Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GDX vs LYTE: Differences, Returns & Fees
GDX and LYTE are compared on the fields both publish.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about GDX and LYTENet assets: $25.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Gold Miners ETF, and $165m on Oct 28, 2026 for Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF.
Pair scorecard
GDX costs 0.14 points a year less; GDX is far larger, $25.6bn against $163m.
| Measure | GDX | LYTE |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +19.0% | not published |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | 28.5%, high on Aug 17, 2026 |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Gold miners | Photonics and optics |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 5.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.65% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $25.6bn | $163m |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 12% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60% | |
Side by side
GDX and LYTE 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.
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.
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ETFIQ, GDX against LYTE, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-lyte
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GDX against LYTE. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-lyte
[GDX against LYTE (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-lyte)
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