Gold Outperforms Major Indices and Tech Stocks in 2025 Rally

Gold has surged 53% year-to-date, dwarfing the S&P 500's 15% gain and the Nasdaq-100's 20% climb. Even Nvidia's AI-fueled 37% rally pales in comparison to the precious metal's unprecedented run. This performance starkly exceeds gold's 30-year average annual return of 8%.

Political uncertainty and ballooning U.S. debt are driving the rally, with no near-term resolution in sight. Unlike productive assets, gold's value stems purely from its status as a store of value rather than industrial utility - though it sees limited use in semiconductors and jewelry.

The SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD), with $131 billion in assets, now offers investors streamlined exposure to gold's momentum. As traditional markets waver, this commodity is emerging as the unexpected outperformer of 2025.