VanEck Merk Gold ETF (NYSEARCA:OUNZ) Short Interest Up 473.9% in March

VanEck Merk Gold ETF (NYSEARCA:OUNZ) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 366,955 shares, an increase of 473.9% from the February 26th total of 63,943 shares. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,252,134 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days. Based on an average trading volume of 1,252,134 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Key Headlines Impacting VanEck Merk Gold ETF

Here are the key news stories impacting VanEck Merk Gold ETF this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Technical support and short-term bounce — gold rebounded from its 200‑day support/confluence zone, suggesting a possible short-term reversal or consolidation that could stabilize OUNZ if sustained. Gold (XAU/USD) Price Forecast: 200-Day Support Fuels Bullish Reversal
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional and narrative support — BMO and other analysts say the longer‑term gold bull isn’t dead, framing current weakness as a pause; that messaging can attract dip buyers into gold ETFs like OUNZ. BMO says gold’s bull rally not over, only paused during the Iran war
• Positive Sentiment: Broader demand signals — Tether’s full audit and growth in large-scale tokenized/sovereign‑scale gold holdings may support longer-term bullion demand and indirectly benefit physical‑backed ETFs. With gold holdings reaching sovereign scale, Tether announces first full audit by ‘Big Four’ firm
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed short‑term technical/flow outlook — many forecasters note gold is “waiting for war headlines” and macro data; that creates high day‑to‑day volatility but uncertain directional bias for OUNZ. Gold (XAUUSD), Silver, Platinum Forecasts – Gold Attempts To Rebound Despite Rising Oil Prices
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF technical/profile — OUNZ is trading near its 200‑day average and well below its 50‑day, so positioning could swing quickly with any sustained move in bullion (watch volume and spreads).
• Negative Sentiment: Surge in short interest — March short interest in OUNZ jumped ~474% to 366,955 shares (0.6% of shares sold short). That indicates increased bearish positioning that could add selling pressure on weakness. (Days‑to‑cover is low at ~0.3 days.)
• Negative Sentiment: Bear market and liquidity-driven selling — multiple reports show gold has entered deep bear‑market territory amid rising Treasury yields, a stronger dollar and forced selling/liquidity squeezes; that macro backdrop is the primary near‑term headwind for OUNZ. Gold sinks deeper into bear market territory as sell-off extends
• Negative Sentiment: Macro hawkishness and liquidity risk — analysts point to Fed hawks, higher real yields and credit/liquidity strains as reasons gold could face further downside before a durable recovery. Gold (XAU) Silver (XAG) Daily Forecast: Iran War Fears vs. Fed Hawks – Metals at Edge?

Hedge Funds Weigh In On VanEck Merk Gold ETF

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of OUNZ. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of VanEck Merk Gold ETF by 83.6% in the third quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 63,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,371,000 after acquiring an additional 29,028 shares during the period. Abbington Investment Group acquired a new stake in VanEck Merk Gold ETF in the 3rd quarter worth about $499,000. Advisory Services Network LLC raised its stake in VanEck Merk Gold ETF by 16.9% in the 2nd quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 166,729 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,285,000 after purchasing an additional 24,094 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in VanEck Merk Gold ETF by 11.5% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,024,698 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,109,000 after purchasing an additional 105,657 shares during the period. Finally, Faithward Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in VanEck Merk Gold ETF by 12.3% in the 2nd quarter. Faithward Advisors LLC now owns 120,636 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,847,000 after purchasing an additional 13,219 shares during the period.

VanEck Merk Gold ETF Stock Performance

Shares of OUNZ remained flat at $42.32 during midday trading on Tuesday. 1,773,680 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,278,678. The stock has a market cap of $2.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.97 and a beta of 0.08. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $47.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $42.43. VanEck Merk Gold ETF has a 52 week low of $28.51 and a 52 week high of $53.35.

VanEck Merk Gold ETF Company Profile

The VanEck Merk Gold Trust (OUNZ) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the LBMA Gold Price index. The fund tracks the gold spot price, less expenses, using gold bars and coins held in London vaults. Investors can redeem their shares for gold in increments of 1 troy oz. OUNZ was launched on May 16, 2014 and is managed by VanEck.