abrdn Gold ETF Trust

RISKS RELATED TO GOLD

The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the gold held by the Trust and fluctuations in the price of gold could materially adversely affect an investment in the Shares.

The Shares are designed to mirror as closely as possible the performance of the price of gold bullion, and the value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the gold held by the Trust, less the Trust’s liabilities (including estimated accrued but unpaid expenses). The price of gold has fluctuated widely over the past several years. See “Overview of the Gold Industry—Historical Chart of the Price of Gold” for discussion of the fluctuation of gold prices. Several factors may affect the price of gold, including:

In addition, investors should be aware that there is no assurance that gold will maintain its long-term value in terms of purchasing power in the future. In the event that the price of gold declines, the Sponsor expects the value of an investment in the Shares to decline proportionately.

Several factors may have the effect of causing a decline in the prices of gold and a corresponding decline in the price of Shares. Among them:

The possibility of large-scale distress sales of gold in times of crisis may have a short-term negative impact on the price of gold and adversely affect an investment in the Shares. For example, the 2008 financial credit crisis resulted in significantly depressed prices of gold largely due to forced sales and deleveraging from institutional investors such as hedge funds and pension funds as expectations of economic growth slumped. Crises in the future may impair gold’s price performance which would, in turn, adversely affect an investment in the Shares.

The price of gold may be affected by the sale of ETVs tracking the gold markets.

To the extent existing exchange traded vehicles (“ETVs”) tracking gold markets represent a significant proportion of demand for physical gold bullion, large redemptions of the securities of these ETVs could negatively affect physical gold bullion prices and the price and NAV of the Shares.

RISKS RELATED TO THE SHARES

Discrepancies, disruptions or unreliability of the LBMA Gold Price PM could impact the value of the Trust’s gold and the market price of the Shares.

The Trustee values the Trust’s gold pursuant to the LBMA Gold Price PM. In the event that the LBMA Gold Price PM proves to be an inaccurate benchmark, or the LBMA Gold Price PM varies materially from the prices determined by other mechanisms for valuing gold, the value of the Trust’s gold and the market price of the Shares could be adversely impacted. Any future developments in the LBMA Gold Price PM, to the extent it has a material impact on the LBMA Gold Price PM, could adversely impact the value of the Trust’s gold and the market price of the Shares. It is possible that electronic failures or other unanticipated events may occur that could result in delays in the announcement of, or the inability of the benchmark to produce, the LBMA Gold Price PM on any given date. Furthermore, any actual or perceived disruptions that result in the perception that the LBMA Gold Price PM is vulnerable to actual or attempted manipulation could adversely affect the behavior of market participants, which may have an effect on the price of gold. If the LBMA Gold Price PM is unreliable for any reason, the price of gold and the market price for the Shares may decline or be subject to greater volatility.

If the processes of creation and redemption of Shares (which depend on timely transfers of gold to and by the Custodian) encounter any unanticipated difficulties, potential market participants who would otherwise be willing to purchase or redeem Baskets to take advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price of the Shares and the price of the underlying gold may not take the risk that, as a result of those difficulties, they may not be able to realize the profit they expect. If this is the case, the liquidity of Shares may decline and the price of the Shares may fluctuate independently of the price of gold and may fall. Additionally, redemptions could be suspended in any period during which (1) the NYSE Arca is closed (other than customary weekend or holiday closings) or trading on the NYSE Arca is suspended or restricted, or (2) an emergency exists as a result of which delivery, disposal or evaluation of the gold is not reasonably practicable.

Investors may purchase Shares to hedge existing gold exposure or to speculate on the price of gold. Speculation on the price of gold may involve long and short exposures. To the extent aggregate short exposure exceeds the number of Shares available for purchase (for example, in the event that large redemption requests by Authorized Participants dramatically affect Share liquidity), investors with short exposure may have to pay a premium to repurchase Shares for delivery to Share lenders. Those repurchases may in turn, dramatically increase the price of the Shares until additional Shares are created through the creation process. This is often referred to as a “short squeeze.” A short squeeze could lead to volatile price movements in Shares that are not directly correlated to the price of gold.

If the Trust is required to terminate and liquidate, such termination and liquidation could occur at a time which is disadvantageous to Shareholders, such as when gold prices are lower than the gold prices at the time when Shareholders purchased their Shares. In such a case, when the Trust’s gold is sold as part of the Trust’s liquidation, the resulting proceeds distributed to Shareholders will be less than if gold prices were higher at the time of sale.

