Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU) risk factors, FY2024 10-K

Risks Related to Gold

1. 01The international gold market has experienced historically high trading prices in recent years. Because there can be no assurance that this historically high trading price of gold will be sustained, there could be significant decreases in the value of net assets and the Net Asset Value of the Trust
2. 02Substantial sales of gold by central banks, governmental agencies and multi-lateral institutions could adversely affect an investment in the Shares
3. 03Because the Trust invests only in gold, an investment in the Trust may be more volatile than an investment in a more broadly diversified portfolio
4. 04If concerns about the integrity or reliability of the LBMA Gold Price PM or LBMA Gold Price AM arise, even if eventually shown to be without merit, such concerns could adversely affect investor interest in gold and therefore adversely affect the price of gold and the value of an investment in the Shares
5. 05To the extent existing ETVs tracking gold markets represent a significant proportion of the demand for gold, large redemptions of the securities of these ETVs could negatively affect gold prices and the price and Net Asset Value of the Shares
6. 06A significant increase in gold hedging activity by gold producers. Should there be an increase in the level of hedge activity of gold producing companies, it could cause a decline in world gold prices, adversely affecting the price of the Shares
7. 07A widening of interest rate differentials between the cost of money and the cost of gold could negatively affect the price of gold which, in turn, could negatively affect the price of the Shares

Risks Related to the Shares

1. 08The value of the Shares fluctuates based upon the price of the gold held by the Trust. Fluctuations in the price of gold could materially adversely affect an investment in the Shares, which creates the potential for losses, regardless of the period of time the Shares are held
2. 09unexpected political, economic, global or regional incidents, including the Israel-Hamas war and the continuation of the war in Ukraine
3. 10The Shares may trade at Net Asset Value or at a price that is above or below Net Asset Value. Any discount or premium in the trading price relative to the Net Asset Value per Share may widen as a result of the different trading hours of the Cboe BZX Exchange and other exchanges
4. 11The lack of an active trading market for the Shares could result in losses on your investment at the time of disposition of your Shares
5. 12The amount of gold represented by each Share will decrease when the Trustee sells the Trust’s gold to pay Trust expenses. Without increases in the price of gold sufficient to compensate for that decrease, the price of the Shares will also decline and you will lose money on your investment in the Shares
6. 13If the process of creation and redemption of Baskets encounters any unanticipated difficulties, the possibility for arbitrage transactions intended to keep the price of the Shares closely linked to the price of gold may not exist and, as a result, the price of the Shares may fall
7. 14The value of the Shares will be adversely affected if the Trust is required to indemnify the Sponsor, the Trustee or the Custodian as contemplated in the Trust Agreement and the Custody Agreement
8. 15Investors do not have the rights normally associated with ownership of shares of other types of investment vehicles. For example, investors have extremely limited voting rights in comparison to those of shareholders in traditional operating companies
9. 16By the acceptance of a Share of the Trust, each investor consents to New York jurisdiction and waives any claim that a New York court is an inconvenient venue or is otherwise inappropriate
10. 17Investors will not have the protections normally associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the 1940 Act or the protections afforded by the Commodity Exchange Act
11. 18The Trust may be required to terminate and liquidate at a time that is disadvantageous to investors

Risks Related to the Trust and Its Operations

1. 19The Trust may be negatively impacted by the effects of the spread of illnesses or other public health emergencies on the global economy and the markets and service providers relevant to the performance of the Trust
2. 20Future governmental decisions may have significant impact on the price of gold, which may result in a significant decrease or increase in the value of the net assets and the Net Asset Value of the Trust
3. 21The value of the Shares could decline if unanticipated operational or trading problems arise
4. 22The Trust is exposed to various operational risks
5. 23The Trust relies on the information and technology systems of the Trustee, the Custodian, and the Sponsor, which could be adversely affected by information systems interruptions, cybersecurity attacks or other disruptions, which could affect your personal information or result in a decline in the price of the Shares
6. 24The Sponsor has limited experience with a trust the only assets of which are gold
7. 25The Sponsor or its affiliates and associates may manage other accounts, funds or trusts, including those that invest in physical gold bullion or other precious metals, and conflicts of interest may occur, which may reduce the value of the net assets of the Trust, the NAV and the trading price of the Shares
8. 26The Sponsor and the Trustee may agree to amend the Trust Agreement without the consent of any investor

Risks Related to Tax

1. 27Gains recognized by an individual from the sale of “collectibles,” which term includes gold, held for more than one year are subject to federal income tax at a maximum rate of 28% rather than the lower 20% maximum rate applicable to most other long-term capital gains recognized by individuals
2. 28The purchase of the Shares by an IRA or a Tax-Qualified Account may constitute the acquisition of a collectible or be treated as a tax distribution to the IRA owner or plan participant under Code section 408(m)
3. 29An investor may recognize income for federal income tax purposes in the absence of a corresponding cash distribution

Risks Related to the Custody of Gold

1. 30Gold owned by the Trust may be subject to loss, damage, destruction, mis-delivery, theft or restriction on access
2. 31The gold bullion custody operations of the Custodian are not subject to specific governmental regulatory supervision
3. 32The Trust relies on the Custodian for the safekeeping of essentially all of the Trust’s gold. As a result, failure by the Custodian to exercise due care in the safekeeping of the Trust’s gold could result in a loss to the Trust
4. 33The Trust’s lack of insurance protection and the investors’ limited rights of legal recourse against the Trust, the Trustee, the Sponsor, the Custodian and any Sub-Custodian expose the investors to the risk of loss of the Trust’s gold for which no person is liable