ZBCB
BMO Canadian Core Plus US Balanced ETF

Full ZBCB fund page
VS
XBAL
iShares Balanced Income CorePortfolio Index ETF

Full XBAL fund page

BMO Canadian Core Plus US Balanced ETF (ZBCB) and iShares Balanced Income CorePortfolio Index ETF (XBAL) offer distinct profiles for Canadian ETF investors. A direct comparison shows that ZBCB focuses its top 3 sector exposures on Finance, Technology, and Municipal, while XBAL leans towards Finance, Technology, and Sovereign. When evaluating costs, ZBCB features a management fee (MER) of 0.45%, compared to 0.18% for XBAL. Performance-wise, ZBCB has returned 8.23% year-to-date with +$3 M in net flows, whereas XBAL is at 9.15% with +$713 M. Use the comparison tool below to benchmark these funds across top 10 holdings, yield, sector weights and historical returns.

NAV Performance and Flows

0.00.51.01.52.0%Sep 16Sep 23Sep 30Oct 7Oct 15

Key Data

Historical performance and flows

As of October 16, 2026
1M3MYTD1Y3Y
Perf.
ZBCB
+0.06%+1.70%+8.23%+9.35%-
XBAL
+1.10%+0.59%+9.15%+10.00%+54.09%
Flows
ZBCB
+$0 M+$0 M+$3 M+$5 M-
XBAL
+$52 M+$186 M+$713 M+$915 M+$1,848 M

ZBCB vs XBAL exposure

Countries

ZBCB
Canada
58.55%
USA
37.11%
XBAL
Canada
44.90%
USA
34.68%
Other
20.43%

Sectors

ZBCB
Finance
29.89%
Technology
14.51%
Municipal
13.40%
Energy
9.73%
Other
32.46%
XBAL
Finance
23.44%
Technology
15.53%
Sovereign
12.71%
Municipal
7.44%
Industrials
7.17%
Other
33.71%
As of October 16, 2026

Top 10 Holdings

ZBCB
Alphabet, Inc.
2.98%
NVIDIA Corp.
2.62%
Royal Bank of Canada
2.59%
Bank of America Corp.
2.33%
Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
2.32%
Apple, Inc.
2.20%
Amazon.com, Inc.
2.04%
Barrick Mining Corp.
1.95%
Shopify, Inc.
1.92%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
1.83%
XBAL
NVIDIA Corp.
1.93%
Apple, Inc.
1.68%
Microsoft Corp.
1.36%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.16%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.92%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
0.82%
Shopify, Inc.
0.73%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.72%
Broadcom Inc.
0.63%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.57%

Diversification

ZBCB
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 2,358 total
22.79%
XBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 21,879 total
10.53%

Characteristics

Compare
ZBCB
XBAL
ProviderBMOiShares
ManagementActively managedActively managed
Benchmark--
Replication Method--
Asset ClassEquity, Fixed IncomeEquity, Fixed Income
Dividend PolicyDistributingDistributing
Trailing 12m distribution yield2.02%2.25%
Meets ESG criteriaNoNo
Inception DateMay 21, 2025June 21, 2007

Frequently asked questions about ZBCB and XBAL

Which ETF has performed better year to date: ZBCB or XBAL?
As of October 16, 2026, ZBCB has returned 8.23% year to date, while XBAL has returned 9.15%. XBAL is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: ZBCB or XBAL?
As of October 16, 2026, ZBCB manages $10.71 M in assets, while XBAL manages $3.53 B. XBAL is the larger fund by AUM.
How are ZBCB and XBAL managed?
ZBCB is actively managed by BMO. It does not track an index. XBAL is actively managed by iShares. It does not track an index.
What sectors do ZBCB and XBAL emphasize?
ZBCB is most exposed to Finance, Technology, and Municipal. XBAL is most exposed to Finance, Technology, and Sovereign.
Which ETF is attracting more investor flows: ZBCB or XBAL?
Year to date, ZBCB has seen +$3.44 M in net flows, compared with +$713.17 M for XBAL. XBAL has attracted more net investor money so far.
How do the fees of ZBCB and XBAL compare?
ZBCB has an expense ratio of 0.45%, while XBAL has an expense ratio of 0.18%.
What are the top holdings of ZBCB and XBAL?
ZBCB's largest holdings include Alphabet, Inc., NVIDIA Corp., and Royal Bank of Canada. XBAL's top holdings include NVIDIA Corp., Apple, Inc., and Microsoft Corp..
Which ETF is more diversified: ZBCB or XBAL?
ZBCB holds 1050 securities, while XBAL holds 21552. On holdings count, XBAL is the more diversified portfolio.

Recent articles about ZBCB and XBAL

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