The iShares MSCI World Silver and Metals Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:SLVP) and VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:GDX) each monitor international mining, however SLVP leans towards silver publicity, whereas GDX is a a lot bigger gold-focused heavyweight.
This comparability appears at key variations in value, efficiency, danger, and portfolio make-up to assist buyers determine which can higher swimsuit their aims.
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Metric
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SLVP
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GDX
|
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Issuer
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iShares
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VanEck
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Expense ratio
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0.39%
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0.51%
|
|
1-yr return (as of April 2, 2026)
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150.6%
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108.2%
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Dividend yield
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1.3%
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0.6%
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Beta
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0.98
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0.66
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AUM
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$1.4 billion
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$36.5 billion
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Beta measures value volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year month-to-month returns. The 1-year return represents whole return over the trailing 12Â months.
SLVP has a decrease expense ratio and likewise gives the next dividend yield. GDX has a decrease beta, that means that its value swings are typically much less risky than SLVP’s.
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Metric
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SLVP
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GDX
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|
Max drawdown (5 y)
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-56.18%
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-49.79%
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Development of $1,000 over 5 years
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$2,536
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$3,016
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GDX holds 57 shares and solely targets firms concerned in gold mining, monitoring the MarketVector World Gold Miners Index. Its largest positions are Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM), Newmont Corp. (NYSE:NEM), and Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX). As the biggest ETF in its class, GDX offers 100% targeted entry to international gold miners and boasts substantial belongings below administration.
SLVP, against this, is tilted towards silver miners, with 36 holdings. The fund offers “publicity to firms that derive nearly all of their revenues from silver exploration or metals mining.” Its high three holdings are Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL), Fresnillo (LSE:FRES), and Industrias Penoles (OTC:IPOAF) — which collectively make up greater than 34% of the portfolio. With its smaller variety of holdings, buyers in SLVP buyers will see a bigger variety of extra concentrated bets on silver firms, whereas GDX spreads its publicity amongst a broader set of gold producers.
For extra steerage on ETF investing, take a look at the complete information at this hyperlink.
For retail buyers attempting so as to add treasured metals publicity to a portfolio, the selection between GDX and SLVP is not nearly gold versus silver — it is also a query of how a lot danger and focus you are snug with.
Gold has traditionally been considered as a safe-haven asset, and GDX is without doubt one of the most accessible methods to personal a slice of the worldwide gold mining trade. For buyers who prioritize relative stability and a well-established monitor file, GDX is the extra easy alternative.
SLVP, alternatively, is a smaller and extra risky fund. Silver tends to behave otherwise than gold — it has industrial functions in electronics and clear power know-how that may amplify its value swings in ways in which gold would not expertise. That twin demand dynamic has helped SLVP outperform GDX over the previous yr, however it could possibly additionally reduce the opposite approach when industrial exercise slows.
With treasured metals having attracted recent consideration amid ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty and a weaker U.S. greenback, each ETFs might attraction to buyers seeking to diversify past equities. However buyers ought to be clear about what they’re getting: GDX gives scale and stability within the gold mining area, whereas SLVP is a extra aggressive, higher-yielding wager tied intently to the silver market’s distinctive supply-and-demand dynamics.
Earlier than diving in, although, a phrase of warning is warranted. Valuable metals and mining shares have had a exceptional run over the previous couple of years, and robust latest efficiency is without doubt one of the commonest methods buyers speak themselves into taking over extra danger than they supposed. Mining ETFs like these aren’t low-drama investments — they’ll drop 30%, 40%, or extra in a downturn, and so they’ve executed precisely that earlier than. The features that look so compelling in a rear-view mirror have a approach of reversing shortly when sentiment shifts.
Backside line: these ETFs are specialised automobiles, and for many buyers who need this sort of publicity, they belong as a small, deliberate slice of a broader, diversified portfolio reasonably than a core holding. There’s nothing improper with retaining the majority of your cash in a plain, low-cost index fund that tracks the broad market — one thing like a complete market or S&P 500 ETF — and treating a place in miners as a modest tactical allocation, if it suits your technique in any respect. In case you do put money into both of those funds, go in with each eyes open: measurement your place in a approach that will not maintain you up at evening, and be mentally ready for sharp strikes in both path.
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Andy Gould has no place in any of the shares talked about. The Motley Idiot recommends Fresnillo Plc. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure coverage.
GDX vs. SLVP: Gold or Silver — Which Mining ETF Is the Higher Purchase for Traders? was initially revealed by The Motley Idiot
