Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GARP vs GDX: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GARP returned +18.0% to GDX's +19.0%, and GARP charges 0.15% to GDX's 0.51%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $3.6bn for iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF and $25.6bn for VanEck Gold Miners ETF.
Pair scorecard
GARP costs 0.36 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.0 point; GDX is 7.1 times larger.
| Measure | GARP | GDX |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +19.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 7.0%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI USA Quality GARP Select Index | 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 | $3.6bn | $25.6bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 1% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 43.5% | 60% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GARP and GDX hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
1% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
GARP and GDX on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GARP
GARP tracks the MSCI USA Quality GARP. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 131 positions, with the top ten at 43.5%. It sat 7.0% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
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 GARP and GDX in the same category?
- GARP 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, GARP or GDX?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GARP returned +18.0% and GDX +19.0%.
- Which is cheaper, GARP or GDX?
- GARP 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, GARP against GDX, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/garp-vs-gdx
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GARP against GDX. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/garp-vs-gdx
[GARP against GDX (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/garp-vs-gdx)
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