iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

RING

Market cap $2.75B

Acquired 76,223 shares in an estimated $4.93 million trade Post-trade holding: 76,223 shares valued at $4.93 million RING enters the portfolio but does not rank among the fund's top five positions by value

RING invests in the main gold mining companies worldwide, a sector that amplifies gold's movements. In the bullish phases of gold, strong demand pushes the ETF to trade at a premium on P/E and EV/EBITDA (rightly so). I don't see anything wrong with that, except for the fact that RING is a cyclical ETF, not a growth one.

The S&P 500 has served as an excellent benchmark for the state of U.S.

The S&P 500 has served as an excellent benchmark for the state of U.S.

The iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF has outperformed peers, but long-term fundamentals remain weak. Top holdings show erratic free cash flows and poor historical share price performance. RING trades at a ~24x P/E despite exposure to cyclical, capital-intensive, and low-quality businesses.

In 2025, the best-performing ETF themes include gold and silver mining (SLVP, RING), bitcoin miners (WGMI), uranium (URA) and defense (EUAD, SHLD).

Gold surged to a record $3,700/oz after the Fed's “risk management cut,” reinforcing its role as a safe haven and boosting miners' profitability. RING advanced more than 34% since July, far outperforming the S&P 500, as mining companies converted higher gold prices into amplified margins, cash generation, and stronger balance sheets. With 55 holdings and 66.7% concentrated in top miners like Newmont, Agnico Eagle, and Barrick, RING offers global exposure, strong liquidity, and competitive costs in a capital-intensive sector.

Do you think the price of gold can't possibly go any higher this year? Think again.

It may not be the end of the quarter yet, but we have made it through summer, and that seems like a good checkpoint to evaluate the top ETF investment themes YTD. Let's take a moment to look in this year's thematic ETF rearview mirror.

RING surged to a 52-week high, fueled by rising gold prices, Fed rate-cut hopes, and safe-haven demand.