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The theme song for the exchange-traded fund industry could very well be Frank Sinatra’s “It Was a Very Good Year,” as the industry reached $1.25 trillion in assets annually through November, faster than any other time in history.
State Street manages more than $5 trillion in assets with clients in more than 60 countries.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STT | STATE STREET CORP. | 132.28 | +0.06 |
+0.05% |
Last year, ETF inflows reached $1 trillion as of December 11, 2024. Bartolini correctly predicted that the industry would cross the $1 trillion mark on October 15; it reached that level a day early. Full-year figures are expected to reach $1.4 trillion, revised upwards from $1.3 trillion, helped in part by bonds.
“Fixed income ETFs are becoming more and more popular every year. And now they’re breaking annual records in just the first nine months. And that’s only because the use cases of fixed income ETFs have moved beyond simple beta building blocks to include more active strategies with an identifiable track record,” he added.
HAND-ON FUND MANAGERS BOOST ETF GROWTH
Bond ETFs received $42 billion in inflows last month and are on track to hit a record $400 billion this year.
Gold ETF inflows are also in the spotlight and are on track to break annual records this year, with $1 billion raised in November alone. Even as the price of the yellow metal continues to break records, trading above $4,482.80 per ounce on December 23. The inflow already amounts to $42 billion.
SPDR Gold Trust ETF, the largest ETF backed by physical gold, has seen record inflows and is up over 68%, while the smaller SPDR Gold minishares ETF is up the same amount.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLD | SPDR GOLD SHARES TRUST – USD ACC | 399.02 | +0.45 |
+0.11% |
| GLDM | SPDR® GOLD MINISHARES® TRUST – USD ACC | 85.90 | +0.12 |
+0.14% |
ETF LEADER BOARD DOMINATED BY BEAUTIFUL FUNDS
Bartolini and others outline the traditional arguments for owning gold:
The bullish background of gold
- Sustained inflation above the Federal Reserve’s desired 2% mandate
- Global instability
- Falling interest rates
- US debt, deficits
- A weaker US dollar
- Institutional instability at the Fed, Japan
- Continued gold purchases by central banks
There’s also another bullish statistic for the precious metal, despite a market that may seem overlong.
THE LATEST ETF NEWS
Spot gold continues to rise as traders and ETF investors see the yellow metal as a safe haven. (iStock)
“The gold tonnage is actually below the high watermark,” Bartolini said. “So the actual amount of gold tons held is below that high water mark,” suggesting even more upside potential.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLV | ISHARES SILVER TRUST – USD ACC | 71.12 | +5.90 |
+9.05% |
| SIVR | ABRDN PHYSICAL SILVER STOCK ETF – USD ACC | 74.64 | +6.15 |
+8.98% |
Gold prices are up more than 70% this year, while silver prices are up more than 140%, both at record highs.
The Arberdeen Physical Silver Shares ETF and iShares Silver Trust have advanced along with precious metals.
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This story, originally published on 10/14/25, has been updated with November ETF data from State Street.
