SMOG vs. GDXJ

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF (SMOG) and VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ).

SMOG and GDXJ are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SMOG is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the MVIS Global Low Carbon Energy Index. It was launched on May 3, 2007. 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. Both SMOG and GDXJ 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

SMOG vs. GDXJ - Performance Comparison

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

SMOG vs. GDXJ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SMOG VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF	7.05%	33.36%	-9.33%	1.42%	-29.92%	-2.75%	118.38%	38.86%	-10.18%	22.69%
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%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMOG achieves a 7.05% return, which is significantly higher than GDXJ's 5.50% return. Over the past 10 years, SMOG has underperformed GDXJ with an annualized return of 11.23%, while GDXJ has yielded a comparatively higher 17.38% annualized return.

SMOG

• 1D: 4.10%
• 1M: -2.17%
• YTD: 7.05%
• 6M: 10.90%
• 1Y: 39.38%
• 3Y*: 6.20%
• 5Y*: -1.46%
• 10Y*: 11.23%

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%

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

SMOG vs. GDXJ - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMOG has a 0.61% expense ratio, which is higher than GDXJ's 0.54% expense ratio.

SMOG

VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF

GDXJ

VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF

Return for Risk

SMOG vs. GDXJ — Risk / Return Rank

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

SMOG

SMOG Risk / Return Rank: 86
SMOG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
SMOG Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
SMOG Omega Ratio Rank: 81
SMOG Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
SMOG Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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

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.

SMOG vs. GDXJ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF (SMOG) and VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ). 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.

	SMOG	GDXJ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.69	2.27	-0.58
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.31	2.50	-0.19
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.36	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.96	3.52	-0.56
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.47	12.30	-0.83
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMOG vs. GDXJ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMOG Sharpe Ratio is 1.69, which is comparable to the GDXJ Sharpe Ratio of 2.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMOG and GDXJ, 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

	SMOG	GDXJ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.69	2.27	-0.58
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.06	0.56	-0.62
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.44	0.39	+0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.06	0.07	-0.01

Correlation

The correlation between SMOG and GDXJ is 0.27, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

SMOG vs. GDXJ - Dividend Comparison

SMOG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.47%, less than GDXJ's 2.21% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SMOG VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF	1.47%	1.57%	1.64%	1.58%	1.32%	0.44%	0.06%	0.00%	0.62%	1.25%	2.12%	0.56%
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%

Drawdowns

SMOG vs. GDXJ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMOG drawdown since its inception was -84.39%, roughly equal to the maximum GDXJ drawdown of -88.66%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMOG and GDXJ.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMOG	GDXJ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-84.39%	-88.66%	+4.27%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.04%	-32.92%	+19.88%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-47.86%	-51.76%	+3.90%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.10%	-57.77%	+6.67%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-22.64%	-23.14%	+0.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-52.81%	-60.91%	+8.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.37%	9.43%	-6.06%

Volatility

SMOG vs. GDXJ - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF (SMOG) is 10.07%, while VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) has a volatility of 20.63%. This indicates that SMOG experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GDXJ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SMOG	GDXJ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.07%	20.63%	-10.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.75%	42.33%	-26.58%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.40%	50.75%	-27.35%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.27%	40.56%	-15.29%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.66%	44.45%	-18.79%