Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
AVUS vs GDX: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, AVUS returned +18.0% to GDX's +19.0%, and AVUS charges 0.15% to GDX's 0.51%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $14.8bn for Avantis U.S. Equity ETF and $25.6bn for VanEck Gold Miners ETF.
Pair scorecard
AVUS costs 0.36 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.0 point; GDX is 1.7 times larger.
| Measure | AVUS | GDX |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +19.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Gold miners |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 5.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.51% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $14.8bn | $25.6bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 30.0% | 60% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, AVUS and GDX hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
AVUS and GDX on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 3000.
AVUS is actively managed and tracks no index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 84% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,943 positions, with the top ten at 30.0%.
GDX
By weight, 12% 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 60% of the fund across 59 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +19.0% with distributions reinvested against +13.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI Index, so a holder was ahead by 5.6 pts. It sits 27.5% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are AVUS and GDX in the same category?
- AVUS is a stock ETF and GDX is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, AVUS or GDX?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AVUS returned +18.0% and GDX +19.0%.
- Which is cheaper, AVUS or GDX?
- AVUS is cheaper, by 0.36 percentage points a year. That is about $36 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, AVUS against GDX, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/avus-vs-gdx
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). AVUS against GDX. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/avus-vs-gdx
[AVUS against GDX (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/avus-vs-gdx)
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