The amount of gold represented by each Share will decrease over the life of the Trust due to the recurring deliveries of gold necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee in-kind and potential sales of gold to pay in cash the Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. Without increases in the price of gold sufficient to compensate for that decrease, the price of the Shares will also decline proportionately over the life of the Trust.

The amount of gold represented by each Share decreases each day by the Sponsor’s Fee. In addition, although the Sponsor has agreed to assume all organizational and certain administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust (the Trustee’s monthly fee and out-of-pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee and reimbursement of the Custodian’s expenses under the Custody Agreements, exchange listing fees, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and up to $100,000 per annum in legal expenses), in exceptional cases certain Trust expenses may need to be paid by the Trust. Because the Trust does not have any income, it must either make payments in-kind by deliveries of gold (as is the case with the Sponsor’s Fee) or it must sell gold to obtain cash (as in the case of any exceptional expenses). The result of these sales of gold and recurring deliveries of gold to pay the Sponsor’s Fee in-kind is a decrease in the amount of gold represented by each Share. New deposits of gold, received in exchange for new Baskets issued by the Trust, will not reverse this trend.

A decrease in the amount of gold represented by each Share results in a decrease in each Share’s price even if the price of gold does not change. To retain the Share’s original price, the price of gold must increase. Without that increase, the lesser amount of gold represented by the Share will have a correspondingly lower price. If this increase does not occur, or is not sufficient to counter the lesser amount of gold represented by each Share, Shareholders will sustain losses on their investment in Shares.

An increase in Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, or the existence of unexpected liabilities affecting the Trust, will require the Trustee to sell larger amounts of gold, and will result in a more rapid decrease of the amount of gold represented by each Share and a corresponding decrease in its value.

The sale of the Trust’s gold to pay expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, or unexpected liabilities affecting the Trust, at a time of low gold prices could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The Trustee sells gold held by the Trust to pay Trust expenses not assumed by the Sponsor on an as-needed basis irrespective of then-current gold prices. The Trust is not actively managed and no attempt will be made to buy or sell gold to protect against or to take advantage of fluctuations in the price of gold. Consequently, the Trust’s gold may be sold at a time when the gold price is low, resulting in the sale of more gold than would be required if the Trust sold when prices were higher. The sale of the Trust’s gold to pay expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, or unexpected liabilities affecting the Trust, at a time of low gold prices could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

The Shares may trade at, above or below the NAV per Share. The NAV per Share fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Trust’s assets. The trading price of the Shares fluctuates in accordance with changes in the NAV per Share as well as market supply and demand. The amount of the discount or premium in the trading price relative to the NAV per Share may be influenced by non-concurrent trading hours between the NYSE Arca and the major gold markets. While the Shares trade on the NYSE Arca until 4:00 p.m. New York time, liquidity in the market for gold will be reduced after the close of the major world gold markets, including London, Zurich and the COMEX. As a result, during these periods, trading spreads, and the resulting premium or discount on the Shares, may widen.

Purchasing activity in the gold market associated with the purchase of Baskets from the Trust may cause a temporary increase in the price of gold. This increase may adversely affect an investment in the Shares.

Purchasing activity associated with acquiring the gold required for deposit into the Trust in connection with the creation of Baskets may temporarily increase the market price of gold, which will result in higher prices for the Shares. Temporary increases in the market price of gold may also occur as a result of the purchasing activity of other market participants. Other gold market participants may attempt to benefit from an increase in the market price of gold that may result from increased purchasing activity of gold connected with the issuance of Baskets. Consequently, the market price of gold may decline immediately after Baskets are created. If the price of gold declines, the trading price of the Shares may also decline.

The Fund is subject to responsible sourcing due diligence risk.

