World Gold Council and State Street Global Advisors Announce the Launch of GLDW, the First US-Listed Gold-Backed ETF Designed for a Strong US Dollar Environment

The World Gold Council, the market development organization for the gold industry and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA), the asset management business of State Street Corporation (NYSE:STT) through its affiliate, State Street Global Markets, LLC, the marketing agent for GLDW, today announced that the SPDR® Long Dollar Gold Trust (GLDW) began trading on the NYSE Arca. GLDW seeks to track the performance of the Solactive GLD® Long USD Gold Index, less fund expenses.

“The price of gold and the US dollar have historically tended to move in opposite directions,” said Nick Good, co-head of the Global SPDR business at State Street Global Advisors. “By lessening the dollar’s potential impact on gold, GLDW seeks to provide investors the opportunity to realize the potential benefits of using gold as a strategic portfolio diversifier, while offering the ability to buffer against the potential adverse effects of a strong dollar on gold.”

From December 31, 2013, to December 30, 2016, three years of persistent dollar strength, gold priced in USD fell from $1,205/oz to $1,146/oz, a 5 percent decline. However, when the effect of a strengthening USD is removed, gold priced in non-US currencies, such as the Euro, increased from €873/oz to €1,096/oz, a 25 percent increase.1

The fund seeks to track the Solactive GLD® Long USD Gold Index, which combines both a long position in physical gold and long dollar exposure against a basket of non-US currencies.2 Performance of the US dollar against this currency basket is expected to increase or decrease the amount of gold held by GLDW. GLDW holds physical gold in the form of 400 ounce London Good Delivery bars stored in the Custodian’s London vault, except when GLDW’s physical gold has been allocated in the vault of a subcustodian solely for temporary custody and safekeeping.

“GLDW is the first ETF listed in the US backed by physical gold that is designed to hedge the movement of gold against the U.S. dollar,” said Joseph Cavatoni, Principal Executive Officer of GLDW’s sponsor, and Managing Director USA and ETFs, World Gold Council.

“For investors and advisors incorporating currency movements into their investment thesis, the SPDR® Long Dollar Gold Trust provides a convenient vehicle to lessen the potential impact of the dollar on gold prices by creating the economic effect of owning gold with a basket of non-US currencies. Together, GLDW and GLD® may allow investors to enjoy the diversification benefits of holding gold in either strong or weak dollar environments.”

In November 2004, the World Gold Council through a US subsidiary and State Street Global Advisors launched SPDR® Gold Shares (GLD®), the first US traded gold ETF and the first US-listed ETF backed by a physical asset. GLD® attracted more than $1 billion in assets in its first three trading days. Listed on the NYSE Arca, in addition to exchanges in Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Mexico, GLD® remains the largest gold ETF with approximately $30.6 billion3 in assets under management backed by physical gold bullion.

The net and gross expense ratio for GLDW is 0.50 percent.

About State Street Global Advisors

For nearly four decades, State Street Global Advisors has been committed to helping financial professionals and those who rely on them achieve their investment objectives. We partner with institutions and financial professionals to help them reach their goals through a rigorous, research-driven process spanning both active and index disciplines. We take pride in working closely with our clients to develop precise investment strategies, including our pioneering family of SPDR ETFs. With trillions* in assets under management, our scale and global footprint provide access to markets and asset classes, and allow us to deliver expert insights and investment solutions.

State Street Global Advisors is the investment management arm of State Street Corporation.

*Assets under management were $2.4 trillion as of December 31, 2016. *AUM includes the assets of the SPDR® Gold ETF (approximately $30.6 billion as of December 31, 2016), for which State Street Global Markets, LLC, an affiliate of SSgA, serves as the distribution agent.

About World Gold Council

The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. Our purpose is to stimulate and sustain demand for gold, provide industry leadership and be the global authority on the gold market. We focus on policy-related issues, market infrastructure, central banks and investment markets.

We develop gold-backed solutions, together with industry partners, that create structural shifts in demand across key market sectors. We provide insights into the international gold markets, helping people to understand the wealth preservation qualities of gold.

The membership of the World Gold Council includes the world’s leading and most forward thinking gold mining companies.

Important risk information

Investing involves risk, and you could lose money on an investment in each of SPDR® Gold Shares Trust (“GLD®”) and SPDR® Long Dollar Gold Trust (“GLDW”) (together, the “Funds”).

Commodities and commodity-index linked securities may be affected by changes in overall market movements, changes in interest rates, and other factors such as weather, disease, embargoes, or political and regulatory developments, as well as trading activity of speculators and arbitrageurs in the underlying commodities.

GLDW is subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936 (the “CEA”). U.S. regulation of swap agreements is rapidly changing and is subject to further regulatory developments which could be adverse to GLDW. GLDW’s swap agreements will be subject to counterparty risk and liquidity risk.

Currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and non-U.S. currencies may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time and may cause the value of GLDW’s investments to decline.

