GDX vs. FCFAX
GDX (VanEck Gold Miners ETF) and FCFAX (Frost Credit Fund) are both funds - GDX is a Gold fund tracking the NYSE MarketVector Global Gold Miners Index, while FCFAX is a Short-Term Bond fund managed by Frost Funds. Over the past 10 years, GDX returned 13.29%/yr vs 5.17%/yr for FCFAX. At a 0.17 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. GDX charges 0.51%/yr vs 0.96%/yr for FCFAX.
Performance
GDX vs. FCFAX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GDX achieves a -6.69% return, which is significantly lower than FCFAX's 1.58% return. Over the past 10 years, GDX has outperformed FCFAX with an annualized return of 13.29%, while FCFAX has yielded a comparatively lower 5.17% annualized return.
GDX
- 1D
- 2.97%
- 1M
- -16.83%
- YTD
- -6.69%
- 6M
- -5.89%
- 1Y
- 50.59%
- 3Y*
- 38.96%
- 5Y*
- 17.51%
- 10Y*
- 13.29%
FCFAX
- 1D
- 0.33%
- 1M
- 0.72%
- YTD
- 1.58%
- 6M
- 1.88%
- 1Y
- 4.56%
- 3Y*
- 7.23%
- 5Y*
- 3.79%
- 10Y*
- 5.17%
GDX vs. FCFAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | -6.69% | 154.77% | 10.63% | 9.98% | -9.01% | -9.52% | 23.66% | 39.84% | -8.77% | 11.99% |
FCFAX Frost Credit Fund | 1.58% | 5.21% | 8.01% | 11.23% | -7.83% | 5.07% | 6.22% | 6.95% | 0.89% | 7.95% |
Correlation
The correlation between GDX and FCFAX is 0.25, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.25 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.24 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.28 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 2, 2013 | 0.17 |
The correlation between GDX and FCFAX shifts across timeframes, from 0.17 (all time) to 0.28 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
GDX vs. FCFAX — Risk / Return Rank
GDX
FCFAX
GDX vs. FCFAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) and Frost Credit Fund (FCFAX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| GDX | FCFAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.05 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.75 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.21 | 1.43 | -0.22 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.40 | 2.65 | -1.25 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.87 | 9.89 | -6.02 |
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Drawdowns
GDX vs. FCFAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GDX drawdown since its inception was -80.34%, which is greater than FCFAX's maximum drawdown of -16.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GDX and FCFAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GDX | FCFAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -80.34% | -16.33% | -64.01% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -36.28% | -1.82% | -34.46% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -36.28% | -2.82% | -33.46% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -46.51% | -10.49% | -36.02% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -49.79% | -16.33% | -33.46% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -30.91% | 0.00% | -30.91% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -40.41% | -1.53% | -38.88% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 13.11% | 0.49% | +12.62% |
Volatility
GDX vs. FCFAX - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) has a higher volatility of 17.20% compared to Frost Credit Fund (FCFAX) at 0.77%. This indicates that GDX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FCFAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GDX | FCFAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 17.20% | 0.77% | +16.43% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 39.15% | 1.76% | +37.39% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 46.89% | 2.27% | +44.62% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 36.74% | 2.77% | +33.97% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 37.34% | 3.24% | +34.10% |
GDX vs. FCFAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
GDX has a 0.51% expense ratio, which is lower than FCFAX's 0.96% expense ratio.
Dividends
GDX vs. FCFAX - Dividend Comparison
GDX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.79%, less than FCFAX's 6.15% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FCFAX Frost Credit Fund | 6.15% | 6.10% | 5.76% | 5.93% | 5.00% | 3.65% | 3.69% | 4.62% | 5.05% | 5.85% | 4.84% | 4.95% |
GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | 0.79% | 0.74% | 1.19% | 1.61% | 1.66% | 1.67% | 0.53% | 0.67% | 0.50% | 0.76% | 0.26% | 0.85% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GDX and FCFAX have a correlation of 0.25, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GDX has higher volatility (17.20%) compared to FCFAX (0.77%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GDX dropped -80.34% vs FCFAX's -16.33%.
FCFAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.13 vs 1.09), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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