The Fund seeks to hold only responsibly sourced gold bullion (as defined herein) in its allocated account. The LBMA’s Gold Guidance establishes minimum requirements that are mandatory along the entire gold supply chain for all Good Delivery refiners wishing to trade with the London Bullion market. These standards are intended to ensure, among other things, that gold is mined through verified supply chains that meet certain internationally recognized ethical standards. For example, approved LBMA refiners are required to demonstrate their efforts to combat money laundering, financing of terrorism and human rights abuses, and to respect the environment globally. The LBMA’s Responsible Sourcing Programme provides a governance and audit framework for monitoring compliance with the Gold Guidance. The Gold Guidance and the LMBA’s Responsible Sourcing Programme include tailored due diligence standards with respect to various types of gold, including mined and recycled gold. However, the Gold Guidance and the Responsible Sourcing Programme may not work as intended or may be less effective in the case of recycled gold as the ultimate source(s) of recycled gold may not be identifiable. Specifically, the Gold Guidance sets forth due diligence expectations for recycled gold including documentation required to give assurance of origin and legality. In an effort to enhance efficacy, the due diligence requirements with respect the refiner’s assessment of the recycled gold supplier as set forth in the Gold Guidance are expected to cover all precious metals activities carried out by the supplier rather than refiner’s direct supply chains only. In addition, the Gold Guidance categorizes types of recycled gold by the level of risk posed and provides additional due diligence and enhanced due diligence guidance per category and includes requirements for secondary refiners supplying recycled melted gold to LBMA Good Delivery refiners to undergo independent assurance on conformance with an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) approved responsible sourcing scheme. There is no guarantee that the Gold Guidance or the Responsible Sourcing Programme will be implemented as intended, and there may be instances of non-compliance that are undetected.

While the Fund endeavors to hold only responsibly sourced gold, from time to time, in certain circumstances the Fund may hold pre-2012 gold, including, for example, due to a temporary supply constraint or lack of availability. In those circumstances, the Custodian will seek to replace any pre-2012 gold in the Fund’s allocated account with post-2012 gold as soon as reasonably practicable. With respect to gold bars refined by a LBMA Good Delivery refiner, to the extent that the gold bars are refined during the period of time that the refiner is on the LBMA Good Delivery Current List, the subsequent removal of that refiner from the LBMA Good Delivery Current List to the LBMA Good Delivery Former List does not impact the status of those gold bars as London Good Delivery bars (i.e., such bars continue to be deemed London Good Delivery bars) and, therefore, those bars can continue to be held by the Fund. Neither the Sponsor nor the Fund is responsible for setting, implementing or enforcing the LBMA’s Good Delivery standards and may have limited or no ability to independently verify gold sourcing due diligence undertaken by the LBMA. Similarly, the Fund and the Sponsor cannot guarantee all gold held by the Fund, including gold derived from recycled sources, is 100% ethically sourced or compliant with the Gold Guidance. The Fund is not an actively managed investment vehicle. The Sponsor does not make any decision or assessment related to gold sourcing based on its subjective judgment.

RISKS RELATED TO THE CUSTODY OF GOLD

The Trust’s gold may be subject to loss, damage, theft or restriction on access.

There is a risk that part or all of the Trust’s gold could be lost, damaged or stolen. Access to the Trust’s gold could also be restricted by natural events (such as an earthquake) or human actions (such as a terrorist attack). Any of these events may adversely affect the operations of the Trust and, consequently, an investment in the Shares.

The Trust’s lack of insurance protection and the Shareholders’ limited rights of legal recourse against the Trust, the Trustee, the Sponsor, the Custodian and any sub-custodian exposes the Trust and its Shareholders to the risk of loss of the Trust’s gold for which no person is liable.

The Trust does not insure its gold. The Custodian maintains insurance with regard to its business on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate in connection with its custodial obligations and is responsible for all costs, fees and expenses arising from the insurance policy or policies. The Trust is not a beneficiary of any such insurance and does not have the ability to dictate the existence, nature or amount of coverage. Therefore, Shareholders cannot be assured that the Custodian maintains adequate insurance or any insurance with respect to the gold held by the Custodian on behalf of the Trust. In addition, the Custodian and the Trustee do not require any direct or indirect sub-custodians to be insured or bonded with respect to their custodial activities or in respect of the gold held by them on behalf of the Trust. Further, Shareholders’ recourse against the Trust, the Trustee and the Sponsor, under New York law, the Custodian, under English law, and any other sub-custodians under the law governing their custody operations is limited. Consequently, a loss may be suffered with respect to the Trust’s gold which is not covered by insurance and for which no person is liable in damages.

The Custodian’s limited liability under the Custody Agreements and English law may impair the ability of the Trust to recover losses concerning its gold and any recovery may be limited, even in the event of fraud, to the market value of the gold at the time the fraud is discovered.

