Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GDXJ vs VUG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GDXJ returned +14.8% to VUG's +6.6%, and VUG charges 0.03% to GDXJ's 0.52%.
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Net assets: $7.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF, and $232.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF.
Pair scorecard
VUG costs 0.49 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 8.2 points.
| Measure | GDXJ | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.8% | +6.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 33.1%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Gold miners | Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 1.4 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.52% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, GDXJ as of Oct 27, 2026 and VUG as of Sep 30, 2026 | $7.6bn | $232.9bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 41% | 63.1% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GDXJ and VUG 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
GDXJ and VUG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GDXJ
By weight, 0% of GDXJ'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 41% of the fund across 156 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +14.8% with distributions reinvested against +13.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI Index, so a holder was ahead by 1.4 pts. It sits 33.1% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
VUG
VUG tracks an index of US growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +6.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 137 positions, with the top ten at 63.1%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are GDXJ and VUG in the same category?
- GDXJ is a thematic ETF and VUG 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, GDXJ or VUG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDXJ returned +14.8% and VUG +6.6%.
- Which is cheaper, GDXJ or VUG?
- VUG is cheaper, by 0.49 percentage points a year. That is about $49 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, GDXJ against VUG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdxj-vs-vug
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GDXJ against VUG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdxj-vs-vug
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