Which One of These Precious Metal ETFs Shine the Most?

Core Insights - The VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) and abrdn Physical Platinum Shares ETF (PPLT) provide different exposures to precious metals, with GDX focusing on gold mining companies and PPLT offering direct exposure to platinum's spot price [2] Cost & Size - GDX has an expense ratio of 0.51% and assets under management (AUM) of $30.36 billion, while PPLT has a higher expense ratio of 0.60% and AUM of $3.52 billion [3] - The one-year return for GDX is 185.16%, compared to PPLT's 190.64% [3] Performance & Risk Comparison - Over the past five years, GDX experienced a maximum drawdown of -46.52%, while PPLT had a lower maximum drawdown of -35.73% [5] - An investment of $1,000 in GDX would have grown to $2,587, whereas the same investment in PPLT would have grown to $2,133 over five years [5] Portfolio Composition - PPLT holds physical platinum, making it one of the older options in its niche with a 16-year track record [6] - GDX tracks an index of global gold mining companies, with top holdings including Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., Newmont Corp., and Barrick Mining Corp. [7] Dividend Yield - GDX offers an annual dividend yield of 0.59%, while PPLT currently provides no dividend yield [8][9] Market Context - Investing in precious metals is often viewed as a hedge against the U.S. dollar, with prices typically rising during economic uncertainty [10] - Platinum is estimated to be at least 10 times rarer than gold, which may contribute to its long-term value appreciation [10]