Get the weekly note
ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

Data as of .

GDXJ vs XAR: which is really different?

GDXJ and XAR hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and GDXJ returned more over the year.

VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF and State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Aerospace & Defense ETF, side by side, thematic ETFs on ETFIQ.

0.0%GDXJ in the S&P 500
35.0%XAR in the S&P 500
+42.4%GDXJ total return, 1 year
+11.8%XAR total return, 1 year

ETFIQ Off-Index Score: GDXJ scores higher

How much of it is not the index it is sold as an alternative to?

GDXJ 91.4XAR 490.1, the lowest in this set91.4, the highest

A percentile among the 349 thematic ETFs with a holdings filing. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All thematic ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed

GDXJ100% of its weight is outside the S&P 500 · 1 year to Sep 11, 2026
0%100%0% of its weight in S&P 500 companiesof its weight outside the S&P 500active share 100% · top ten 42% of the fund · 110 holdings filed Sep 10, 2026 · Nasdaq-100: 0% in0%100%0% of its weight in S&P 500 companiesof its weight outside the S&P 500active share 100% · top ten 42% of the fund
XAR65% of its weight is outside the S&P 500 · 1 year to Sep 11, 2026
35%65%of its weight in S&P 500 companiesof its weight outside the S&P 500active share 98% · top ten 31% of the fund · 49 holdings filed Sep 10, 2026 · Nasdaq-100: 3% in35%65%inoutside the S&P 500active share 98% · top ten 31% of the fund

0% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, GDXJ and XAR hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in GDXJOnly in XAR
Evolution Mining Ltd 6.38%RTX CORP 3.34%
Equinox Gold Corp 6.28%VSE CORP 3.33%
Alamos Gold Inc 6.23%ATI INC 3.25%
Endeavour Mining PLC 5.33%ARCHER AVIATION INC A 3.23%
Coeur Mining Inc 5.15%AXON ENTERPRISE INC 3.20%
Industrias Penoles SAB de CV 2.89%GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 3.11%
First Majestic Silver Corp 2.72%GENERAL ELECTRIC 3.04%
Hecla Mining Co 2.63%LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 3.02%

Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.

Performance, window by window

GDXJ and XAR over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowTotal returnvs the S&P 500vs the Nasdaq-100
GDXJXARGDXJXARGDXJXAR
3 months+20.3%−12.1%+17.0 pts−15.4 pts+21.1 pts−11.3 pts
6 months+1.2%−7.2%−14.8 pts−23.2 pts−19.5 pts−27.9 pts
1 year+42.4%+11.8%+24.9 pts−5.7 pts+19.4 pts−11.2 pts
3 years+284.5%+114.1%+206.6 pts+36.2 pts+189.4 pts+19.0 pts
Since launch+65.3%+1042.3%−739.1 pts+288.5 pts−1608.6 pts−366.6 pts
Open the live comparison on ETFIQ
GDXJ and XAR on the same fields, as of Sep 11, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GDXJ
VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF
Holds 110 stocks in miners and metals, 0% of its weight in S&P 500 companies
XAR
State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Aerospace & Defense ETF
Holds 49 stocks in defense, 35% of its weight in S&P 500 companies
IssuerVanEckState Street
ThemeMiners and metalsDefense
In the S&P 5000.0%35.0%
Active share vs the S&P 500100.0%97.9%
In the Nasdaq-1000.0%3.2%
Holdings11049
Top ten, share of the fund42.4%31.4%
Expense ratio0.52%0.35%
Fee for the differing part0.52%0.36%
Total return, 1 year+42.4%+11.8%
vs the S&P 500+24.9 pts−5.7 pts
vs the Nasdaq-100+19.4 pts−11.2 pts
Below its high−19.7%−17.1%

GDXJ in plain words

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 42% of the fund across 110 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +42.4% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 24.9 pts. It sits 19.7% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.

XAR in plain words

By weight, 35% of XAR'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 31% of the fund across 49 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +11.8% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 5.7 pts. It sits 17.1% below its all-time high of Aug 14, 2026.

Questions people ask

Do GDXJ and XAR hold the same stocks?
By their latest filings, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight, which is mostly different names. Overlap is the sum of the smaller weight of every security they share.
Which is more different from the S&P 500, GDXJ or XAR?
GDXJ has 0% of its weight in S&P 500 names and XAR has 35%, so GDXJ differs more from the index.
Which is cheaper, GDXJ or XAR?
GDXJ charges 0.52% a year and XAR charges 0.35%, so XAR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

GDXJ against XAR, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 11, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GDXJ against XAR, data as of Sep 11, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/GDXJ-XAR Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How every figure is computed · Standards and sources