GDXJ vs. SILJ

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) and ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF (SILJ).

GDXJ and SILJ are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GDXJ is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index. It was launched on Nov 10, 2009. SILJ is a passively managed fund by ETFMG that tracks the performance of the Prime Junior Silver Miners & Explorers Index. It was launched on Nov 28, 2012. Both GDXJ and SILJ are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

GDXJ vs. SILJ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) and ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF (SILJ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GDXJ vs. SILJ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GDXJ VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF	5.50%	172.28%	15.67%	7.12%	-14.53%	-21.25%	30.40%	40.44%	-11.02%	8.22%
SILJ ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF	7.41%	183.89%	6.39%	-5.21%	-15.42%	-23.21%	33.00%	57.06%	-27.95%	-5.65%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GDXJ achieves a 5.50% return, which is significantly lower than SILJ's 7.41% return. Over the past 10 years, GDXJ has outperformed SILJ with an annualized return of 17.38%, while SILJ has yielded a comparatively lower 14.73% annualized return.

GDXJ

• 1D: 8.53%
• 1M: -23.14%
• YTD: 5.50%
• 6M: 24.01%
• 1Y: 114.70%
• 3Y*: 47.55%
• 5Y*: 22.70%
• 10Y*: 17.38%

SILJ

• 1D: 8.82%
• 1M: -26.25%
• YTD: 7.41%
• 6M: 31.14%
• 1Y: 149.83%
• 3Y*: 42.89%
• 5Y*: 16.70%
• 10Y*: 14.73%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

GDXJ vs. SILJ - Expense Ratio Comparison

GDXJ has a 0.54% expense ratio, which is lower than SILJ's 0.69% expense ratio.

SILJ

ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF

GDXJ

VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF

Return for Risk

GDXJ vs. SILJ — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

GDXJ

GDXJ Risk / Return Rank: 92
GDXJ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
GDXJ Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
GDXJ Omega Ratio Rank: 89
GDXJ Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
GDXJ Martin Ratio Rank: 92

SILJ

SILJ Risk / Return Rank: 95
SILJ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
SILJ Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
SILJ Omega Ratio Rank: 92
SILJ Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
SILJ Martin Ratio Rank: 95

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

GDXJ vs. SILJ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) and ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF (SILJ). 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.

	GDXJ	SILJ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.27	2.74	-0.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.50	2.83	-0.33
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.36	1.40	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.52	4.26	-0.73
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.30	14.55	-2.25
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GDXJ vs. SILJ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GDXJ Sharpe Ratio is 2.27, which is comparable to the SILJ Sharpe Ratio of 2.74. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GDXJ and SILJ, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	GDXJ	SILJ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.27	2.74	-0.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56	0.38	+0.18
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.39	0.32	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.07	0.09	-0.02

Correlation

The correlation between GDXJ and SILJ is 0.88, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

GDXJ vs. SILJ - Dividend Comparison

GDXJ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.21%, more than SILJ's 1.86% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GDXJ VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF	2.21%	2.33%	2.61%	0.72%	0.51%	1.78%	1.58%	0.39%	0.45%	0.03%	4.78%	0.72%
SILJ ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF	1.86%	2.00%	7.26%	0.01%	0.05%	0.36%	1.23%	1.45%	1.66%	0.00%	0.52%	2.46%

Drawdowns

GDXJ vs. SILJ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GDXJ drawdown since its inception was -88.66%, which is greater than SILJ's maximum drawdown of -79.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GDXJ and SILJ.

Drawdown Indicators

	GDXJ	SILJ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-88.66%	-79.04%	-9.62%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-32.92%	-34.71%	+1.79%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-51.76%	-56.09%	+4.33%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-57.77%	-70.06%	+12.29%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-23.14%	-26.25%	+3.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-60.91%	-41.67%	-19.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.43%	10.16%	-0.73%

Volatility

GDXJ vs. SILJ - Volatility Comparison

VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) and ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF (SILJ) have volatilities of 20.63% and 21.63%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GDXJ	SILJ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	20.63%	21.63%	-1.00%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	42.33%	46.79%	-4.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	50.75%	54.97%	-4.22%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	40.56%	44.07%	-3.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	44.45%	46.61%	-2.16%