Based on 93 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly
📈
Buying streak — 7 quarters in a row
For 7 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added USAU than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️
At the ownership peak (100% of max)
100% of all-time peak
93 hedge funds hold USAU right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
🚀
Fast accumulation — +98% more funds vs a year ago
fund count last 6Q
+46 new funds entered over the past year (+98% YoY). That's a rapid rush of institutional money. Fast accumulation often signals a major thesis — but it also means the stock could fall quickly if that thesis breaks.
🟢
More buyers than sellers — 61% buying
55 buying35 selling
Last quarter: 55 funds were net buyers (27 opened a brand new position + 28 added to an existing one). Only 35 were sellers (20 trimmed + 15 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.
📈
More new buyers each quarter (+8 vs last Q)
new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening a new USAU position: 26 → 20 → 19 → 27. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.
🔄
Mostly new holders — 45% entered in last year
■ 18% conviction (2yr+)
■ 37% medium
■ 45% new
Only 17 funds (18%) have held >2 years. The majority of current holders are relatively new to the position. New holders tend to sell faster when prices drop — a shallow conviction base that could amplify any sell-off.
💎
Buying through price weakness — shares -1%, value -29%
Last quarter: funds added -1% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -29%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
➡️
Steady discovery — ~27 new funds/quarter
22 → 26 → 20 → 19 → 27 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 26 → 20 → 19 → 27. Consistent flow of new institutional buyers without clear acceleration or slowdown.
🌱
Early stage — 62% of holders entered in last year
■ 30% veterans
■ 7% 1-2yr
■ 62% new
Of 96 current holders: 60 (62%) entered in the past year, only 29 (30%) are 2+ year veterans. This is an early-phase institutional idea — still being discovered. High upside potential if the thesis plays out, but thin conviction base.
✅
Strong quality — 30% AUM from major funds
30% from top-100 AUM funds
29 of 92 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 30% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
5.0
out of 10
Moderate Exit Risk
Exit risk score 5.0/10 — some crowding factors present, but no critical concentration. Watch ownership trend over the next 1–2 quarters for direction.