Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU)

iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU) was the target of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Traders bought 16,025 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 52% compared to the typical volume of 10,511 call options.

Key iShares Gold Trust News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong structural demand backdrop: analysts and the World Gold Council say 2025–26 gains reflect a structural shift (central bank buying, weak dollar, reallocation into gold) rather than speculative froth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Macro flows and new institutional demand are supporting bullion: Tether says it may allocate up to 10–15% of its portfolio to physical gold, adding to ETF/holding demand. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: ETF momentum: gold-focused ETFs have moved into elite momentum tiers as bullion approaches new psychological levels, which can keep inflows into IAU elevated. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options flow on IAU: a sharp increase in call buying (about 16,025 calls, ~52% above average) signals some investors are positioning for further upside. (Market data)
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical context: IAU sits well above its 50- and 200-day averages and near its 52-week high — this amplifies both momentum and volatility as traders reassess risk.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term profit-taking and technical pullback: after intraday records, gold reversed on profit-taking and technical selling (including a ~3% intraday dip reported), which dragged IAU lower. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Risk of a blow-off top and sentiment extremes: some analysts warn the rally shows blow-off characteristics (1980 analogues), raising the risk of a sharper correction if momentum shifts. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Fed rhetoric can cap gains: Fed officials have downplayed the significance of the rally, which could limit further safe-haven flows if policy signals remain hawkish or confidence in the economy holds. Read More.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Schmidt P J Investment Management Inc. now owns 9,362 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $760,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Foster Group Inc. increased its position in iShares Gold Trust by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 5,126 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $416,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Two West Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Two West Capital Advisors LLC now owns 7,035 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $571,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. Focused Wealth Management Inc lifted its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Focused Wealth Management Inc now owns 4,063 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $330,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. Finally, Evolution Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in iShares Gold Trust by 1.5% in the third 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. Institutional investors own 59.67% of the company’s stock.

iShares Gold Trust Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:IAU traded down $1.30 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $99.95. 61,266,172 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,817,305. iShares Gold Trust has a one year low of $52.46 and a one year high of $104.40. The company has a market cap of $84.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.53 and a beta of 0.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $83.59 and a 200 day moving average of $74.61.

iShares Gold Trust Company Profile

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).