Is It Better to Play the Historic Gold Rally With a Physical Gold or Mining Stock ETF in 2026?

The article compares two gold investment approaches: SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), which tracks physical gold bullion with lower volatility and fees, versus VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX), which invests in mining company stocks with higher returns but greater risk. While GLD offers stability and lower costs, GDX is recommended as the better buy for 2026 due to superior long-term performance, operating leverage benefits during gold rallies, and dividend payments, despite its higher volatility.