Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GDXJ vs VUG: how they differ
Over the year GDXJ returned more, +42.4% against +12.9%, and VUG charges 0.03% against 0.52%.
VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF and Vanguard Growth Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GDXJ and VUG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in GDXJ | Only in VUG |
|---|---|
| Evolution Mining Ltd 6.38% | NVIDIA Corp 12.63% |
| Equinox Gold Corp 6.28% | Apple Inc 11.67% |
| Alamos Gold Inc 6.23% | Microsoft Corp 7.62% |
| Endeavour Mining PLC 5.33% | Alphabet Inc 5.76% |
| Coeur Mining Inc 5.15% | Alphabet Inc 4.54% |
| Industrias Penoles SAB de CV 2.89% | Amazon.com Inc 4.47% |
| First Majestic Silver Corp 2.72% | Broadcom Inc 4.29% |
| Hecla Mining Co 2.63% | Meta Platforms Inc 3.41% |
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.
| GDXJ VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF | VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | VanEck | Vanguard |
| What it is | Miners and metals | US growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +42.4% | +12.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +24.9 pts | −4.6 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.52% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 97.4% |
| Holdings | 110 | 147 |
GDXJ in plain words
By weight, 0% of GDXJ'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 42% of the fund across 110 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +42.4% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 24.9 pts. It sits 19.7% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
VUG in plain words
VUG is an index equity fund tracking the US growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.9% 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, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GDXJ or VUG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDXJ returned +42.4% and VUG returned +12.9%, so GDXJ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GDXJ or VUG?
- GDXJ charges 0.52% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do GDXJ and VUG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of GDXJ and 97% of VUG 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 GDXJ and VUG the same kind of fund?
- No. GDXJ is a thematic ETF and VUG 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, GDXJ against VUG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GDXJ-VUG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources