or investment firm.
Beta: A measure of how volatile an investment is compared with a benchmark, usually the S&P 500 index.
Total return: Investment performance including price changes plus any income, assuming all payouts are reinvested.
Max drawdown: The largest peak-to-trough decline in an investment’s value over a specified period.
Volatility: The degree to which an investment’s price moves up and down over time.
Spot price: The current market price for immediate settlement of a commodity like gold or silver.
Leverage: Using borrowed money or derivatives to increase exposure, which can magnify gains and losses.
Hedging: Strategies used to reduce or offset the risk of adverse price movements in an investment.
Gold bullion: Physical gold in bars or ingots, valued primarily by weight and purity, not collectible features.

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Sara Appino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Gold’s Stability or Silver’s Explosive Gains? GLDM vs. SIVR was originally published by The Motley Fool