VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF

VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) is an index fund that tracks the MVIS Global Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Index, a basket of companies that mine, refine and recycle metals such as rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum. It is heavily tilted toward China and Australia and swings sharply: up 92% in 2025 after three straight losing years. Its 0.53% expense ratio is below the 0.59% average of similar funds.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, REMX returned -20.8%, 4th of 4 among similar funds.
• Its 5-year annualized return was -12.0% and its 10-year +4.3%.
• In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 38.3% and regained its old high 3.9 months after the low.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2018 (-49.5%); its best was 2025 (+92.8%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 90.9% (Apr 11, 2011 to Mar 16, 2020), not yet recovered.

As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 30 securities; the ten largest made up 59.26% of assets, and 3% sat in cash and money-market holdings.

• Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $131.1M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +18.71%, -4.78%, -10.97%.

REMX is passively managed. Before fees, it tries to match the price and yield performance of the MVIS Global Rare Earth/Strategic Metals Index rather than beat it. It normally keeps at least 80% of its assets in the index's securities. To join the index, a company must earn at least 50% of its revenue from rare earth or strategic metals, or have at least 50% of its mineral resources tied to them. The prospectus describes these as industrial metals, about 44 elements in all, that are often mined as by-products of precious and base metal operations.

As of December 31, 2025, the index held 24 companies. Their market values ranged from about $661 million to $23.89 billion, with a weighted average of $7.33 billion, so small and mid-sized firms play a large role. As of June 30, 2026, the fund held 30 stocks, and the 10 largest made up about 59% of assets. Xiamen Tungsten, Albemarle and China Northern Rare Earth led the list at about 7% each.

A few mechanics matter. The fund is "non-diversified," which means it can put more money into a single company than a typical fund can. It can also concentrate in one industry when the index does. It buys Chinese A-shares (stocks listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen) through Stock Connect, a trading link with Hong Kong that comes with its own restrictions. Portfolio turnover was 74%, a sign that holdings change often.

• REMX charges 0.53% a year, versus an average of 0.59% for the similar funds below (2nd of 4, cheapest first).
• Of that, 0.5% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $54 in the first year and $665 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

REMX is a narrow, highly volatile bet on one corner of the mining industry, so it fits as a small add-on rather than a foundation.

REMX adds metals companies that broad stock funds barely hold, at the cost of extreme swings. It fell 38.3% in the 2020 COVID crash and recovered in about four months. But its 38.7% drop from April to July 2022 had still not been recovered as of October 27, 2026. Its worst calendar year was 2018, at -48.7%. Its deepest decline, 90.9% from April 2011 to March 2020, had also not been recovered by then. It launched in 2010, after the 2008 crisis. Taking cash out in a bad year could mean locking in large losses. Income is modest: the fund pays once a year, and the trailing yield was 2.4% as of October 27, 2026. It costs 0.53% a year, about $54 in year one on $10,000 under the SEC's standard example. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.