US-listed · NYSE Arca · FIF-eligible (above NZ$50K)
VanEck GDXJ VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF
Tracks the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index — small + mid-cap gold mining companies. Higher operational risk and volatility than GDX (which holds large + mid-caps).
Updated Reviewed quarterly
About this fund
What is GDXJ?
GDXJ is the US-listed ticker for VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF, issued by VanEck. Tracks the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index — small + mid-cap gold mining companies. Higher operational risk and volatility than GDX (which holds large + mid-caps). TER is 0.52% per year, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of approximately 1.2%. Distributions are paid annual.
How to buy
Where can I buy GDXJ from New Zealand?
Hatch NZ-built. US$3 flat per trade, ~0.5% FX.
Stake Commission-free US shares; ~0.7% FX.
Sharesies NZ + AU + US in one account; tiered subscription pricing.
Interactive Brokers Tiered commissions; FX margin ~0.002% (lowest published of platforms reviewed).
See the full platform comparison for fees, minimums, and supported markets across all 11 NZ-accessible brokers.
NZ tax
How is GDXJ taxed for NZ investors?
GDXJ is US-listed, so it sits in the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) regime once your overseas-share holdings exceed NZ$50,000 cost basis. Below that threshold, the FIF regime does not apply and you pay tax on dividends only.
Above NZ$50K cost basis, most NZ retail investors use the Fair Dividend Rate (FDR) method — deemed income = 5% × opening market value × your marginal tax rate. FDR vs CV method →
US dividends carry 15% US withholding tax under the NZ–US tax treaty (file a W-8BEN with your broker; without it, the rate is 30%). The 15% can be claimed as a foreign tax credit on your IR3.
Tax outcomes depend on your portfolio size, marginal rate, and FDR-vs-CV election. See PIE vs FIF for the full comparison and consult a registered NZ tax adviser for personalised guidance.
FAQ
Common questions about GDXJ
What is the GDXJ ETF? ⌄
GDXJ is the VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF — it tracks the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index, holding small + mid-cap gold mining companies (companies still in exploration / development stages or smaller than the GDX large + mid-cap names). TER is 0.52%, distributions paid annually. Yield ~1.2%.
GDXJ vs GDX — what's the difference? ⌄
GDX holds large- and mid-cap gold producers with established operations (Newmont, Barrick, Agnico Eagle). GDXJ holds smaller, earlier-stage miners with higher operational risk: drilling outcomes, permitting, financing, jurisdictional exposure. GDXJ typically has higher operational leverage to gold-price moves (a 10% rise in gold can produce 20-40% rise in junior miners; conversely on the downside) AND higher company-specific risk than GDX.
Can NZ residents buy GDXJ? ⌄
Yes. GDXJ is available via Hatch, Stake, Sharesies (US market), and Interactive Brokers. Above NZ$50,000 cost basis FIF rules apply. Note: junior miners are highly volatile; the FDR floor + sector volatility interaction can produce poor after-tax outcomes in down years.
Why hold GDXJ alongside GDX or GLD? ⌄
GDXJ amplifies gold-price moves more than GDX (large miners) and much more than GLD (physical bullion). Some investors hold a small allocation to GDXJ as a high-beta gold play within a broader gold-exposure sleeve. Holding GDXJ alone gives concentrated single-sector risk (small miners) AND gold-price risk simultaneously — the operational risk dominates in flat-gold periods, the gold-price risk dominates in trending periods.
Related ETFs and resources
GDX — VanEck Gold Miners (large + mid-cap)
Lower-risk gold-mining exposure; established operators only.
GLD — SPDR Gold Shares (physical bullion)
No operational risk; pure spot-gold price exposure.
IAU — iShares Gold Trust (physical bullion)
Lower-cost physical gold alternative.
SIVR — Aberdeen Physical Silver
Silver counterpart for diversifying precious-metals exposure.
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