The electronic structure of Gd5Si4, Gd5Si2Ge2 and Gd5Ge4 was investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and compared to the results of magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity measurements. High-temperature magnetic susceptibility exhibits anomalies for all the compounds. Various magnetic transitions, present in the compounds, manifest in the electrical resistivity in different ways. The details of the electronic structure, obtained from the XPS measurements, are discussed with respect to the Gd-Si, Gd-Ge bonding, and charge transfer. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.