CEW
iShares Equal Weight Banc & Lifeco ETF

Full CEW fund page
VS
ZEB
BMO Equal Weight Banks Index ETF

Full ZEB fund page

Compare iShares Equal Weight Banc & Lifeco ETF (CEW) vs BMO Equal Weight Banks Index ETF (ZEB) to find the best fit for your portfolio. CEW and ZEB provide the same top sector exposures: Finance. When evaluating costs, CEW features a management fee (MER) of 0.55%, compared to 0.25% for ZEB. Performance-wise, CEW has returned 30.35% year-to-date with -$3 M in net flows, whereas ZEB is at 29.78% with +$553 M. Use the comparison tool below to benchmark these funds across top 10 holdings, yield, sector weights and historical returns.

NAV Performance and Flows

-6.0-5.0-4.0-3.0-2.0-1.00.0%Aug 17Aug 24Aug 31Sep 8Sep 15

Key Data

Historical performance and flows

As of September 16, 2026
1M3MYTD1Y3Y
Perf.
CEW
-2.15%+4.88%+30.35%+50.21%+148.70%
ZEB
-4.70%+2.36%+29.78%+48.24%+152.32%
Flows
CEW
-$14 M-$10 M-$3 M+$8 M-$0 M
ZEB
+$284 M+$1,575 M+$553 M+$1,190 M-$261 M

CEW vs ZEB exposure

Countries

CEW
Canada
99.74%
ZEB
Canada
100.00%

Sectors

CEW
Finance
99.74%
ZEB
Finance
100.00%
As of September 16, 2026

Top 10 Holdings

CEW
Manulife Financial Corp.
10.31%
Sun Life Financial, Inc.
10.19%
iA Financial Corp., Inc.
10.18%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
10.03%
Great-West Lifeco, Inc.
10.02%
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
9.89%
National Bank of Canada
9.82%
Bank of Montreal
9.79%
The Bank of Nova Scotia
9.78%
Royal Bank of Canada
9.74%
ZEB
Royal Bank of Canada
17.39%
Bank of Montreal
17.03%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
16.96%
The Bank of Nova Scotia
16.51%
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
16.09%
National Bank of Canada
16.03%

Diversification

CEW
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 10 total
99.74%
ZEB
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 6 total
100.00%

Characteristics

Compare
CEW
ZEB
ProvideriSharesBMO
ManagementActively managedPassively managed
Benchmark-Solactive Equal Weight Canada Banks GTR Index - CAD
Replication MethodDirect (Physical)
Asset ClassEquityEquity
Dividend PolicyDistributingDistributing
Trailing 12m distribution yield2.19%2.35%
Meets ESG criteriaNoNo
Inception DateFebruary 6, 2008October 20, 2009

Frequently asked questions about CEW and ZEB

Which ETF has performed better year to date: CEW or ZEB?
As of September 16, 2026, CEW has returned 30.35% year to date, while ZEB has returned 29.78%. CEW is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: CEW or ZEB?
As of September 16, 2026, CEW manages $417.88 M in assets, while ZEB manages $7.41 B. ZEB is the larger fund by AUM.
How are CEW and ZEB managed?
CEW is actively managed by iShares. It does not track an index. ZEB is passively managed by BMO. It tracks the Solactive Equal Weight Canada Banks GTR Index - CAD benchmark.
What sectors do CEW and ZEB emphasize?
CEW is most exposed to Finance. ZEB is most exposed to Finance.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: CEW or ZEB?
Year to date, CEW has seen -$2.82 M in net flows, compared with +$553.06 M for ZEB. ZEB has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of CEW and ZEB compare?
CEW has an expense ratio of 0.61%, while ZEB has an expense ratio of 0.28%.
What are the top holdings of CEW and ZEB?
CEW's largest holdings include Manulife Financial Corp., Sun Life Financial, Inc., and iA Financial Corp., Inc.. ZEB's top holdings include Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal, and The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Which ETF is more diversified: CEW or ZEB?
CEW holds 10 securities, while ZEB holds 6. On holdings count, CEW is the more diversified portfolio.

Recent articles about CEW and ZEB

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