Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GDX vs IWF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GDX returned +19.0% to IWF's +0.9%, and IWF charges 0.18% to GDX's 0.51%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $25.6bn for VanEck Gold Miners ETF and $124.7bn for iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF.
Pair scorecard
IWF costs 0.33 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 18.1 points; IWF is 4.9 times larger.
| Measure | GDX | IWF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +19.0% | +0.9% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Below its high | 4.8%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Gold miners | Russell 1000 Growth Index |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 5.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.18% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $25.6bn | $124.7bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60% | 57.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and IWF 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
GDX and IWF 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.
IWF
IWF tracks the Russell 1000 growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +0.9% with distributions reinvested, against +1.1% for its benchmark, the Russell 1000 Growth Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% 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 374 positions, with the top ten at 57.5%. It sat 4.8% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are GDX and IWF in the same category?
- GDX is a thematic ETF and IWF 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 IWF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +19.0% and IWF +0.9%.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or IWF?
- IWF is cheaper, by 0.33 percentage points a year. That is about $33 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, GDX against IWF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-iwf
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GDX against IWF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-iwf
[GDX against IWF (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-iwf)
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