Silver and Gold are On the Rise. Should Precious Metals ETF Investors Pick GDX or SIL?

2 hours ago 2

Sarah Sidlow, The Motley Fool

Sat, December 20, 2025 astatine 9:34 AM CST 5 min read

GDX charges a little disbursal ratio than SIL and manages implicit 5 times the assets nether management.
SIL and GDX some delivered triple-digit one-year returns, but GDX experienced a milder five-year drawdown and stronger semipermanent growth.
GDX holds much companies and is much diversified crossed large-cap golden miners, portion SIL concentrates connected silver-focused miners.
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Global X - Silver Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:SIL) and VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:GDX) some supply targeted entree to metals miners, with SIL focused connected metallic producers and GDX tracking planetary golden mining stocks. Investors comparing these funds whitethorn measurement cost, diversification, and humanities risk-adjusted returns, particularly fixed their beardown caller show and sector-specific characteristics.

Metric

SIL

GDX

Issuer	Global X	VanEck
Expense ratio	0.65%	0.51%
1-yr instrumentality (as of 12-16-2025))	151%	151%
Dividend yield	1.08%	0.5%
Beta	0.90	0.87
AUM	$4.6 billion	$25.7 billion

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year play returns. The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months.

GDX comes successful much affordable with a 0.51% disbursal ratio, undercutting SIL’s 0.65%, but besides pays a little dividend output astatine 0.5% versus SIL’s 1% -- a humble quality for income-focused investors.

Metric

SIL

GDX

Max drawdown (5 y)	-56.79%	-49.79%
Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years	$1,857	$2,379

GDX delivers vulnerability to the golden mining sector, holding 56 companies with a beardown tilt toward large-cap names. Its largest positions see Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd (NYSE:AEM), Newmont Corp (NYSE:NEM), and Barrick Mining Corp (NYSE:B), and it has operated for astir 20 years. With 100% of assets successful basal materials, GDX offers a diversified handbasket of planetary golden miners.

SIL, meanwhile, is simply a axenic play connected metallic miners, besides allocating 100% to basal materials but with a narrower focus. Its apical holdings -- Wheaton Precious (NYSE:WPM), Pan American Silver Corp (NYSE:PAAS), and Coeur Mining Inc (NYSE:CDE)-- marque up a sizable stock of the portfolio, reflecting a much concentrated approach. SIL holds 39 stocks and whitethorn entreaty to those seeking nonstop metallic vulnerability alternatively than broader precious metals diversification.

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The VanEck Gold Miners ETF stands retired for its little cost, larger size, and broader portfolio, portion the Global X - Silver Miners ETF offers axenic metallic miner vulnerability with a higher yield. Over the past year, some of these ETFs person trounced the instrumentality of the S&P 500.