BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 21, 2006--State Street Global
Advisors (SSgA), the investment management arm of State Street
Corporation (NYSE: STT), and the largest institutional fund manager in
the world,(a) today announced that assets in the streetTRACKS(R) Gold
Trust (NYSE: GLD), the issuer of streetTRACKS(R) Gold Shares, have
exceeded $6 billion.
Launched in November 2004, GLD is the first US commodity-based
exchange-traded security and provides investors with simple, secure
and cost- effective access to the gold bullion market. Designed to
reduce the barriers to investing in gold, GLD holds physically
allocated gold bullion with the objective of reflecting performance of
the price of gold bullion less expenses.
GLD represents the fourth of five global gold-backed securities
launched under the brand name Exchange Traded Gold. The other
securities trade on the London, Johannesburg, and Australian stock
exchanges as well as on Euronext in Paris, and all provide investors
with simple, secure, and cost-effective access to the global gold
market.
SSgA partnered with World Gold Trust Services, a subsidiary of the
World Gold Council, to bring GLD to market. On November 18, 2004, GLD
completed its first day on the NYSE with almost 6 million shares
traded, a record for any derivative, ETF or structured product listed
on the NYSE.
"As an innovative method of gaining access to U.S. commodities,
streetTRACKS Gold Shares have been a popular choice for investors
desiring to diversify their portfolios," said Jim Ross, co-head of
SSgA's Advisor Strategies unit. "GLD is an excellent and timely
complement to SSgA's existing stable of ETFs."
"Since its initial launch, investor interest in GLD has been very
encouraging," said George Milling-Stanley, manager of Investment and
Market Intelligence for the World Gold Council. "This demand has grown
as gold has registered a solid performance and garnered impressive
investment returns."
State Street Global Advisors currently has more than $94 billion
in ETF assets under management worldwide and is the second largest
provider in the US and globally.(b) In partnership with the AMEX,
State Street introduced the first ETF, the SPDR, in 1993. SSgA
continues to be an innovator of ETF products, having recently launched
a total of 12 new ETFs since November 2005.
World Gold Trust Services, LLC, which is wholly-owned by the World
Gold Council, is the sponsor of the streetTRACKS(R) Gold Trust. The
World Gold Council, a commercially-driven marketing organization, is
funded by the world's leading gold mining companies. For further
information visit www.gold.org. State Street Global Markets, LLC is
marketing agent for the Trust. For further information on GLD, visit
streettracksgoldshares.com.
The Trust has filed a registration statement (including a
prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication
relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that
registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with
the SEC for more complete information about theTrust and this
offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on
the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Trust or any
Authorized Participant will arrange to send you the prospectus if you
request it by calling toll free at 1-866-320-4053 or contacting State
Street Global Markets, LLC, One Lincoln Street, Attn: streetTRACKS(R),
30th Floor, Boston, MA 02111.
The streetTRACKS funds are distributed by State Street Global
Markets, LLC, member NASD, SIPC.
(a) Source: Pensions & Investments, May 31, 2005
(b) Source: SSgA Advisor Consulting Services as of December 31,
2005
CONTACT: State Street Corporation
Melissa Murphy, 703-894-1056
SOURCE: State Street Corporation