XLB vs. GDXJ

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) and VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ).

XLB and GDXJ are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XLB is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Materials Select Sector Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. 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 XLB 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

XLB vs. GDXJ - Performance Comparison

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

XLB vs. GDXJ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XLB Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF	10.68%	9.94%	0.15%	12.46%	-12.30%	27.44%	20.46%	24.13%	-14.88%	24.01%
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, XLB achieves a 10.68% return, which is significantly higher than GDXJ's 5.50% return. Over the past 10 years, XLB has underperformed GDXJ with an annualized return of 10.45%, while GDXJ has yielded a comparatively higher 17.38% annualized return.

XLB

• 1D: 1.79%
• 1M: -6.02%
• YTD: 10.68%
• 6M: 12.59%
• 1Y: 18.51%
• 3Y*: 9.53%
• 5Y*: 6.79%
• 10Y*: 10.45%

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)

XLB vs. GDXJ - Expense Ratio Comparison

XLB has a 0.13% expense ratio, which is lower than GDXJ's 0.54% expense ratio.

GDXJ

VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF

XLB

Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

XLB vs. GDXJ — Risk / Return Rank

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

XLB

XLB Risk / Return Rank: 54
XLB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
XLB Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
XLB Omega Ratio Rank: 49
XLB Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
XLB Martin Ratio Rank: 52

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.

XLB vs. GDXJ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) 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.

	XLB	GDXJ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.89	2.27	-1.38
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.38	2.50	-1.12
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.36	-0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.35	3.52	-2.17
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.72	12.30	-7.58
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XLB vs. GDXJ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XLB Sharpe Ratio is 0.89, which is lower than the GDXJ Sharpe Ratio of 2.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XLB 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

	XLB	GDXJ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.89	2.27	-1.38
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.36	0.56	-0.20
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.39	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.07	+0.29

Correlation

The correlation between XLB and GDXJ is 0.35, 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

XLB vs. GDXJ - Dividend Comparison

XLB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.75%, less than GDXJ's 2.21% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XLB Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF	1.75%	1.92%	1.92%	2.00%	2.26%	1.62%	1.72%	1.98%	2.20%	1.66%	1.95%	2.24%
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

XLB vs. GDXJ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XLB drawdown since its inception was -59.83%, smaller than the maximum GDXJ drawdown of -88.66%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XLB and GDXJ.

Drawdown Indicators

	XLB	GDXJ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-59.83%	-88.66%	+28.83%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.64%	-32.92%	+18.28%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.72%	-51.76%	+27.04%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.27%	-57.77%	+20.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.39%	-23.14%	+16.75%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.88%	-60.91%	+50.03%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.20%	9.43%	-5.23%

Volatility

XLB vs. GDXJ - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB) is 6.28%, while VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) has a volatility of 20.63%. This indicates that XLB 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

	XLB	GDXJ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.28%	20.63%	-14.35%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.53%	42.33%	-29.80%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.95%	50.75%	-29.80%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.91%	40.56%	-21.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.62%	44.45%	-23.83%