Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GDX vs IXUS: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GDX returned +19.0% to IXUS's +14.1%, and IXUS charges 0.07% to GDX's 0.51%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $25.6bn for VanEck Gold Miners ETF and $57.6bn for iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF.
Pair scorecard
IXUS costs 0.44 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.9 points; IXUS is 2.3 times larger.
| Measure | GDX | IXUS |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +19.0% | +14.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Below its high | 4.9%, high on Sep 4, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Gold miners | MSCI ACWI ex USA IMI |
| 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 | $57.6bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60% | 13.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and IXUS hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
2% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
GDX and IXUS 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.
IXUS
IXUS tracks the MSCI Total International Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.1% 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 4,584 positions, with the top ten at 13.5%. It sat 4.9% below its high of Sep 4, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are GDX and IXUS in the same category?
- GDX is a thematic ETF and IXUS 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 IXUS?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +19.0% and IXUS +14.1%.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or IXUS?
- IXUS 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.
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ETFIQ, GDX against IXUS, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-ixus
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GDX against IXUS. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-ixus
[GDX against IXUS (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-ixus)
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