Which returned more over the last year, GDX or VBIL?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and VBIL returned +3.8%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GDX or VBIL?

GDX charges 0.51% a year and VBIL charges 0.06%, so VBIL is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Are GDX and VBIL the same kind of fund?

No. GDX is a thematic ETF and VBIL is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

GDX vs VBIL: how they differ

Over the year GDX returned more, +40.2% against +3.8%, and VBIL charges 0.06% against 0.51%.

VanEck Gold Miners ETF and Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, GDX and VBIL hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in GDX	Only in VBIL
Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 10.67%	United States Treasury Bill 6.78%
Newmont Corp 10.42%	United States Treasury Bill 6.10%
Barrick Mining Corp 7.95%	United States Treasury Bill 5.61%
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp 5.61%	United States Treasury Bill 5.41%
Anglogold Ashanti Plc 5.04%	United States Treasury Bill 5.18%
Franco-Nevada Corp 4.89%	United States Treasury Bill 5.17%
Kinross Gold Corp 4.40%	United States Treasury Bill 5.15%
Gold Fields Ltd 4.07%	United States Treasury Bill 5.13%

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 and VBIL on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF	VBIL Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF
Where it sits	Thematic ETF	Core index fund
Issuer	VanEck	Vanguard
What it is	Miners and metals	0-3 Month Treasury Bill
Total return, 1 year	+40.2%	+3.8%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	+22.7 pts	−13.7 pts
Expense ratio	0.51%	0.06%
Holdings	59	26

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.

VBIL in plain words

VBIL is a cash and treasury bills tracking the 0-3 Month Treasury Bill. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +3.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GDX or VBIL?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and VBIL returned +3.8%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GDX or VBIL?: GDX charges 0.51% a year and VBIL charges 0.06%, so VBIL is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Are GDX and VBIL the same kind of fund?: No. GDX is a thematic ETF and VBIL 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

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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.

GDX against VBIL, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GDX against VBIL, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GDX-VBIL Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources