The 10 top performers
| # | Fund | 30 days | Net assets | Cost | Yield | 1 mo | YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HAP VanEck Natural Resources ETF | $298.8M | 0.41% | 1.84% | -0.9% | +23.2% | +32.0% | +19.7% | +12.2% | |
| 2 | GNR SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF | $4.48B | 0.4% | 2.4% | +0.3% | +23.5% | +31.7% | +16.3% | +11.0% | |
| 3 | SLX VanEck Steel ETF | $170.0M | 0.55% | 1.3% | -3.1% | +19.7% | +30.7% | +21.0% | +17.1% | |
| 4 | COPX Global X Copper Miners ETF | $7.34B | 0.65% | 2.52% | -11.6% | +7.2% | +29.0% | +34.1% | +18.3% | |
| 5 | GUNR FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Re… | $7.24B | 0.46% | 2.3% | 0.0% | +19.4% | +26.3% | +14.9% | +10.3% | |
| 6 | SLVP iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF | $1.02B | 0.39% | 2.26% | -15.7% | -7.9% | +26.0% | +53.8% | +18.3% | |
| 7 | IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | $1.16B | 0.37% | 1.27% | -0.7% | +18.9% | +24.9% | +16.2% | +8.3% | |
| 8 | SGDM Sprott Gold Miners ETF | $558.7M | 0.46% | 0.74% | -10.0% | +1.2% | +24.9% | +43.9% | +21.6% | |
| 9 | SGDJ Sprott Junior Gold Miners ETF | $265.1M | 0.5% | 8.92% | -16.1% | -6.2% | +23.5% | +52.0% | +18.5% | |
| 10 | RING iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF | $2.52B | 0.39% | 1.26% | -11.0% | -1.0% | +22.8% | +49.4% | +23.6% |
Funds with less than $25 million in net assets and the 5 leveraged or inverse funds are left out of the ranking. Returns are total returns with distributions reinvested (3 and 5 years annualized), as of Oct 27, 2026.
How the top 5 compare
Growth of each fund’s value from the start of the range, distributions reinvested. The dashed gray line is the S&P 500 (SPY).
All 37 Basic Materials ETFs
Largest first. Click a heading to sort.
| Fund | Issuer | Net assets | Cost | Yield | YTD | 1 yr | 5 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDX VanEck Gold Miners ETF | VanEck | $22.75B | 0.51% | 0.8% | -7.7% | +10.6% | +21.9% |
| XLB Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund | SPDR (State Street) | $8.17B | 0.08% | 1.66% | +15.6% | +18.5% | -8.2% |
| COPX Global X Copper Miners ETF | Global X | $7.34B | 0.65% | 2.52% | +7.2% | +29.0% | +18.3% |
| GUNR FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Re… | Northern Trust | $7.24B | 0.46% | 2.3% | +19.4% | +26.3% | +10.3% |
| GDXJ VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF | VanEck | $7.08B | 0.52% | 2.56% | -9.1% | +15.8% | +19.9% |
| XAR SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF | SPDR (State Street) | $6.47B | 0.35% | 0.19% | -6.9% | -10.5% | +14.0% |
| VAW Vanguard Materials ETF | Vanguard | $4.55B† | 0.09% | 1.4% | +10.6% | +13.9% | +6.0% |
| GNR SPDR S&P Global Natural Resources ETF | SPDR (State Street) | $4.48B | 0.4% | 2.4% | +23.5% | +31.7% | +11.0% |
| XME SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF | SPDR (State Street) | $4.38B | 0.35% | 0.34% | -2.8% | +3.1% | +19.2% |
| SIL Global X Silver Miners ETF | Global X | $3.95B | 0.65% | 1.32% | -7.7% | +19.5% | +15.3% |
