What this ETF is trying to do

The Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) is an ETF that focuses on gold. Unlike some funds that trade gold contracts, this trust is designed to provide investors with exposure to the price of physical gold.

What the numbers show

As of October 5, 2026, the share price of PHYS is $31.20.

Looking at the price returns (which measure how the share price changed), the ETF has seen different results over different timeframes:

• Year-to-Date: The price return is -5.51%.

• One Year: The price return is 4.49%.

• Three Year: The price return is 121.43%.

• Five Year: The total return is 125.27%.

Because this ETF does not pay out distributions, the price return and the total return are the same. For example, the one-year total return is 4.49%.

To help understand the one-year change, we can look at an estimated price from roughly one year ago, which was $29.86. If an investor had put $10,000 into the ETF at that estimated price, the price-only increase would be worth approximately $10,449 today.

Income and distribution explanation

Some ETFs pay investors cash regularly, which is called a distribution. However, PHYS has a distribution yield of 0% and no distributions were detected over the last 12 months. This means investors do not receive cash income from this ETF; instead, any potential gain comes from the share price increasing.

NAV erosion explanation

"NAV erosion" happens when the actual value of the assets inside an ETF drops over time, even if the share price seems steady. StockValueFinder uses an erosion-risk score to measure this.

PHYS has an erosion score of 94, which is labeled as "Stable / sideways" with "good" severity. Additionally, the severe erosion-risk flag is false, meaning the fund's price trend did not trigger a warning for substantial price deterioration.

Pros

• Long-term Growth: The ETF has shown strong three-year and five-year total returns.

• Stability: The erosion-risk score suggests the fund is stable.

Cons

• No Income: There are no cash distributions for investors seeking regular income.

• Short-term Decline: The year-to-date price return is negative.

Beginner takeaway

PHYS is a gold-focused ETF that does not pay dividends. Investors use it to track the price of gold rather than to earn a monthly check. While it has grown significantly over the last few years, its recent year-to-date performance has been down. Always remember that a high yield in other ETFs can be misleading if the share price is falling, though that is not a factor here since this fund pays no yield.