GDX — VanEck Gold Miners ETF
Materials Ranked #210 of 458 tracked ETFs · Issued by VanEck
GDX Price Performance — Growth of $10,000
Value of a $10,000 investment in GDX over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.
GDX Drawdown
The "underwater" chart: GDX's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.
What If You'd Invested in GDX?
See what a lump sum in GDX would have grown to, with the option to add a regular monthly contribution on top. Figures use total returns — dividends are assumed reinvested.
Past performance doesn't predict future results. Assumes contributions on the first trading day of each month, no trading costs or taxes, and reinvested distributions. History is limited to the range published in the site's daily return data.
Overview
The VanEck Gold Miners ETF, trading under the ticker GDX, operates within the Materials category managed by issuer VanEck. With assets under management totaling $22.8 billion and a current share price of $74.21, the fund represents a significant position among the 15 ETFs tracked in its specific category. Across all 458 tracked ETFs, the fund holds an overall rank of #210 and has received an ETFValuer grade of C with a score of 62.0 out of 100. Investors in the fund face an annual expense ratio of 0.51% while receiving a dividend yield of 0.84%. The substantial asset size suggests considerable investor adoption relative to the broader universe of tracked funds. This combination of high assets and a mid-tier ranking indicates a mature vehicle that is widely held despite its average performance grade.
Short-term data shows a decline over the last day at -2.01% and a slight gain of +0.03% over the past week. The one-month return of -3.62% extends into a steeper three-month loss of -19.85%, while the six-month period reflects a significant drop of -30.95%. Year-to-date performance sits at -13.44%, indicating a challenging start to the current calendar year. However, the one-year return has surged to +38.53%, and the three-year return has reached +162.53%, demonstrating a sharp divergence between recent short-term weakness and strong long-term gains. This pattern suggests a period of recent volatility following a substantial multi-year appreciation phase.
The fund carries a Very High volatility label alongside a beta of 0.81, indicating that while price swings are extreme, the fund's movements are slightly less sensitive to broad market shifts than the average. A Sharpe ratio of 0.69 suggests that the risk-adjusted returns have been moderate relative to the volatility experienced. The maximum drawdown of -38.93% highlights the potential for severe capital erosion during downturns. This combination of high volatility and deep drawdowns implies that the fund is prone to significant price fluctuations in both directions. The low beta paired with high volatility suggests that idiosyncratic risks specific to the gold mining sector drive much of the price action rather than general market movements.
AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.
GDX Top Holdings
| # | Holding | % of Net Assets | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd | 12.08% | $3.40B |
| 2 | Newmont Corp | 10.77% | $3.03B |
| 3 | Barrick Mining Corp | 7.63% | $2.15B |
| 4 | Franco-Nevada Corp | 5.16% | $1.45B |
| 5 | Anglogold Ashanti Plc | 5.09% | $1.43B |
| 6 | Wheaton Precious Metals Corp | 4.89% | $1.38B |
| 7 | Kinross Gold Corp | 4.68% | $1.32B |
| 8 | Gold Fields Ltd | 4.48% | $1.26B |
| 9 | Pan American Silver Corp | 3.19% | $899M |
| 10 | Northern Star Resources Ltd | 2.59% | $730M |
Holdings as of 2026-03-31 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 60.6% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how GDX's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.
Which Funds Overlap With GDX
Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with GDX's top 10 — RING overlaps most, holding 8 of the same companies as GDX's top 10 (52.8% of GDX's assets).
| ETF | Name | Shared Companies | GDX Weight | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RING | iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF | 8 | 52.8% | Newmont Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd, Barrick Mining Corp… |
| IYM | iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | 2 | 15.9% | Newmont Corp, Anglogold Ashanti Plc |
| EZA | iShares MSCI South Africa ETF | 2 | 9.6% | Anglogold Ashanti Plc, Gold Fields Ltd |
| SIL | Global X Silver Miners ETF | 2 | 8.1% | Wheaton Precious Metals Corp, Pan American Silver Corp |
| EWC | iShares MSCI Canada ETF | 1 | 12.1% | Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd |
Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.
Market Backdrop
10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.65% (as of 2026-07-27) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.
CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 18.67 (as of 2026-07-27) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.
Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.
What GDX's Fees Cost You
GDX charges an expense ratio of 0.51% a year, deducted automatically from the fund's value. Small percentages compound into real money — adjust the figures below to see the impact on your own numbers.
Assumes a constant gross return and no additional contributions — a simplification, but it isolates exactly what the expense ratio costs. Try the full fee calculator to model contributions and compare any two funds.
GDX Dividend Income Estimator
GDX currently yields 0.84%. Enter an amount to see the income that implies, or set a monthly income target to see the investment it would take.
Based on the fund's current trailing yield, which varies with price and distributions — treat it as an estimate, not a guarantee. Yields are not adjusted for tax.
GDX Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment
Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is — and average daily volume is 21.7M/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $22.8B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.
Domicile & tax treatment: GDX is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.
GDX Performance History
| Period | Return |
|---|---|
| 1-Day | -2.01% |
| 1-Week | +0.03% |
| 1-Month | -3.62% |
| 3-Month | -19.85% |
| 6-Month | -30.95% |
| YTD | -13.44% |
| 1-Year | +38.53% |
| 3-Year | +162.53% |
How GDX Compares to Other Materials ETFs
| Rank | Grade | Ticker | Name | 1-Year | Exp. Ratio | AUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #152 | B |
COPX | Global X Copper Miners ETF | +73.77% | 0.65% | $7.15B |
| #210 | C |
GDX | VanEck Gold Miners ETF | +38.53% | 0.51% | $22.8B |
| #234 | C |
GDXJ | VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF | +45.99% | 0.52% | $7.08B |
| #235 | C |
XME | State Street SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF | +31.20% | 0.35% | $4.38B |
| #243 | C |
RING | iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF | +41.77% | 0.39% | $2.20B |
| #255 | C |
SILJ | Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF | +58.77% | 0.69% | $3.40B |
| #258 | C |
SIL | Global X Silver Miners ETF | +49.63% | 0.65% | $4.21B |
| #319 | C |
IYM | iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | +22.49% | 0.38% | $1.41B |
| #330 | C |
XLB | State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF | +15.39% | 0.08% | $8.17B |
| #346 | C |
LIT | Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF | +51.09% | 0.75% | $1.77B |
| #367 | C |
VAW | Vanguard Materials Index Fund ETF Shares | +14.23% | 0.09% | $4.49B |
| #385 | D |
FMAT | Fidelity MSCI Materials Index ETF | +14.13% | 0.084% | $624M |
| #402 | D |
MOO | VanEck Agribusiness ETF | +14.95% | 0.56% | $944M |
| #421 | D |
URA | Global X Uranium ETF | -2.44% | 0.69% | $6.00B |
| #422 | D |
NLR | VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF | -10.06% | 0.52% | $4.21B |