GLDW is a passive investment vehicle that is designed to track the Index. GLDW’s performance may deviate from changes in the levels of its Index (i.e., create “tracking error” between GLDW and the Index)for a number of reasons, such as the fees and expenses of GLDW, which are not accounted for by the Index.

Frequent trading of ETFs could significantly increase commissions and other costs such that they may offset any savings from low fees or costs.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss.

Investing in commodities entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors.

Important Information Relating to SPDR® Gold Shares Trust (“GLD ®”) and SPDR® Long Dollar Gold Trust (“GLDW”):

The SPDR® Gold Shares Trust (“GLD®”) and the SPDR® Long Dollar Gold Trust (“GLDW”) have each filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the offerings to which this communication relates. GLDW has also filed the prospectus with the National Futures Association. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in the registration statement and other documents each Fund has filed with the SEC for more complete information about each Fund and these offerings. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at sec.gov or by visiting spdrgoldshares.com.Alternatively, the Funds or any authorized participant will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling 866.320.4053.

Neither Fund is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). As a result, shareholders of each Fund do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment company registered under the 1940 Act. GLD is not subject to regulation under the CEA. As a result, shareholders of GLD do not have the protections afforded by the CEA.

Shares of each Fund trade like stocks, are subject to investment risk and will fluctuate in market value.

The value of GLD shares relates directly to the value of the gold held by GLD (less its expenses). Fluctuations in the price of gold could materially and adversely affect an investment in the shares. The price received upon the sale of the shares, which trade at market price, may be more or less than the value of the gold represented by them.

GLDW shares trade like stocks, are subject to investment risk and will fluctuate in market value. The value of GLDW shares relates directly to the value of the gold held by GLDW (less its expenses) and the value of a basket (“FX Basket”) comprising the euro, Japanese yen, British pound sterling, Canadian dollar, Swedish krona and Swiss franc (“Reference Currencies”) against the U.S. dollar. A decline in the price of gold and/or an increase in the value of the Reference Currencies comprising the FX basket against the U.S. dollar could materially and adversely affect an investment in the shares. The price received upon the sale of the shares, which trade at market price, may be more or less than the value of the gold and the price of each Reference Currency against the U.S. dollar represented by them. GLDW does not generate any income, and as GLDW regularly sells gold to pay for its ongoing expenses, the amount of gold represented by each Share will decline over time to that extent. Investing involves risk, and you could lose money on an investment in GLDW.

Neither Fund generates any income, and as each Fund regularly sells gold to pay for its ongoing expenses, the amount of gold represented by each Fund share will decline over time to that extent. Investing involves risk, and you could lose money on an investment in each Fund.

Please see each Fund’s prospectus for a detailed discussion of the risks of investing in each Fund’s shares. The GLD prospectus is available by clicking here, and the GLDW prospectus is available by clicking here.

The World Gold Council name and logo are a registered trademark and used with the permission of the World Gold Council pursuant to a license agreement. The World Gold Council in not responsible for the content of, and is not liable for the use of or reliance on, this material. World Gold Council is an affiliate of GLDW's Sponsor.

SPDR® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“SPFS”) and has been sublicensed by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI” and together with its affiliates and SPFS, “S&P”) for use by State Street Global Advisors. No financial product offered by State Street Global Advisors, a division of State Street Bank and Trust Company, or its affiliates is sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P. S&P makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor does S&P have any liability in relation thereto.

Important Information Relating to Solactive GLD® Long USD Gold Index:

GLDW is not sponsored, promoted, sold or supported in any other manner by Solactive AG nor does Solactive AG offer any express or implicit guarantee or assurance either with regard to the results of using the Index and/or Index trademark or the Index value at any time or in any other respect. The Index is calculated and published by Solactive AG. Solactive AG uses its best efforts to ensure that the Index is calculated correctly. Irrespective of its obligations towards GLDW, Solactive AG has no obligation to point out errors in the Index to third parties including but not limited to investors in and/or financial intermediaries transacting in or with GLDW. Neither publication of the Index by Solactive AG nor the licensing of the Index or Index trademark for the purpose of use in connection with GLDW constitutes a recommendation by Solactive AG to invest capital in GLDW nor does it in any way represent an assurance or opinion of Solactive AG with regard to any investment in GLDW.

For more information, please contact the Marketing Agent for GLD and GLDW: State Street Global Markets, LLC, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA, 02111;
T: +1 866 320 4053 spdrgoldshares.com

© 2017 State Street Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
State Street Global Advisors, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111

Not FDIC Insured - No Bank Guarantee - May Lose Value

CORP-2585

Exp. Date: 1/30/18

1 Source: Bloomberg Finance L.P., SSGA.
2 The currency basket of GLDW is comprised of the euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Canadian Dollar, Swedish krona and Swiss franc.
3 Bloomberg as of 12/31/16

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