Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GDX vs IXUS: how they differ
Over the year GDX returned more, +40.2% against +22.2%, and IXUS charges 0.07% against 0.51%.
VanEck Gold Miners ETF and iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and IXUS hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GDX | IXUS |
|---|---|---|
| Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd | 10.58% | 0.23% |
| Wheaton Precious Metals Corp | 5.90% | 0.15% |
| Franco-Nevada Corp | 4.79% | 0.11% |
| Gold Fields Ltd | 4.23% | 0.09% |
| Pan American Silver Corp | 2.63% | 0.05% |
| Alamos Gold Inc | 1.74% | 0.03% |
| Equinox Gold Corp | 1.65% | 0.03% |
| First Majestic Silver Corp | 1.32% | 0.02% |
| Oceanagold Corp | 0.88% | 0.02% |
| Or Royalties Inc | 0.64% | 0.02% |
| Ssr Mining Inc | 0.84% | 0.02% |
| Aris Mining Corp | 0.54% | 0.01% |
| Only in GDX | Only in IXUS |
|---|---|
| Barrick Mining Corp 7.35% | TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING 4.49% |
| Anglogold Ashanti Plc 5.07% | SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD 2.21% |
| Kinross Gold Corp 4.21% | SK HYNIX 1.79% |
| Northern Star Resources Ltd 2.44% | ASML HOLDING 1.55% |
| Coeur Mining Inc 2.32% | HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 0.84% |
| Royal Gold Inc 1.94% | TENCENT HOLDINGS 0.78% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd 1.57% | ROCHE PS PAR AG 0.70% |
| Industrias Penoles Sab De Cv 1.43% | ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.68% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026.
| GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | IXUS iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | VanEck | iShares |
| What it is | Miners and metals | Core MSCI Total International Stock |
| Total return, 1 year | +40.2% | +22.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +22.7 pts | +4.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.07% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 11.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 59 | 2540 |
GDX in plain words
By weight, 11% 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 58% of the fund across 59 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +40.2% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 22.7 pts. It sits 16.2% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
IXUS in plain words
IXUS is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI Total International Stock. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +22.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2540 positions, with the top ten at 14.3%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GDX or IXUS?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +40.2% and IXUS returned +22.2%, so GDX returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or IXUS?
- GDX charges 0.51% a year and IXUS charges 0.07%, so IXUS is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do GDX and IXUS overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 11% of GDX and 0% of IXUS by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 1% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
- Are GDX and IXUS the same kind of fund?
- No. GDX is a thematic ETF and IXUS is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, GDX against IXUS, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-ixus Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources