Are GDX and VTEB in the same category?

GDX is a thematic ETF and VTEB is a bond 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 VTEB?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +19.0% and VTEB −0.4%.

Which is cheaper, GDX or VTEB?

VTEB is cheaper, by 0.48 percentage points a year. That is about $48 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

GDX vs VTEB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GDX returned +19.0% to VTEB's −0.4%, and VTEB charges 0.03% to GDX's 0.51%.

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Net assets: $25.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Gold Miners ETF, and $49.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF.

GDX on its own →VTEB on its own →

At a glance

+19.0%

GDX total return, 1 year

−0.4%

VTEB total return, 1 year

0.51%

GDX expense ratio

0.03%

VTEB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VTEB costs 0.48 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 19.4 points.

GDX vs VTEB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GDX	VTEB
Return
Measure	GDX	VTEB
Total return, 1 year	+19.0%	−0.4%
Drawdown
Measure	GDX	VTEB
Below its all-time high	27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026
Against its benchmark
Measure	GDX	VTEB
What it tracks	Gold miners	S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index
Against its benchmark, 1 year	ahead by 5.6 pts
Cost and size
Measure	GDX	VTEB
Expense ratio	0.51%	0.03%
Net assets, GDX as of Oct 27, 2026 and VTEB as of Sep 30, 2026	$25.6bn	$49.6bn
Active share vs the S&P 500	100%
Holdings
Measure	GDX	VTEB
Holdings in common	0%
In the S&P 500, by weight	12%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	60%

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 VTEB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first GDX VTEB

Only in one fund ↓

Only in GDX

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 11.45%

Newmont Corp 11.42%

Barrick Mining Corp 8.07%

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp 5.50%

Franco-Nevada Corp 5.33%

Anglogold Ashanti Plc 4.78%

Gold Fields Ltd 3.96%

Kinross Gold Corp 3.88%

Only in VTEB

Vanguard Municipal Low Duration Fund 0.69%

State of California 0.15%

State of California 0.14%

New York State Dormitory Authority 0.13%

State of Illinois 0.12%

Ohio State University 0.12%

City of New York NY 0.10%

State of Wisconsin 0.10%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF VTEB Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF

Where it sits Thematic ETF Bond ETF

Issuer VanEck Vanguard

What it is Gold miners Tracks an index of Tax-Exempt Bond

Total return, 1 year +19.0% −0.4%

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% 0.03%

Holdings 59 11155

Net assets, GDX as of Oct 27, 2026 and VTEB as of Sep 30, 2026 $25.6bn $49.6bn

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

Alert

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.

VTEB

VTEB tracks an index of Tax-Exempt Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.

Questions people ask

Are GDX and VTEB in the same category?: GDX is a thematic ETF and VTEB is a bond 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 VTEB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +19.0% and VTEB −0.4%.
Which is cheaper, GDX or VTEB?: VTEB is cheaper, by 0.48 percentage points a year. That is about $48 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BOND vs GDX GDX vs TLT GDX vs VCSH GDX vs VCIT LYTE vs VTEB IBB vs VTEB VTEB vs XBI AIRR vs VTEB

Where to next

GDX on its own →VTEB on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →GDX dividend history →GDX holdings →VTEB dividend history →VTEB holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

GDX filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

GDX prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

VanEck website ↗

VTEB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VTEB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VTEB ↗

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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, GDX against VTEB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-vteb

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.