Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GDX vs SLV: how they differ
Over the year SLV returned more, +53.8% against +40.2%, and SLV charges 0.50% against 0.51%.
VanEck Gold Miners ETF and iShares Silver Trust.
| GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | SLV iShares Silver Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | VanEck | iShares |
| What it is | Miners and metals | Silver |
| Total return, 1 year | +40.2% | +53.8% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +22.7 pts | +36.3 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.50% |
| Holdings | 59 | not filed |
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.
SLV in plain words
SLV is a commodity fund tracking the Silver. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +53.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.50% a year. It sat 45.0% below its high of Jan 28, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GDX or SLV?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and SLV returned +53.8%, so SLV returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or SLV?
- GDX charges 0.51% a year and SLV charges 0.50%, so SLV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are GDX and SLV the same kind of fund?
- No. GDX is a thematic ETF and SLV is an index 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, GDX against SLV, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GDX-SLV Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources