VS
iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS) and iShares Core Conservative Balanced ETF (XCNS) offer distinct profiles for Canadian ETF investors. A direct comparison shows that GCNS focuses its top 3 sector exposures on Finance, Sovereign, and Technology, while XCNS leans towards Finance, Sovereign, and Technology. When evaluating costs, GCNS features a management fee (MER) of 0.22%, compared to 0.18% for XCNS. Performance-wise, GCNS has returned 6.75% year-to-date with +$26 M in net flows, whereas XCNS is at 5.97% with +$103 M. Use the comparison tool below to benchmark these funds across top 10 holdings, yield, sector weights and historical returns.
NAV Performance and Flows
Key Data
Compare
GCNS
XCNS
| AuM | $88.26 M | $432.28 M |
| Management Fees | 0.22% | 0.18% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.23% | 0.19% |
| Tracking Difference | - | - |
Historical performance and flows
As of September 2, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | GCNS | -1.14% | -0.06% | +6.75% | +11.04% | +41.12% |
XCNS | -1.08% | +0.03% | +5.97% | +10.49% | +37.24% | |
| Flows | GCNS | +$3 M | +$12 M | +$26 M | +$37 M | +$62 M |
XCNS | +$11 M | +$34 M | +$103 M | +$150 M | +$271 M |
GCNS vs XCNS exposure
Countries
GCNS
Canada
63.58%
USA
24.09%
Other
12.33%
XCNS
Canada
54.21%
USA
30.16%
Other
15.62%
Sectors
GCNS
Finance
33.44%
Sovereign
16.79%
Technology
12.65%
Municipal
12.53%
Other
24.59%
XCNS
Finance
23.83%
Sovereign
18.32%
Technology
10.86%
Municipal
10.56%
Other
36.42%
As of September 2, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
GCNS
NVIDIA Corp.
1.98%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.34%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
1.30%
Canada, Bond 2 1jun2028 10Y
1.29%
Broadcom Inc.
1.25%
Shopify, Inc.
1.00%
Canada, Bond 1.25 1jun2030 10Y
0.97%
Bank of Montreal
0.82%
Canada, Bond 2.25 1jun2029 10Y
0.76%
Canada, Bond 0.5 1oct2030 10Y
0.74%
XCNS
Apple, Inc.
1.27%
NVIDIA Corp.
1.22%
Royal Bank of Canada
0.87%
Microsoft Corp.
0.87%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.60%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
0.59%
Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1mar2031, CAD
0.56%
Canada, Bonds 2.75% 1sep2030, CAD
0.56%
Canada, Bonds 3.25% 1dec2035, CAD
0.55%
Canada, Bonds 3.25% 1jun2035, CAD
0.52%
Diversification
GCNS
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 1,382 total
11.45%
XCNS
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 21,952 total
7.60%
Characteristics
Compare
GCNS
XCNS
| Provider | iShares | iShares |
| Management | Actively managed | Actively managed |
| Benchmark | - | - |
| Replication Method | ||
| Asset Class | Equity, Fixed Income | Equity, Fixed Income |
| Dividend Policy | Distributing | Distributing |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | 2.10% | 2.60% |
| Meets ESG criteria | Yes | No |
| Inception Date | September 14, 2020 | August 7, 2019 |
Frequently asked questions about GCNS and XCNS
Which ETF has performed better year to date: GCNS or XCNS?
As of September 2, 2026, GCNS has returned 6.75% year to date, while XCNS has returned 5.97%. GCNS is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: GCNS or XCNS?
As of September 2, 2026, GCNS manages $88.26 M in assets, while XCNS manages $432.28 M. XCNS is the larger fund by AUM.
How are GCNS and XCNS managed?
GCNS is actively managed by iShares. It does not track an index. XCNS is actively managed by iShares. It does not track an index.
What sectors do GCNS and XCNS emphasize?
GCNS is most exposed to Finance, Sovereign, and Technology. XCNS is most exposed to Finance, Sovereign, and Technology.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: GCNS or XCNS?
Year to date, GCNS has seen +$26.21 M in net flows, compared with +$102.77 M for XCNS. XCNS has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of GCNS and XCNS compare?
GCNS has an expense ratio of 0.23%, while XCNS has an expense ratio of 0.19%.
What are the top holdings of GCNS and XCNS?
GCNS's largest holdings include NVIDIA Corp., Royal Bank of Canada, and The Toronto-Dominion Bank. XCNS's top holdings include Apple, Inc., NVIDIA Corp., and Alphabet, Inc..
Which ETF is more diversified: GCNS or XCNS?
GCNS holds 1375 securities, while XCNS holds 21780. On holdings count, XCNS is the more diversified portfolio.
Recent articles about GCNS and XCNS
The ETF Market Canada is brought to you by Cboe in partnership with Trackinsight SA who is providing all the data, analysis and editorial content on this site. Unless explicitly stated as such, any information that you receive is not real-time.
All content on the ETF Market Canada is for your general information use only, Cboe is not responsible for any use of content by you outside this scope. In particular, the content does not constitute any form of advice, recommendation, representation, endorsement or arrangement by Cboe and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining from making) any specific investment or other decisions.
All content on the ETF Market Canada is for your general information use only, Cboe is not responsible for any use of content by you outside this scope. In particular, the content does not constitute any form of advice, recommendation, representation, endorsement or arrangement by Cboe and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining from making) any specific investment or other decisions.