Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GDX vs VB: how they differ
Over the year GDX returned more, +40.2% against +15.2%, and VB charges 0.03% against 0.51%.
VanEck Gold Miners ETF and Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and VB hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GDX | VB |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Gold Inc | 1.95% | 0.21% |
| Coeur Mining Inc | 2.38% | 0.18% |
| Hecla Mining Co | 1.38% | 0.13% |
| Only in GDX | Only in VB |
|---|---|
| Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 10.67% | Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd 0.55% |
| Newmont Corp 10.42% | Jabil Inc 0.49% |
| Barrick Mining Corp 7.95% | REVOLUTION Medicines Inc 0.46% |
| Wheaton Precious Metals Corp 5.61% | Astera Labs Inc 0.45% |
| Anglogold Ashanti Plc 5.04% | Natera Inc 0.45% |
| Franco-Nevada Corp 4.89% | EMCOR Group Inc 0.45% |
| Kinross Gold Corp 4.40% | Twilio Inc 0.38% |
| Gold Fields Ltd 4.07% | NRG Energy Inc 0.38% |
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.
| GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | VB Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | VanEck | Vanguard |
| What it is | Miners and metals | Small-Cap |
| Total return, 1 year | +40.2% | +15.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +22.7 pts | −2.3 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 11.0% | 21.7% |
| Holdings | 59 | 1311 |
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.
VB in plain words
VB is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +15.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1311 positions, with the top ten at 4.3%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GDX or VB?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and VB returned +15.2%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or VB?
- GDX charges 0.51% a year and VB charges 0.03%, so VB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do GDX and VB overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 11% of GDX and 22% of VB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 1% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
- Are GDX and VB the same kind of fund?
- No. GDX is a thematic ETF and VB 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 VB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GDX-VB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources