4 Gold Miner ETFs That Pay Dividends

Gold ETFs offer exposure to the gold market without requiring investors to buy physical gold, with some equity-based gold ETFs providing dividends from gold-related companies. These dividend-paying ETFs can help mitigate risk by generating cash flow, even during market downturns. Let’s take a look at some gold miner ETFs that pay dividends.

Key Takeaways

• Gold ETFs provide investors with exposure to the gold market without having to purchase physical gold or specific gold stocks.
• Sprott Gold Miners ETF only holds 33 different companies.
• The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF holds 57 different companies with the top 10 holdings representing 64% of the fund.
• The iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF offers biannual distributions.
• The VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF tracks the performance of small- and mid-cap companies.

Understanding Gold Miner ETFs

Investors are often attracted to the low costs and ease of trading of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These funds represent a basket of securities that track an underlying index, giving investors exposure to many different companies with specific characteristics. These companies are commonly related by asset class, company size, or industry.

As such, gold ETFs provide investors with exposure to the gold market without the need to purchase the physical metal or stocks of various gold companies. Only a handful of the available gold ETFs offers the bonus of paying dividends. Dividends are only available with equity-based gold ETFs that invest in the stocks of companies engaged in the gold industry.

Here’s a look at four of the ETF names that track gold and pay dividends. All information is current as of February 2025.

1. Sprott Gold Miners ETF (SGDM)

The Sprott Gold Miners ETF (SGDM) was launched in 2014. The ETF’s goal is to “track the performance of larger-sized gold companies whose stocks are listed on Canadian and major U.S. exchanges”.

The market capitalization of the fund is $287 million. The ETF is strategically designed to mirror the performance of the Solactive Gold Miners Custom Factors Index TR. The benchmark index is also made up of 35 different precious metals companies.

The fund’s operating expenses is 0.52%, though 0.02% of this is waived by the investment advisor of the fund resulting in a net fund fee (total expense ratio) of 0.50%. It has paid a dividend every year since 2018. The ETF last paid a dividend of $0.29 per share to investors on December 19, 2024.

2. VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX)

The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), launched by Van Eck in 2006, has approximately $14.1 bllion in net assets under management, making it one of the largest and most widely traded gold ETFs. It trades on the NYSE Arca Exchange.

The ETF’s portfolio is made up of 57 holdings, many of which are some of the world’s largest gold companies. The top 10 holdings comprise 64.65% of the portfolio’s weight. Companies are chosen based on market cap with a minimum of $750 million. Holdings include Newmont, Barrick Gold, and Franco-Nevada. The fund tracks the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index.

The fund carries an expense ratio of 0.51%, and GDX pays distributions annually. On December 24, 2024, GDX distributed a dividend of $0.4025 per share. The fund has issued a dividend every year since its 2006 inception except for 2008.

Important

Gold ETFs that hold the physical precious metal or that hold gold futures contracts do not offer dividend yields.

3. iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING)

The iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING) was launched in 2012 by BlackRock. With just over $1 billion in net assets, this ETF tracks the MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners Investable Market Index. As such, it follows the performance of companies in both developed and emerging market economies whose primary revenue source is gold mining.

A total of 38 companies make up its portfolio including notable companies such as Newmont, Barrick Gold, and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.

The fund awards semi-annual distributions. On December 20, 2024, the fund distributed $0.216 per share; on June 17, 2024, the fund distributed $0.186 per share.

4. VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ)

The VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) was launched by Van Eck in 2009 and has approximately $4.87 billion in net assets. This complementary offering to Van Eck’s larger GDX ETF offers exposure to gold mining firms with lower market cap values.

The fund aims to mirror the Market Vectors Global Junior Gold Miners Index, which was designed to reflect the performance of small- and mid-cap companies that derive the majority of their revenue from gold and silver mining. The fund has 87 holdings.

Major portfolio holdings include Pan-American Silver and Evolution Mining. Unlike the larger funds, the concentration of the portfolio is much more diversified, with the top 10 holdings only making up less than 44% of the portfolio’s assets.

The expense ratio for the fund is 0.52%, and the 12-month yield is 2.12%. On December 24, 2042, GDXJ issued a dividend, distributing $1.1144 per share. The fund has issued a distribution in all but 2 of the 13 years since the fund’s inception.

Do Gold ETFs Pay Dividends?

Some Gold ETFs pay dividends, such as the ones listed in this article. It is important to note dividend yields often change over time. In addition, companies and ETFs may elect to not distribute any dividends for a given distribution period, often a result of poor financial performance.

What ETF Pays the Highest Dividends?

The gold mining ETF that pays the highest dividend in this article is the iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING).

Does Vanguard Have a Gold ETF?

Vanguard does not current offer a gold mining ETF.

Which Gold ETF Is the Safest?

The gold ETF that is the safest will depend on individual risk tolerance and investing style. ETFs are generally safer than individual stocks due to their diversified nature. However, ETFs are also highly centralized within a specific industry or asset class. The risk level across all gold ETFs will be fairly similar.

The Bottom Line

There’s a diverse offering of gold ETFs that range in assets under management size, number of companies held, and fund management expense. These funds also differ in their timing of distributions and dividend yields.