The obligations of the Custodian are governed by English law, which may frustrate the Trust in attempting to seek legal redress against the Custodian or any other sub-custodian concerning its gold.

The obligations of the Custodian under the Custody Agreements are, and the Authorized Participant Unallocated Bullion Account Agreements may be, governed by English law. The Custodian may enter into arrangements with other sub-custodians for the temporary custody of the Trust’s gold, which arrangements may also be governed by English law. The Trust is a New York common law trust. Any United States, New York or other court situated in the United States may have difficulty interpreting English law (which, insofar as it relates to custody arrangements, is largely derived from court rulings rather than statute), LBMA rules or the customs and practices in the London custody market. It may be difficult or impossible for the Trust to sue any sub-custodian in a United States, New York or other court situated in the United States. In addition, it may be difficult, time consuming and/or expensive for the Trust to enforce in a foreign court a judgment rendered by a United States, New York or other court situated in the United States.

The Trust may not have adequate sources of recovery if its gold is lost, damaged, stolen or destroyed.

If the Trust’s gold is lost, damaged, stolen or destroyed under circumstances rendering a party liable to the Trust, the responsible party may not have the financial resources sufficient to satisfy the Trust’s claim. For example, as to a particular event of loss, the only source of recovery for the Trust might be limited to the Custodian or any sub-custodian or, to the extent identifiable, other responsible third parties (e.g., a thief or terrorist), any of which may not have the financial resources (including liability insurance coverage) to satisfy a valid claim of the Trust.

Because the Trustee does not, and the Custodian has limited obligations to, oversee or monitor the activities of sub-custodians who may hold the Trust’s gold, failure by the sub-custodians to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the Trust’s gold could result in a loss to the Trust.

Under the Allocated Account Agreement described in “Description of the Custody Agreements”, the Custodian may appoint from time to time one or more sub-custodians to hold the Trust’s gold on a temporary basis pending delivery to the Custodian. Any sub-custodian selected by the Custodian shall be a member of the LBMA or any equity member of the London Precious Metals Clearing Limited, except for the Governor and Company of the Bank of England. The Custodian is not currently using a sub-custodian as of the date of this report. The Custodian is required under the Allocated Account Agreement to use reasonable care in appointing any sub-custodians, making the Custodian liable only for negligence or bad faith in the selection of such sub-custodians, and has an obligation to use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain delivery of the Trust’s gold from any sub-custodians appointed by the Custodian. Otherwise, the Custodian is not liable for the acts or omissions of its sub-custodians. These sub-custodians may in turn appoint further sub-custodians, but the Custodian is not responsible for the appointment of these further sub-custodians. The Custodian does not undertake to monitor the performance by sub-custodians of their custody functions or their selection of further sub-custodians. The Trustee does not monitor the performance of the Custodian other than to review the reports provided by the Custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreements and does not undertake to monitor the performance of any sub-custodian. Furthermore, the Trustee may have no right to visit the premises of any sub-custodian for the purposes of examining the Trust’s gold or any records maintained by the sub-custodian, and no sub-custodian will be obligated to cooperate in any review the Trustee may wish to conduct of the facilities, procedures, records or creditworthiness of such sub-custodian. In addition, the ability of the Trustee to monitor the performance of the Custodian may be limited because under the Allocated Account Agreement and the Unallocated Account Agreement the Trustee has only limited rights to visit the premises of the Custodian and for the purpose of examining the Trust’s gold and certain related records maintained by the Custodian. See “Custody of the Trust’s Gold” for more information about sub-custodians that may hold the Trust’s gold.

The obligations of any sub-custodian of the Trust’s gold are not determined by contractual arrangements but by LBMA rules and London bullion market customs and practices, which may prevent the Trust’s recovery of damages for losses on its gold custodied with sub-custodians.

