Data as of .
FMTL vs GDX: which is really different?
FMTL and GDX hold 21% of their weight in the same names.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: GDX scores higher
How much of it is not the index it is sold as an alternative to?
A percentile among the 379 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
21% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, FMTL and GDX hold 21% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | FMTL | GDX |
|---|---|---|
| Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. | 4.79% | 5.74% |
| Newmont Corporation | 4.63% | 10.88% |
| Barrick Mining Corporation | 4.56% | 7.75% |
| AngloGold Ashanti plc | 4.25% | 4.96% |
| Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. (ADR) | 1.03% | 0.87% |
| SSR Mining Inc. | 0.87% | 0.85% |
| Centerra Gold Inc. | 0.54% | 0.51% |
| Only in FMTL | Only in GDX |
|---|---|
| BHP Group Limited 8.97% | Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 10.99% |
| Freeport-McMoRan Inc. 8.55% | Franco-Nevada Corp 5.22% |
| Glencore Plc 7.88% | Kinross Gold Corp 4.12% |
| Anglo American Plc 6.70% | Gold Fields Ltd 4.11% |
| Sumitomo Corporation 5.23% | Pan American Silver Corp 2.72% |
| Cameco Corporation 4.72% | Northern Star Resources Ltd 2.45% |
| Grupo Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V. (Class B) 4.55% | Coeur Mining Inc 2.19% |
| Teck Resources Limited (Class B) 3.63% | Royal Gold Inc 1.94% |
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 Sep 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FMTL | GDX | FMTL | GDX | FMTL | GDX | |
| 3 months | +0.7% | +15.7% | −1.5 pts | +13.5 pts | +3.2 pts | +18.2 pts |
| 6 months | +20.3% | +19.2% | +2.3 pts | +1.1 pts | −3.9 pts | −5.1 pts |
| 1 year | not published | +39.8% | not published | +23.2 pts | not published | +18.0 pts |
| 3 years | not published | +236.3% | not published | +157.8 pts | not published | +138.1 pts |
| Since launch | +50.9% | +133.2% | +37.3 pts | −670.3 pts | +34.7 pts | −1557.0 pts |
| FMTL First Trust Indxx Critical Metals ETF Holds 52 stocks in rare earth and critical materials, 13% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF Holds 59 stocks in gold miners, 11% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | VanEck |
| Theme | Rare earth and critical materials | Gold miners |
| In the S&P 500 | 13.2% | 10.9% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 99.7% | 99.8% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 52 | 59 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 60.6% | 58.5% |
| Expense ratio | 0.65% | 0.51% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.65% | 0.51% |
| Total return, 1 year | +50.9% (since launch on Nov 5, 2025) | +39.8% |
| vs the S&P 500 | +37.3 pts | +23.2 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | +34.7 pts | +18.0 pts |
| Below its high | −9.5% | −17.6% |
| Net assets | $30m | $28.4bn |
FMTL in plain words
By weight, 13% of FMTL'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 61% of the fund across 52 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026. Since it launched on Nov 5, 2025 the fund returned +50.9% with distributions reinvested against +13.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 37.2 pts. It sits 9.5% below its all-time high of Aug 25, 2026.
GDX in plain words
By weight, 11% 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 58% of the fund across 59 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +39.8% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 23.2 pts. It sits 17.6% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Do FMTL and GDX hold the same stocks?
- By their latest filings, 21% of their books are the same securities at the same weight, which is a meaningful overlap. Overlap is the sum of the smaller weight of every security they share.
- Which is more different from the S&P 500, FMTL or GDX?
- FMTL has 13% of its weight in S&P 500 names and GDX has 11%, so GDX differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, FMTL or GDX?
- FMTL charges 0.65% a year and GDX charges 0.51%, so GDX 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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, FMTL against GDX, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/fmtl-vs-gdx Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.