LONDON -- Gold remained range-bound last week, trading between $1,570 and $1,585 per ounce, and ending the week almost unchanged, up just 0.1% at $1,576.

Of course, the only practical way for most private investors to invest in gold is through exchange-traded funds. The largest gold ETF, the $64bn SPDR Gold Trust (GLD 0.32%), rose 0.18% to $152.71 last week, while London-listed Gold Bullion Securities (LSE: GBS) rose 0.14% to $152.05 over the same period. So far this year, shareholders of Gold Bullion Securities have seen the value of their holdings fall by 5.2%, while the value of SPDR Gold Trust shares has fallen by 5.8%.

Gold's big movers
Many investors prefer to invest in gold-mining stocks, rather than gold itself, as gold miners are able to use their operational gearing to outperform the price of gold. Let's take a look at some gold stocks that made decent gains last week, despite the price of gold remaining flat.

Archipelago Resources (LSE: AR) rose 9.1% to 60 pence last week after announcing impressive drilling results from its Toka Tindung mine in Indonesia and confirming that it will begin paying dividends. The miner, which has just completed its first full year of production, will pay a regular dividend of at least 10% of operating cash flow, in addition to one-off special dividends. Archipelago's maiden dividend will be 1.25 pence per share, plus a special dividend of 1 pence per share, providing a dividend yield of 3.75% at Friday's closing share price.

Centamin (LSE: CEY) edged 1.9% higher last week to close at 53.75 pence on Friday, as rumors suggested that the firm might be getting closer to a solution to its legal problems in Egypt, where the validity of Centamin's mining license for its only producing asset, the Sukari mine, has been challenged. Investors have been wary of the stock since the license challenge but the shares could rebound strongly if the issues are resolved.

Seabridge Gold (SA 2.06%) gained 15.9% to $14.05 last week after it confirmed that it had filed the application for an environmental assessment certificate for its KSM gold project in British Columbia. Seabridge shares then made further gains after the company announced that it had begun core drilling the Walsh Lake gold target at its Courageous Lake project in Canada. The results of previous drilling at Walsh Lake have exceeded expectations.

Shares vs. commodities
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