Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GDX vs XLV: how they differ
Over the year GDX returned more, +40.2% against +20.4%, and XLV charges 0.08% against 0.51%.
VanEck Gold Miners ETF and State Street(R) Health Care Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and XLV hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in GDX | Only in XLV |
|---|---|
| Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 10.67% | Eli Lilly & Co 16.56% |
| Newmont Corp 10.42% | Johnson & Johnson 10.67% |
| Barrick Mining Corp 7.95% | AbbVie Inc 7.76% |
| Wheaton Precious Metals Corp 5.61% | UnitedHealth Group Inc 6.59% |
| Anglogold Ashanti Plc 5.04% | Merck & Co Inc 5.54% |
| Franco-Nevada Corp 4.89% | Amgen Inc 3.41% |
| Kinross Gold Corp 4.40% | Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc 3.25% |
| Gold Fields Ltd 4.07% | Abbott Laboratories 2.76% |
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 | XLV State Street(R) Health Care Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | VanEck | State Street |
| What it is | Miners and metals | Health care |
| Total return, 1 year | +40.2% | +20.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +22.7 pts | +2.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 11.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 59 | 59 |
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.
XLV in plain words
XLV is an index equity fund tracking the Health care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +20.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 59 positions, with the top ten at 61.7%. It sat 5.9% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GDX or XLV?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and XLV returned +20.4%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or XLV?
- GDX charges 0.51% a year and XLV charges 0.08%, so XLV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do GDX and XLV overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 11% of GDX and 100% of XLV 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 XLV the same kind of fund?
- No. GDX is a thematic ETF and XLV 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 XLV, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GDX-XLV Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources