ESG Gold Miners Screened ETF Report | January 2025

Gold Miners Screened ETF – Key Takeaways

Gold Prices Soared in 2025 – Gold prices soared to record highs in 2025, driven by tariff uncertainty, geopolitical risk, and strong demand coming from ETFs and central bank purchases.   Gold posted continuous gains in 2025, climbing as much as 65% and surpassing $4,000 an ounce for the first time in October.  The weaker U.S. dollar and the prospect of lower interest rates have also increased the appeal of non-yielding bullion.  Traditionally, gold is sought as a safe-haven status as a store of value in times of global instability. Gold also has a low correlation with other assets, so it can act as a bolster in falling markets during times of geopolitical stress.  In 2025, gold served as a debasement hedge, as a form of protection against the loss of currency power due to inflation and currency debasement.  And with rates coming down, it is a more appealing alternative to Treasuries and money market funds despite its lack of yield. Gold prices also benefited from the selloff in Bitcoin, down more than 25% from its peak in October. 2025 marked the first-year Bitcoin finished last as an asset class since 2011 as it came under strain due to growing market maturity, regulatory pressures, and shifting investor sentiment.[1][2]

Gold Smashes New Highs on Powell Probe and Global Risks – Gold hit a fresh high level of $4,600 an ounce amid investigations into U.S. Fed chair Jerome Powell and global escalations in Iran and Venezuela, highlighting gold’s status as a safe-haven asset. The investigation into Powell has led to speculation over a quicker leadership change resulting in new leadership more in favour of rate cuts.  Lower interest rates tend to lift gold by reducing the opportunity cost of holding a metal that pays no yield. The latest flashpoints involving Iran and Venezuela have also further catalysed gold’s appeal as a safe haven asset. Central banks are also expected to remain strong buyers this year as they diversify away from the U.S. dollar.[3]

Gold vs Bitcoin Safe-Haven Divergence – The traditional crisis playbook still favours gold over Bitcoin, with capital markets rushing into gold during times of macro risk.  When markets reacted to events like increased tariffs or political pressure on the Federal Reserve, gold climbed, while Bitcoin behaved more like a volatile “risk-on” asset, experiencing sharp selloffs and liquidations. The lack of correlation with gold during downturns has made it harder to convince institutional investors to view Bitcoin as a true alternative to the precious metal, especially in a year that it also trailed equity returns.[4]

Gold Miners Offer Amplified View of Gold – Gold mining stocks are often viewed as a magnified or leveraged bet on the price of gold.  This is because mining costs are largely fixed.  When gold prices exceed mining costs, profit margins can grow quite rapidly.  Every extra dollar earned from inflated gold prices becomes pure profit. The math means a small percentage gain in gold’s prices becomes a big percentage gain in company earnings. Of course, that logic works in reverse as well.  Last October, when investors worried the Fed would pause cutting interest rates, gold prices slumped and gold mining stocks fell even harder.  Gold miners also reflect variances in operational performance, financial leverage, and market sentiment surrounding specific companies. But given the bullish environment for gold, gold mining plays may be the best way to go.[5]

Green Mining More Than Buzzword – For decades mining has been associated with deforestation, mercury runoff, water contamination, and exploitative labour practices.  But technologies such as blockchain are now being used to verify and trace ethically sourced metals from mine to market.  Asset managers are under pressure to include metal exposure and can now do so in a more sustainable and responsible manner. Three years ago, sustainable investing in precious metals was barely a talking point. Now, pressure is mounting from regulators, activist shareholders, and even consumers. EU legislation around critical raw materials has forced more transparency. US-based investor coalitions are publicly grading mining companies on ESG metrics. Large endowments and pension funds are updating mandates to exclude metals linked to environmental destruction or human rights violations. Silver, platinum, and gold products are being rebranded through ESG lenses, with green certifications and traceable sourcing becoming a must have. Investors no longer have to choose between their investment goals and sustainability concerns.[6]

Macro Outlook – Outlook for Gold Remains Positive

The macro-outlook for gold for 2026 remains positive as it tests the $5,000 an ounce level. Lower interest rates improve the opportunity cost of non-yield assets such as gold. In addition, 2025 returns suggest that the sensitivity of gold to interest rates seems to have diminished relative to other macro-drivers. Geopolitical and economic uncertainty concerns abound, increasing the demand for gold as a safe-haven asset. Strong central bank demand particularly from emerging markets should continue amid the structural trend to decouple from the US dollar. A survey of central bankers by the World Gold Council reveals that 95% expect global central bank gold reserves to continue to increase over the next 12 months. Fed easing and policy shifts are expected to contribute to a weaker U.S. dollar, which generally makes gold cheaper for holders of other currencies and helps boost international demand.  And given that gold remains an under allocated asset class, investment flows into gold mining and physical gold ETFs should also help drive demand as investors diversify equity and bond exposures.[7][8]

[1] https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/global-research/commodities/gold-prices

[2] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/gold-becomes-2025s-superstar-as-bitcoin-tanks-to-worst-performer-a-first-in-market-history/articleshow/125385097.cms?from=mdr

[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/12/gold-record-haven-powell-venezuela-iran.html

[4] https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=3_cc-session_76e2f849-1ced-4412-9aac-d4bf13dfd471

[5] https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/gold-miners-stocks-are-outrunning-gold-it-won-t-last/ar-AA1StsAq

[6] https://sustainablebusinessmagazine.net/eco-review/how-sustainable-investors-are-rethinking-precious-metals-in-2025/

[7] Source: Vettafi

[8]https://www.cmegroup.com/articles/2026/precious-metals-outlook-2026-market-dynamics-following-a-record-breaking-year.html

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