Data as of .
GDX vs GOAU: which is really different?
GDX and GOAU hold 27% of their weight in the same names, and GDX returned more over the year.
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
27% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and GOAU hold 27% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GDX | GOAU |
|---|---|---|
| Wheaton Precious Metals Corp | 5.74% | 9.72% |
| Franco-Nevada Corp | 5.22% | 10.16% |
| Newmont Corp | 10.88% | 2.88% |
| Pan American Silver Corp | 2.72% | 2.86% |
| Evolution Mining Ltd | 1.53% | 3.20% |
| Endeavour Mining Plc | 1.30% | 3.89% |
| Iamgold Corp | 1.29% | 2.98% |
| Harmony Gold Mining Co Ltd | 0.90% | 4.05% |
| Perseus Mining Ltd | 0.67% | 2.08% |
| Or Royalties Inc | 0.63% | 9.78% |
| K92 Mining Inc | 0.59% | 1.99% |
| Ramelius Resources Ltd | 0.59% | 2.02% |
| Only in GDX | Only in GOAU |
|---|---|
| Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd 10.99% | West African Resources Ltd 2.87% |
| Barrick Mining Corp 7.75% | Pan African Resources PLC 2.75% |
| Anglogold Ashanti Plc 4.96% | Emerald Resources NL 2.23% |
| Kinross Gold Corp 4.12% | Triple Flag Precious Metals Co 2.08% |
| Gold Fields Ltd 4.11% | DPM Metals Inc 2.08% |
| Northern Star Resources Ltd 2.45% | Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd 2.04% |
| Coeur Mining Inc 2.19% | Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd 2.01% |
| Royal Gold Inc 1.94% | Bellevue Gold Ltd 1.98% |
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 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDX | GOAU | GDX | GOAU | GDX | GOAU | |
| 3 months | +15.7% | +16.8% | +13.5 pts | +14.5 pts | +18.2 pts | +19.3 pts |
| 6 months | +19.2% | +21.8% | +1.1 pts | +3.8 pts | −5.1 pts | −2.4 pts |
| 1 year | +39.8% | +31.8% | +23.2 pts | +15.3 pts | +18.0 pts | +10.1 pts |
| 3 years | +236.3% | +208.7% | +157.8 pts | +130.3 pts | +138.1 pts | +110.5 pts |
| Since launch | +133.2% | +324.3% | −670.3 pts | +63.3 pts | −1557.0 pts | −123.0 pts |
| GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF Holds 59 stocks in gold miners, 11% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | GOAU US Global GO Gold and Precious Metal Miners ETF Holds 29 stocks in miners and metals, 3% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | VanEck | U.S. Global |
| Theme | Gold miners | Miners and metals |
| In the S&P 500 | 10.9% | 2.9% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 99.8% | 99.8% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 59 | 29 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 58.5% | 56.1% |
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.60% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.51% | 0.60% |
| Total return, 1 year | +39.8% | +31.8% |
| vs the S&P 500 | +23.2 pts | +15.3 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | +18.0 pts | +10.1 pts |
| Below its high | −17.6% | −16.1% |
| Net assets | $28.4bn | $165m |
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.
GOAU in plain words
By weight, 3% of GOAU'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 56% of the fund across 29 positions, as filed for Jun 30, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +31.8% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 15.3 pts. It sits 16.1% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Do GDX and GOAU hold the same stocks?
- By their latest filings, 27% 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, GDX or GOAU?
- GDX has 11% of its weight in S&P 500 names and GOAU has 3%, so GDX differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or GOAU?
- GDX charges 0.51% a year and GOAU charges 0.60%, 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, GDX against GOAU, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/gdx-vs-goau Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.