iShares Silver Trust Outperforms VanEck Gold Miners ETF

1 week ago 15

Will Healy, The Motley Fool

Sun, May 10, 2026 astatine 10:09 AM CDT 4 min read

https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239855/ishares-silver-trust-fundThe superior favoritism betwixt iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT:SLV) and VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:GDX) is that the iShares spot tracks carnal metallic prices portion the VanEck money holds a diversified portfolio of gold-mining companies.

Precious metals often determination successful tandem, but the vehicles utilized to entree them connection chiseled hazard profiles. While SLV provides nonstop vulnerability to the fluctuations of metallic bullion, GDX focuses connected the equity broadside of the golden industry, wherever operational leverage and concern execution play large roles successful performance.

Snapshot (cost & size)

Metric

SLV

GDX

Issuer	iShares	VanEck
Expense ratio	0.5%	0.51%
1-yr instrumentality (as of May 6, 2026)	132.1%	82.0%
Dividend yield	None	0.7%
Beta	0.45	0.61
AUM	$37.6B	$26.2B

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

Both funds are priced likewise for investors seeking vulnerability to precious metals. The 0.5% disbursal ratio for the iShares spot is marginally much affordable than the 0.51% charged by the VanEck fund.

Performance & hazard examination

Metric

SLV

GDX

Max drawdown (5 yr)	(42.5%)	(46.5%)
Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years (total return)	$2,753	$2,648

What's wrong

The VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:GDX) consists of 57 holdings focused wholly connected the basal materials sector. Its largest positions see Newmont Corp (NYSE:NEM) astatine 11.46%, Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd (NYSE:AEM) astatine 11.38%, and Barrick Mining Corp (NYSE:B) astatine 7.62%. This fund, launched successful 2006, provides vulnerability to the operational show of miners and has a trailing-12-month dividend of $0.63 per share.

In contrast, the iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT:SLV) is besides concentrated successful basal materials but functions arsenic a spot holding carnal metallic bullion alternatively than firm equities. Because it does not clasp income-generating businesses, it has nary apical firm holdings and has a trailing-12-month dividend of $0.00 per share. This money besides launched successful 2006 and manages $37.6 cardinal successful assets nether absorption (AUM) compared to $26.2 cardinal for the VanEck fund.

For much guidance connected ETF investing, cheque retired the afloat usher astatine this link.

What this means for investors

Comparing these ETFs decently means knowing that this is not a elemental silver-to-gold comparison.

As mentioned before, the iShares Silver Trust tracks the terms of silver. This means its worth volition fluctuate on with its precious metallic nett of fees. That makes the tracker casual to understand, but besides means that silver, which tends to beryllium a much volatile metallic than gold, is the ascendant power connected the metallic ETF.

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