Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GDX vs VPU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GDX returned +19.0% to VPU's −3.3%, and VPU charges 0.09% to GDX's 0.51%.
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Net assets: $25.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Gold Miners ETF, and $7.7bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Utilities ETF.
Pair scorecard
VPU costs 0.42 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 22.3 points.
| Measure | GDX | VPU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +19.0% | −3.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Below its high | 8.9%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Gold miners | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50 |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 5.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, GDX as of Oct 27, 2026 and VPU as of Sep 30, 2026 | $25.6bn | $7.7bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60% | 52.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and VPU hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
GDX and VPU 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.
VPU
VPU tracks an index of Utilities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.3% with distributions reinvested, against −3.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Utilities 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 70 positions, with the top ten at 52.3%. It sat 8.9% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are GDX and VPU in the same category?
- GDX is a thematic ETF and VPU 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 VPU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +19.0% and VPU −3.3%.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or VPU?
- VPU is cheaper, by 0.42 percentage points a year. That is about $42 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 VPU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-vpu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GDX against VPU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-vpu
[GDX against VPU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-vpu)
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