Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GDX vs SCHG: how they differ
Over the year GDX returned more, +40.2% against +12.7%, and SCHG charges 0.04% against 0.51%.
VanEck Gold Miners ETF and Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and SCHG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in GDX | Only in SCHG |
|---|---|
| Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 10.67% | NVIDIA Corp 11.02% |
| Newmont Corp 10.42% | Apple Inc 9.84% |
| Barrick Mining Corp 7.95% | Microsoft Corp 7.18% |
| Wheaton Precious Metals Corp 5.61% | Amazon.com Inc 5.68% |
| Anglogold Ashanti Plc 5.04% | Alphabet Inc 4.76% |
| Franco-Nevada Corp 4.89% | Broadcom Inc 4.55% |
| Kinross Gold Corp 4.40% | Tesla Inc 3.92% |
| Gold Fields Ltd 4.07% | Alphabet Inc 3.78% |
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 and May 31, 2026.
| GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | SCHG Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | VanEck | Schwab |
| What it is | Miners and metals | U.S. Large-Cap Growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +40.2% | +12.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +22.7 pts | −4.8 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.04% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 11.0% | 95.4% |
| Holdings | 59 | 193 |
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.
SCHG in plain words
SCHG is an index equity fund tracking the U.S. Large-Cap Growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 95% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 193 positions, with the top ten at 57.2%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GDX or SCHG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and SCHG returned +12.7%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or SCHG?
- GDX charges 0.51% a year and SCHG charges 0.04%, so SCHG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do GDX and SCHG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 11% of GDX and 95% of SCHG 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 GDX and SCHG the same kind of fund?
- No. GDX is a thematic ETF and SCHG is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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, GDX against SCHG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GDX-SCHG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources