Compare Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio (VBAL) vs BMO Balanced ETF (ZBAL) to find the best fit for your portfolio. VBAL and ZBAL provide the same top sector exposures: Technology, Finance, and Sovereign. When evaluating costs, VBAL features a management fee (MER) of 0.22%, compared to 0.18% for ZBAL. Performance-wise, VBAL has returned 7.68% year-to-date with +$939 M in net flows, whereas ZBAL is at 7.81% with +$162 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
VBAL
ZBAL
| AuM | $5,659.77 M | $639.10 M |
| Management Fees | 0.22% | 0.18% |
| Exp. ratio | 0.24% | 0.20% |
| Tracking Difference | - | - |
Historical performance and flows
As of July 24, 2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | VBAL | -0.65% | +3.35% | +7.68% | +15.81% | +49.71% |
ZBAL | -0.66% | +3.48% | +7.81% | +15.92% | +47.69% | |
| Flows | VBAL | +$140 M | +$386 M | +$939 M | +$1,404 M | +$2,079 M |
ZBAL | +$22 M | +$81 M | +$162 M | +$215 M | +$385 M |
VBAL vs ZBAL exposure
Countries
VBAL
Canada
34.54%
USA
32.04%
Other
11.45%
Other
21.98%
ZBAL
Canada
42.46%
USA
35.99%
Other
21.55%
Sectors
VBAL
Technology
16.09%
Finance
15.25%
Sovereign
11.82%
Other
11.44%
Other
45.39%
ZBAL
Technology
17.29%
Finance
14.18%
Sovereign
13.31%
Municipal
8.89%
Other
46.33%
As of July 24, 2026
Top 10 Holdings
VBAL
NVIDIA Corp.
1.74%
Apple, Inc.
1.61%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.51%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
1.06%
Microsoft Corp.
1.05%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.87%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.79%
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
0.73%
Shopify, Inc.
0.73%
Broadcom Inc.
0.68%
ZBAL
Canada, Bond 0.5 1oct2030 10Y
5.12%
NVIDIA Corp.
2.02%
CMHC, 1.9% 15mar2031, CAD (100)
1.92%
Apple, Inc.
1.77%
Province of Quebec, 1.5% 1sep2031, CAD (B128)
1.52%
Province of Ontario, 2.65% 2dec2050, CAD (DMTN242)
1.47%
Canada, Bonds 2.25% 1dec2029, CAD
1.44%
Province of Ontario, 2.05% 2jun2030, CAD (DMTN243)
1.41%
Sun Life Financial, 2.06% 1oct2035, CAD (2020-2)
1.39%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.22%
Diversification
VBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 33,998 total
10.77%
ZBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 19,849 total
19.28%
Characteristics
Compare
VBAL
ZBAL
| Provider | Vanguard | BMO |
| Management | Actively managed | Actively managed |
| Benchmark | - | - |
| Replication Method | ||
| Asset Class | Equity, Fixed Income | Equity, Fixed Income |
| Dividend Policy | Distributing | Distributing |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | 2.13% | 1.65% |
| Meets ESG criteria | No | No |
| Inception Date | February 1, 2018 | February 15, 2019 |
Frequently asked questions about VBAL and ZBAL
Which ETF has performed better year to date: VBAL or ZBAL?
As of July 24, 2026, VBAL has returned 7.68% year to date, while ZBAL has returned 7.81%. ZBAL is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: VBAL or ZBAL?
As of July 24, 2026, VBAL manages $5.66 B in assets, while ZBAL manages $639.10 M. VBAL is the larger fund by AUM.
How are VBAL and ZBAL managed?
VBAL is actively managed by Vanguard. It does not track an index. ZBAL is actively managed by BMO. It does not track an index.
What sectors do VBAL and ZBAL emphasize?
VBAL is most exposed to Technology, Finance, and Sovereign. ZBAL is most exposed to Technology, Finance, and Sovereign.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: VBAL or ZBAL?
Year to date, VBAL has seen +$938.50 M in net flows, compared with +$162.16 M for ZBAL. VBAL has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of VBAL and ZBAL compare?
VBAL has an expense ratio of 0.24%, while ZBAL has an expense ratio of 0.20%.
What are the top holdings of VBAL and ZBAL?
VBAL's largest holdings include NVIDIA Corp. and Apple, Inc.. ZBAL's top holdings include Canada, Bond 0.5 1oct2030 10Y and NVIDIA Corp..
Which ETF is more diversified: VBAL or ZBAL?
VBAL holds 25326 securities, while ZBAL holds 10678. On holdings count, VBAL is the more diversified portfolio.
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