Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
DGRO vs GDX: how they differ
Over the year GDX returned more, +40.2% against +17.4%, and DGRO charges 0.08% against 0.51%.
iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF and VanEck Gold Miners ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, DGRO and GDX hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | DGRO | GDX |
|---|---|---|
| ROYAL GOLD INC | 0.03% | 1.95% |
| Only in DGRO | Only in GDX |
|---|---|
| BROADCOM INC 3.25% | Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 10.67% |
| JP MORGAN CHASE & COMPANY 3.05% | Newmont Corp 10.42% |
| APPLE INC 2.94% | Barrick Mining Corp 7.95% |
| MICROSOFT CORP 2.92% | Wheaton Precious Metals Corp 5.61% |
| EXXON MOBIL CORP 2.91% | Anglogold Ashanti Plc 5.04% |
| JOHNSON & JOHNSON 2.64% | Franco-Nevada Corp 4.89% |
| ABBVIE INC 2.53% | Kinross Gold Corp 4.40% |
| UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC 2.32% | Gold Fields Ltd 4.07% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Thematic ETF |
| Issuer | iShares | VanEck |
| What it is | Core Dividend Growth | Miners and metals |
| Total return, 1 year | +17.4% | +40.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −0.1 pts | +22.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.51% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 94.7% | 11.0% |
| Holdings | 394 | 59 |
DGRO in plain words
DGRO is an index equity fund tracking the Core Dividend Growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 95% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 394 positions, with the top ten at 26.6%.
GDX in plain words
By weight, 11% of GDX's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 58% of the fund across 59 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +40.2% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 22.7 pts. It sits 16.2% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, DGRO or GDX?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DGRO returned +17.4% and GDX returned +40.2%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, DGRO or GDX?
- DGRO charges 0.08% a year and GDX charges 0.51%, so DGRO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do DGRO and GDX overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 95% of DGRO and 11% of GDX by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
- Are DGRO and GDX the same kind of fund?
- No. DGRO is an index ETF and GDX is a thematic ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, DGRO against GDX, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/DGRO-GDX Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources