Looking at ASX ETFs that perform well can help provide a snapshot into the themes and sectors gaining momentum.
Throughout 2025, themes that brought big returns included gold, silver and other commodities.
Similarly, global defence shares skyrocketed due to government spending and key contracts.
For investors looking to gain access to these kinds of themes or sectors, ASX ETFs provide exposure to a group of similar stocks in one trade.
With that in mind, here are three examples of such funds from VanEck that performed well in 2025.
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VanEck Investments Limited – VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (ASX: GDX)
Gold shares emerged as one of the clear share market winners last year.
This fund from VanEck was able to capture those gains.
It is made up of a portfolio of 92 companies involved in the gold mining industry.
These companies are mostly based in Canada (45%), United States (21%) and Australia (10%).
This fund rose an astonishing 131% over the last 12 months.
VanEck Australian Resources ETF (ASX: MVR)
This ASX ETF has been hotly covered in the past year as it captured the tailwinds in Australia's resources sector.
As the name suggests, this fund offers exposure to 32 ASX-listed resources companies.
According to VanEck, this includes companies focused on physical energy commodities (such as coal, oil, gas and uranium) related services and equipment (such as drilling, pipelines, storage and transportation), power generation and renewable energy.
It also holds companies focused on mining and resources (such as iron ore, coal, precious metals and other minerals) and mining related services and equipment (such as drilling, explosives, transportation and producers of mining machinery).
This fund includes blue-chip companies like BHP Group (ASX: BHP), Fortescue Metals Group (ASX: FMG) and Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO).
It allows investors to access these big fish in one trade.
Over the past year, this fund has risen more than 35%.
VanEck Vectors Small Companies Masters ETF (ASX: MVS)
Another emerging story in 2025 was the impressive performance of ASX small-cap stocks.
This fund captured that performance for investors, rising more than 20% in the last year.
The fund is made up of 58 small-cap companies across a wide range of sectors including healthcare, industrials, resources, technology, energy and more.