There are expected to be no written contractual arrangements between sub-custodians that hold the Trust’s gold and the Trustee or the Custodian because traditionally such arrangements are based on the LBMA’s rules and on the customs and practices of the London bullion market. In the event of a legal dispute with respect to or arising from such arrangements, it may be difficult to define such customs and practices. The LBMA’s rules may be subject to change outside the control of the Trust. Under English law, neither the Trustee nor the Custodian would have a supportable breach of contract claim against a sub-custodian for losses relating to the safekeeping of gold. If the Trust’s gold is lost or damaged while in the custody of a sub-custodian, the Trust may not be able to recover damages from the Custodian or the sub-custodian. Whether a sub-custodian will be liable for the failure of sub-custodians appointed by it to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the Trust’s gold will depend on the facts and circumstances of the particular situation. Shareholders cannot be assured that the Trustee will be able to recover damages from sub-custodians whether appointed by the Custodian or by another sub-custodian for any losses relating to the safekeeping of gold by such sub-custodians.

Gold bullion allocated to the Trust in connection with the creation of a Basket may not meet the London Good Delivery Standards and, if a Basket is issued against such gold, the Trust may suffer a loss.

Neither the Trustee nor the Custodian independently confirms the fineness of the gold allocated to the Trust in connection with the creation of a Basket. The gold bullion allocated to the Trust by the Custodian may be different from the reported fineness or weight required by the LBMA’s standards for gold bars delivered in settlement of a gold trade (London Good Delivery Standards), the standards required by the Trust. If the Trustee nevertheless issues a Basket against such gold, and if the Custodian fails to satisfy its obligation to credit the Trust the amount of any deficiency, the Trust may suffer a loss.

Gold held in the Trust’s unallocated gold account and any Authorized Participant’s unallocated gold account will not be segregated from the Custodian’s assets. If the Custodian becomes insolvent, its assets may not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust or any Authorized Participant. In addition, in the event of the Custodian’s insolvency, there may be a delay and costs incurred in identifying the bullion held in the Trust’s allocated gold account.

Gold which is part of a deposit for a purchase order or part of a redemption distribution is held for a time in the Trust Unallocated Account and, previously or subsequently in, the Authorized Participant Unallocated Account of the purchasing or redeeming Authorized Participant. During those times, the Trust and the Authorized Participant, as the case may be, have no proprietary rights to any specific bars of gold held by the Custodian and are each an unsecured creditor of the Custodian with respect to the amount of gold held in such unallocated accounts. In addition, if the Custodian fails to allocate the Trust’s gold in a timely manner, in the proper amounts or otherwise in accordance with the terms of the Unallocated Account Agreement, or if a sub-custodian fails to so segregate gold held by it on behalf of the Trust, unallocated gold will not be segregated from the Custodian’s assets, and the Trust will be an unsecured creditor of the Custodian with respect to the amount so held in the event of the insolvency of the Custodian. In the event the Custodian becomes insolvent, the Custodian’s assets might not be adequate to satisfy a claim by the Trust or the Authorized Participant for the amount of gold held in their respective unallocated gold accounts.

In the case of the insolvency of the Custodian, a liquidator may seek to freeze access to the gold held in all of the accounts held by the Custodian, including the Trust Allocated Account. Although the Trust would be able to claim ownership of properly allocated gold, the Trust could incur expenses in connection with asserting such claims, and the assertion of such a claim by the liquidator could delay creations and redemptions of Baskets.

In issuing Baskets, the Trustee relies on certain information received from the Custodian which is subject to confirmation after the Trustee has relied on the information. If such information turns out to be incorrect, Baskets may be issued in exchange for an amount of gold which is more or less than the amount of gold which is required to be deposited with the Trust.

The Custodian’s definitive records are prepared after the close of its business day. However, when issuing Baskets, the Trustee relies on information reporting the amount of gold credited to the Trust’s accounts which it receives from the Custodian during the business day and which is subject to correction during the preparation of the Custodian’s definitive records after the close of business. If the information relied upon by the Trustee is incorrect, the amount of gold actually received by the Trust may be more or less than the amount required to be deposited for the issuance of Baskets.

GENERAL RISKS

War, a major terrorist attack and other geopolitical events, including but not limited to the war between Russia and Ukraine, outbreaks or public health emergencies (as declared by the World Health Organization), the continuation or expansion of war or other hostilities, or a prolonged government shutdown may cause volatility in the price of gold due to the importance of a country or region to the gold markets, market access restrictions imposed on some local gold producers and refiners, potential impacts to global transportation and shipping and other supply chain disruptions. These events are unpredictable and may lead to extended periods of price volatility.

