Investors Buy High Volume of iShares Gold Trust Call Options (NYSEARCA:IAU)

iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU) saw unusually large options trading on Monday. Traders purchased 11,411 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 26% compared to the typical daily volume of 9,029 call options.

iShares Gold Trust Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of NYSEARCA IAU traded down $3.73 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $81.61. The stock had a trading volume of 16,425,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,581,713. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $78.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $70.77. The company has a market capitalization of $67.25 billion, a PE ratio of 5.53 and a beta of 0.09. iShares Gold Trust has a 1 year low of $49.00 and a 1 year high of $85.68.

Key Stores Impacting iShares Gold Trust

Here are the key news stories impacting iShares Gold Trust this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major bank forecast: UBS published a bullish long-term outlook for gold, seeing a path to $5,000 by Q3 2026 (and up to $5,400 under elevated U.S. political/economic risk) — a tailwind for gold ETFs like IAU. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: Buyers picked up ~11,411 IAU call contracts today (≈26% above average), signaling some traders are positioning for a near- to medium-term rebound. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Ehrlich Financial Group disclosed a Q3 increase in its IAU holdings, indicating continued institutional interest in the ETF. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Structural bullish setup: Several technical/market commentaries say gold’s breakout earlier this week confirms a broader bull trend (weak USD, macro risks), though they warn that volatility and thin liquidity can produce sharp retracements. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector momentum: Related precious metals (silver, platinum) are showing strong moves and analyst coverage suggesting continued investor rotation into hard assets — supportive for IAU over a multi‑month horizon. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking after record highs: Multiple reports show heavy profit-taking as gold retreated from fresh highs, which has pressured IAU intraday and driven above-average ETF volume. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Technical selling / liquidation risk: Short-term technical notes warn of trapped long positions and momentum-driven selling that could push gold toward the $4,041 swing target in the near term — a catalyst for further short‑term weakness in IAU. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro data impact: U.S. pending home sales unexpectedly rose, briefly weighing on safe‑haven demand and contributing to session lows in spot gold — a headwind for IAU while macro surprises reduce near‑term risk premia. Read More.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On iShares Gold Trust

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IAU. Evolution Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Evolution Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,875 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $646,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Axecap Investments LLC lifted its position in iShares Gold Trust by 1.0% during the third quarter. Axecap Investments LLC now owns 14,316 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $1,042,000 after buying an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Aspiriant LLC grew its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Aspiriant LLC now owns 7,854 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $572,000 after buying an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Sincerus Advisory LLC grew its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Sincerus Advisory LLC now owns 5,184 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First National Trust Co increased its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. First National Trust Co now owns 15,541 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $1,131,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. 59.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About iShares Gold Trust

iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trust’s custodian on behalf of the Trust. The sponsor of the Trust is iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC (the Sponsor), which is an indirect subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc The trustee of the Trust is The Bank of New York Mellon (the Trustee) and the custodian of the Trust is JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch (the Custodian).