Gold futures are flirting with $1,300 per troy ounce Thursday. At $1,300, gold is still a long way from its 2011 highs, but the yellow metal’s recovery in2011 has bolstered once downtrodden exchange traded funds such as the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD), last year’s worst ETF in terms of outflows.
However, the real story has been the stunning reversal of fortune for funds such as the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSEArca: GDX) and the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSEArca: GDXJ). GDX and GDXJ are the two largest gold mining ETFs by assets and entered Thursday as two of the 10 best non-leveraged ETFs in 2014. [Good News for Mining ETFs]
However, there are other options for investors to consider among mining ETFs, many of which are not on the receiving end of nearly as much as attention as is bestowed upon GDX and GDXJ. For those looking for a multi-month trade on gold miners, remember that there has never been a year in which gold prices have fallen and the miners have risen, so keep an eye on GLD. [A Rare Trade Emerging in Gold Miners]