| SILJ Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF | Amplify | $3.40B | 0.69% | 2.26% | -12.2% | +12.4% | +14.2% |
| REMX VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF | VanEck | $2.69B | 0.53% | 2.4% | -26.7% | -20.8% | -12.0% |
| RING iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF | iShares | $2.52B | 0.39% | 1.26% | -1.0% | +22.8% | +23.6% |
| URNM Sprott Uranium Miners ETF | Sprott | $1.90B | 0.75% | 3.89% | -18.5% | -19.3% | +3.2% |
| LIT Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF | Global X | $1.51B | 0.75% | 0.8% | -3.0% | +6.2% | -6.2% |
| IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | iShares | $1.16B | 0.37% | 1.27% | +18.9% | +24.9% | +8.3% |
| SLVP iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF | iShares | $1.02B | 0.39% | 2.26% | -7.9% | +26.0% | +18.3% |
| NUGT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Index Bull 2x Shares Leveraged | Direxion | $836.2M | 1.13% | 0.86% | -28.8% | +4.6% | +20.6% |
| FMAT Fidelity MSCI Materials Index ETF | Fidelity | $578.7M | 0.08% | 1.41% | +10.4% | +13.8% | +6.1% |
| SGDM Sprott Gold Miners ETF | Sprott | $558.7M | 0.46% | 0.74% | +1.2% | +24.9% | +21.6% |
| WGMI CoinShares Valkyrie Bitcoin Miners ETF | CoinShares | $343.6M | 0.75% | 0% | -18.3% | -48.6% | — |
| URNJ Sprott Junior Uranium Miners ETF | Sprott | $326.9M | 0.8% | 9.04% | -27.1% | -29.5% | — |
| HAP VanEck Natural Resources ETF | VanEck | $298.8M | 0.41% | 1.84% | +23.2% | +32.0% | +12.2% |
| SGDJ Sprott Junior Gold Miners ETF | Sprott | $265.1M | 0.5% | 8.92% | -6.2% | +23.5% | +18.5% |
| WOOD iShares Global Timber & Forestry ETF | iShares | $246.8M | 0.39% | 2.57% | -7.7% | -7.0% | -3.0% |
| SLX VanEck Steel ETF | VanEck | $170.0M | 0.55% | 1.3% | +19.7% | +30.7% | +17.1% |
| GOAU US Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF | US Global Investors | $164.8M | 0.6% | 0.99% | -5.2% | +13.3% | +18.2% |
| PLTD Direxion Daily PLTR Bear 1X Shares Inverse | Direxion | $152.3M | 1.5% | 4.26% | -30.9% | -29.0% | — |
| ERTH Invesco MSCI Sustainable Future ETF | Invesco | $133.5M | 0.65% | 2.01% | -11.1% | -13.4% | -8.9% |
| EVX VanEck Environmental Services ETF | VanEck | $101.2M | 0.55% | 0.17% | +5.0% | +2.4% | +6.3% |
| NIKL Sprott Nickel Miners ETF | Sprott | $53.7M | 0.75% | 3.63% | -29.9% | -22.8% | — |
| LITP Sprott Lithium Miners ETF | Sprott | $45.5M | 0.65% | 11.61% | -36.4% | -17.4% | — |
| UYM ProShares Ultra Materials Leveraged | ProShares | $41.4M | 0.95% | 1.09% | +24.2% | +28.8% | +5.4% |
| RBLD First Trust Alerian US NextGen Infrastructure ETF | First Trust | $40.5M | 0.65% | 1.02% | +14.6% | +11.8% | — |
| THNR Amplify Weight Loss Drug & Treatment ETF | Amplify | $4.4M | 0.59% | 1.67% | -2.4% | +8.1% | — |
| GDXD MicroSectors Gold Miners -3X Inverse Leveraged ET… Inverse | BMO Financial Group | — | — | — | -70.2% | -87.0% | -76.9% |
| GDXU MicroSectors Gold Miners 3X Leveraged ETN Leveraged | BMO Financial Group | — | — | — | -66.2% | -41.9% | -8.9% |
Picking funds is the easy part
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