Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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GDX vs LYTE: Differences, Returns & Fees

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GDX and LYTE are compared on the fields both publish.

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Net assets: $25.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Gold Miners ETF, and $165m on Oct 28, 2026 for Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF.

At a glance
+19.0%
GDX total return, 1 year
−19.6%
LYTE total return, since launch, Aug 6, 2026
0.51%
GDX expense ratio
0.65%
LYTE expense ratio

Pair scorecard

GDX costs 0.14 points a year less; GDX is far larger, $25.6bn against $163m.

GDX vs LYTE: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureGDXLYTE
Return
Total return, 1 year+19.0%not published
Drawdown
Below its all-time high27.5%, high on Feb 27, 202628.5%, high on Aug 17, 2026
Against its benchmark
What it tracksGold minersPhotonics and optics
Against its benchmark, 1 yearahead by 5.6 pts
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.51%0.65%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$25.6bn$163m
Active share vs the S&P 500100%
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
In the S&P 500, by weight12%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund60%

Method

Side by side

GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF LYTE Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF
Where it sits Thematic ETF Thematic ETF
What it is Gold miners Photonics and optics
Total return, 1 year +19.0% −19.6% (since launch, Aug 6, 2026)
Its benchmark over the same days +13.4% (ACWI) not measured
Gap to its benchmark +5.6 pts vs ACWI not measured
Expense ratio 0.51% 0.65%
Holdings 59 not yet filed
Net assets, GDX as of Oct 27, 2026 and LYTE as of Oct 28, 2026 $25.6bn $165m

GDX and LYTE on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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About each fund
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.

LYTE

LYTE has no public holdings filing captured yet. Since it first traded on Aug 6, 2026 the fund returned −19.6% with distributions reinvested. It sits 28.5% below its all-time high of Aug 17, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, GDX or LYTE?
GDX is cheaper, by 0.14 percentage points a year. That is about $14 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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ETFIQ, GDX against LYTE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-lyte

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