Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GARP vs GDX: how they differ
Over the year GDX returned more, +40.2% against +29.5%, and GARP charges 0.15% against 0.51%.
iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF and VanEck Gold Miners ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GARP and GDX hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GARP | GDX |
|---|---|---|
| COEUR MINING INC | 0.31% | 2.38% |
| NEWMONT CORP | 0.13% | 10.42% |
| Only in GARP | Only in GDX |
|---|---|
| KLA CORP 6.46% | Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 10.67% |
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC 6.07% | Barrick Mining Corp 7.95% |
| APPLE INC 4.44% | Wheaton Precious Metals Corp 5.61% |
| NVIDIA CORP 4.16% | Anglogold Ashanti Plc 5.04% |
| MICROSOFT CORP 4.10% | Franco-Nevada Corp 4.89% |
| BROADCOM INC 3.96% | Kinross Gold Corp 4.40% |
| LAM RESEARCH CORP 3.79% | Gold Fields Ltd 4.07% |
| ELI LILLY & COMPANY 3.73% | Pan American Silver Corp 2.98% |
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 Jun 30, 2026.
| GARP iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF | GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Thematic ETF |
| Issuer | iShares | VanEck |
| What it is | MSCI USA Quality GARP | Miners and metals |
| Total return, 1 year | +29.5% | +40.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +12.0 pts | +22.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.51% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 94.4% | 11.0% |
| Holdings | 131 | 59 |
GARP in plain words
GARP is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Quality GARP. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +29.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 131 positions, with the top ten at 43.8%.
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, GARP or GDX?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GARP returned +29.5% and GDX returned +40.2%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GARP or GDX?
- GARP charges 0.15% a year and GDX charges 0.51%, so GARP is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do GARP and GDX overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 94% of GARP 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 GARP and GDX the same kind of fund?
- No. GARP 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, GARP against GDX, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GARP-GDX Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources