VanEck Gold Miners ETF vs VanEck Semiconductor ETF — how do they compare? VanEck Gold Miners ETF trades at $89.06 (market cap $25.65B), while VanEck Semiconductor ETF trades at $602.27 (market cap $73.92B). The key difference: VanEck Semiconductor ETF is far larger — about 2.9× VanEck Gold Miners ETF's market cap, and VanEck Semiconductor ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, VanEck Gold Miners ETF nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold VanEck Gold Miners ETF for 76 Days and VanEck Semiconductor ETF for 101 Days on average.
| GDX | SMH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $25.65B | $73.92B |
Volume | 16,534,046 | 11,050,892 |
52-Week High | $115.84 | $668.91 |
52-Week Low | $68.28 | $325.10 |
Typical Hold Time | 76 Days | 101 Days |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
GDX trades at $89.31, up 4.51% over the past 24 hours, but technical indicators signal a bearish trend with moving averages and ADX pointing lower. The ETF faces headwinds from rising interest rates pressuring dividend stocks and a recent sell-off in metals. Support levels are clustered between $84 and $86, while resistance sits near $87 to $89. Recent news highlights institutional selling by firms like Allworth Financial and HB Wealth Management, though Ameritas Advisory Services increased its stake.
The outlook for GDX is cautious due to bearish technicals and macroeconomic pressures on gold miners. Opportunities exist if gold prices rebound, but risks include persistent rate hikes and volatility in commodity markets. Investors should weigh the ETF's leverage to gold against operational risks in the mining sector.
SMH (VanEck Semiconductor ETF) trades at $606.11, down 3.03% on the day, but maintains a strong bullish technical outlook with moving averages signaling continued strength. The ETF has delivered exceptional 69% returns year-to-date through September 30, 2026, significantly outperforming major semiconductor holdings like Nvidia. Recent sector momentum is supported by positive industry developments including AMD's $8.2 billion acquisition of World Labs and Bank of America's projection that the global chip market will nearly double by 2030.
The semiconductor sector's structural growth drivers, particularly in AI hardware, support continued ETF appreciation, though concentration risk in top holdings and elevated RSI levels near 76 suggest potential near-term consolidation. Investors benefit from diversified exposure to the physical AI infrastructure boom, but should monitor valuation metrics as the sector trades at elevated levels following substantial gains.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
The fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks and depositary receipts of companies involved in the gold mining industry. The index is a modified market-capitalization weighted index primarily comprised of publicly traded companies involved in the mining for gold and silver. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on GDX →The fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the target index. The index includes common stocks and depositary receipts of US exchange-listed companies in the semiconductor industry. Such companies may include medium-capitalization companies and foreign companies that are listed on a US exchange. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on SMH →