Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GDX vs IEFA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GDX returned +19.0% to IEFA's +12.3%, and IEFA charges 0.07% to GDX's 0.51%.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about GDX and IEFA
Net assets: $25.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Gold Miners ETF, and $190.4bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF.
Pair scorecard
IEFA costs 0.44 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.7 points; IEFA is 7.4 times larger.
| Measure | GDX | IEFA |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +19.0% | +12.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Below its high | 4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Gold miners | MSCI EAFE IMI Index |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 5.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.07% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $25.6bn | $190.1bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 1% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60% | 12.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and IEFA 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
GDX and IEFA on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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.
IEFA
IEFA tracks the MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.3% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2,629 positions, with the top ten at 12.3%. It sat 4.7% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are GDX and IEFA in the same category?
- GDX is a thematic ETF and IEFA is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, GDX or IEFA?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +19.0% and IEFA +12.3%.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or IEFA?
- IEFA is cheaper, by 0.44 percentage points a year. That is about $44 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, GDX against IEFA, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-iefa
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GDX against IEFA. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-iefa
[GDX against IEFA (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-iefa)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.