Gold council's ETF reaches $10 billion in assets

State Street Global Markets LLC Press Release
via Business Wire
Monday, February 26, 2007

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news...

BOSTON -- State Street Global Markets LLC, an affiliate of State Street Global Advisors, and World Gold Trust Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the World Gold Council, today announced that assets in the streetTRACKS Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD), the issuer of streetTRACKS Gold Shares, have surpassed $10 billion.

"A weak dollar, renewed inflation fears, and heightened political tensions across the globe appear to be increasing investors' appetite for exposure to gold," says James Burton, managing director of World Gold Trust Services. "As the first US exchange-traded fund to provide access to the portfolio diversification benefits of gold, the streetTRACKS Gold Trust has proven to be a popular solution for a wide array of financial advisors and investors who want cheap and easy access to gold's unique investment properties."

Launched by State Street and World Gold Trust Services in November 2004, GLD, the first U.S. commodity-based exchange-traded security, has emerged as one of the fastest growing ETFs in history. As of February 20, 2007, assets under management in the fund totaled approximately $10.2 billion, making it the seventh largest ETF by assets in the U.S.

"The success of GLD exemplifies our commitment to providing investors with precise access to markets that have previously been inefficient or not readily accessible," says James Ross, senior managing director of State Street Global Advisors.

* *

About World Gold Trust Services LLC.

World Gold Trust Services LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the World Gold Council (WGC) which is a commercially-driven marketing organization that is funded by the world's leading gold mining companies. A global advocate for gold, the WGC aims to promote the demand for gold in all its forms through marketing activities in major international markets. For further information, visit www.gold.org.

* * *

Help Keep GATA Going

GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at www.GATA.org. GATA is grateful for financial contributions, which are federally tax-deductible in the United States.