Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GDX vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GDX returned +19.0% to XBI's +41.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $25.6bn for VanEck Gold Miners ETF and $10.3bn for State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF.
Pair scorecard
XBI costs 0.16 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 22.2 points; GDX is 2.5 times larger.
| Measure | GDX | XBI |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +19.0% | +41.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | 8.9%, high on Feb 8, 2021 |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Gold miners | Biotech |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 5.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $25.6bn | $10.3bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | 98% |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60% | 18% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and XBI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
GDX and XBI 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.
XBI
By weight, 13% of XBI's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 18% of the fund across 165 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +41.2% with distributions reinvested. It sits 8.9% below its all-time high of Feb 8, 2021.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GDX or XBI?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +19.0% and XBI +41.2%.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or XBI?
- XBI is cheaper, by 0.16 percentage points a year. That is about $16 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 XBI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-xbi
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GDX against XBI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-xbi
[GDX against XBI (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-xbi)
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