REMX vs. SLX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) and VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX).

REMX and SLX are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. REMX is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the MVIS Global Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Index. It was launched on Oct 27, 2010. SLX is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the NYSE Arca Steel Index. It was launched on Oct 16, 2006. Both REMX and SLX 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

REMX vs. SLX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) and VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

REMX vs. SLX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
REMX VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF	19.05%	92.95%	-35.02%	-19.18%	-31.13%	79.81%	64.82%	0.74%	-49.63%	82.60%
SLX VanEck Vectors Steel ETF	8.19%	47.45%	-17.94%	31.25%	14.28%	27.69%	20.57%	12.01%	-19.27%	24.59%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, REMX achieves a 19.05% return, which is significantly higher than SLX's 8.19% return. Over the past 10 years, REMX has underperformed SLX with an annualized return of 10.24%, while SLX has yielded a comparatively higher 17.78% annualized return.

REMX

• 1D: 2.95%
• 1M: -11.88%
• YTD: 19.05%
• 6M: 36.14%
• 1Y: 126.68%
• 3Y*: 4.04%
• 5Y*: 5.20%
• 10Y*: 10.24%

SLX

• 1D: 3.72%
• 1M: -9.17%
• YTD: 8.19%
• 6M: 28.67%
• 1Y: 51.64%
• 3Y*: 15.96%
• 5Y*: 15.05%
• 10Y*: 17.78%

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

REMX vs. SLX - Expense Ratio Comparison

REMX has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is higher than SLX's 0.56% expense ratio.

REMX

VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF

SLX

VanEck Vectors Steel ETF

Return for Risk

REMX vs. SLX — Risk / Return Rank

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

REMX

REMX Risk / Return Rank: 95
REMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
REMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
REMX Omega Ratio Rank: 92
REMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
REMX Martin Ratio Rank: 95

SLX

SLX Risk / Return Rank: 89
SLX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
SLX Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
SLX Omega Ratio Rank: 86
SLX Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
SLX Martin Ratio Rank: 87

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.

REMX vs. SLX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) and VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX). 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.

	REMX	SLX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.65	1.90	+0.74
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.08	2.55	+0.53
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.34	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	5.10	3.10	+2.00
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	15.16	10.15	+5.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

REMX vs. SLX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current REMX Sharpe Ratio is 2.65, which is higher than the SLX Sharpe Ratio of 1.90. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of REMX and SLX, 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

	REMX	SLX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.65	1.90	+0.74
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.13	0.54	-0.41
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.28	0.57	-0.29
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.10	0.19	-0.29

Correlation

The correlation between REMX and SLX is 0.63, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

REMX vs. SLX - Dividend Comparison

REMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.48%, more than SLX's 1.43% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
REMX VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF	1.48%	1.76%	2.56%	0.00%	1.56%	5.25%	0.81%	1.64%	12.43%	2.89%	2.23%	4.77%
SLX VanEck Vectors Steel ETF	1.43%	1.55%	3.56%	2.80%	4.97%	7.07%	1.87%	3.44%	6.26%	2.50%	1.06%	5.35%

Drawdowns

REMX vs. SLX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum REMX drawdown since its inception was -90.20%, which is greater than SLX's maximum drawdown of -82.14%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for REMX and SLX.

Drawdown Indicators

	REMX	SLX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-90.20%	-82.14%	-8.06%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-23.35%	-16.35%	-7.00%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-73.34%	-33.62%	-39.72%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-73.34%	-61.64%	-11.70%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-59.70%	-10.39%	-49.31%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-67.01%	-39.05%	-27.96%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.86%	5.00%	+2.86%

Volatility

REMX vs. SLX - Volatility Comparison

VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) has a higher volatility of 17.39% compared to VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) at 9.70%. This indicates that REMX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SLX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	REMX	SLX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	17.39%	9.70%	+7.69%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	37.90%	17.90%	+20.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	48.30%	27.26%	+21.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	39.76%	27.86%	+11.90%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	36.61%	31.36%	+5.25%