Selecting a short time scale is not representative of anything. 401(k)s are meant to be long-term investment vehicles for retirement.
Let's say I've nearly worked 30 years and I'm hoping to retire soon. Had I put my money all in silver, the top performer in your YTD chart, I would have over tripled my initial investment. However, putting my money in the S&P500 would've given me a 10x return over the same period.
When it comes to buying equities or commodities, I typically prefer equities. Companies can innovate and grow and create new value that didn't exist. But a pile of precious metal today is the same pile of metal tomorrow.
Let's say I've nearly worked 30 years and I'm hoping to retire soon. Had I put my money all in silver, the top performer in your YTD chart, I would have over tripled my initial investment. However, putting my money in the S&P500 would've given me a 10x return over the same period.
When it comes to buying equities or commodities, I typically prefer equities. Companies can innovate and grow and create new value that didn't exist. But a pile of precious metal today is the same pile of metal tomorrow.