The operations of the Trust, the exchanges, brokers and counterparties with which the Trust does business, and the markets in which the Trust does business, could be severely disrupted in the event of war, a major terrorist attack and other geopolitical events, including but not limited to, the war between Russia and Ukraine, outbreaks or public health emergencies (as declared by the World Health Organization), the continuation or expansion of war or other hostilities, or a prolonged government shutdown. Such events may cause volatility in the price of gold due to the importance of a country or region to the gold markets, market access restrictions imposed on some local gold producers and refiners, or potential impacts to global transportation, shipping, and other supply chain disruptions.

In late February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, significantly amplifying already existing geopolitical tensions among Russia and other countries in the region and in the West. The responses of countries and political bodies to Russia’s actions, the larger overarching tensions, and Ukraine’s military response and the potential for wider conflict may increase financial market volatility generally, have severe adverse effects on regional and global economic markets, and cause volatility in the price of gold and the share price of the Trust. The conflict in Ukraine, along with global political fallout and implications including sanctions, shipping disruptions, collateral war damage, and a potential expansion of the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders, could disturb the gold markets. Russia is one of the world’s largest producers of several precious metals, including gold. On March 7, 2022, the LBMA suspended its accreditation of six Russian refiners of gold. New productions by such refiners will no longer be accepted as Good Delivery by the LBMA until further notice. New productions by such refiners will no longer be accepted as Good Delivery by the LBMA until further notice. The bars these refiners previously produced will still be considered Good Delivery, consistent with past suspensions of refiners by the LBMA. Fewer suppliers to the LBMA may lead to a lower supply of Good Delivery gold and further volatility in the price of gold. Following an announcement at the G7 Summit to collectively ban the import of Russian gold, the UK passed regulations which prohibit the direct or indirect (i) import of gold that originated in Russia, (ii) acquisition of gold that originated in Russia or is located in Russia and (iii) supply or delivery of gold that originated in Russia, all after July 21, 2022. Similarly, US regulations prohibit the import of gold of Russian origin into the United States on or after June 28, 2022 and EU regulations prohibit the direct or indirect import, purchase or transfer of gold if it originates in Russia and has been exported from Russia after July 22, 2022. War and other geopolitical events in eastern Europe, including but not limited to Russia and Ukraine, may cause volatility in commodity prices including precious metals prices. These events are unpredictable and may lead to extended periods of price volatility.

The Trust as well as the Sponsor and its service providers are vulnerable to the effects of public health crises, including the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the economies of many nations and the entire global economy as well as individual issuers, assets and capital markets and could continue to, and other future public health emergencies could, have serious negative effects on social, economic and financial systems, including significant uncertainty and volatility in the financial markets. For instance, the suspension of operations of mines, refineries and vaults that extract, produce or store gold, restrictions on travel that delay or prevent the transportation of gold and an increase in demand for gold may disrupt supply chains for gold, which could cause secondary market spreads to widen and compromise the Trust’s ability to settle transactions on time. Any inability of the Trust to issue or redeem Shares or the Custodian or any sub-custodian to receive or deliver gold as a result of an infectious disease outbreak or public health emergency will negatively affect the Trust’s operations. Future infectious illness outbreaks or other public health emergencies could have similar or other unforeseen impacts and may exacerbate pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally, which could adversely affect the value of the Shares.

A significant resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic or other future public health emergencies could increase the Trust’s costs and affect liquidity in the market for gold, as well as the correlation between the price of the Shares and the net asset value of the Trust, any of which could adversely affect the value of your Shares. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic or other future public health emergencies could impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Trust’s service providers, including the Sponsor, the Trustee and the Custodian, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of the Trust’s service providers to perform essential tasks on behalf of the Trust. Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have at times responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of fiscal and monetary policy changes, including, but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies and other issuers, new monetary tools and lower interest rates. An unexpected or sudden reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these policies, is likely to increase volatility in the market for gold, which could adversely affect the price of the Shares.

Further, the COVID-19 pandemic or other future public health emergencies could interfere with or prevent the operation of the electronic auction hosted by IBA to determine the LBMA Gold Price, which the Trustee uses to value the gold held by the Trust and calculate the net asset value of the Trust. The COVID-19 pandemic or other future public health emergencies could also cause the closure of futures exchanges, which could eliminate the ability of Authorized Participants to hedge purchases of Baskets, increasing trading costs of Shares and resulting in a sustained premium or discount in the Shares. Each of these outcomes would negatively impact the Trust.