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 8.33% year-to-date with +$2 M in net flows, whereas XBAL is at 8.99% with +$647 M. Use the comparison tool below to benchmark these funds across top 10 holdings, yield, sector weights and historical returns.

NAV Performance and Flows

-1.0-0.50.00.5%Aug 4Aug 11Aug 18Aug 25Sep 1

Key Data

Historical performance and flows

As of September 2, 2026
1M3MYTD1Y3Y
Perf.
ZBCB
-0.16%+2.05%+8.33%+14.02%-
XBAL
-1.15%+0.67%+8.99%+14.97%+49.82%
Flows
ZBCB
+$0 M-$0 M+$2 M+$5 M-
XBAL
+$76 M+$235 M+$647 M+$941 M+$1,806 M

ZBCB vs XBAL exposure

Countries

ZBCB
Canada
56.77%
USA
39.71%
XBAL
Canada
43.63%
USA
34.80%
Other
21.58%

Sectors

ZBCB
Finance
29.62%
Technology
14.83%
Municipal
12.10%
Energy
10.08%
Other
33.37%
XBAL
Finance
24.28%
Technology
15.66%
Sovereign
11.66%
Industrials
7.53%
Other
40.88%
As of September 2, 2026

Top 10 Holdings

ZBCB
Royal Bank of Canada
3.24%
Alphabet, Inc.
3.05%
NVIDIA Corp.
2.50%
Bank of America Corp.
2.44%
Apple, Inc.
2.44%
Amazon.com, Inc.
1.91%
Suncor Energy, Inc.
1.90%
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.
1.83%
Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
1.81%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
1.73%
XBAL
Apple, Inc.
1.89%
NVIDIA Corp.
1.82%
Microsoft Corp.
1.29%
Royal Bank of Canada
1.28%
Amazon.com, Inc.
0.89%
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
0.87%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.76%
Broadcom Inc.
0.71%
Shopify, Inc.
0.65%
Alphabet, Inc.
0.61%

Diversification

ZBCB
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 16,100 total
22.86%
XBAL
Total weight of top 10 holdings out of 21,952 total
10.78%

Characteristics

Compare
ZBCB
XBAL
ProviderBMOiShares
ManagementActively managedActively managed
Benchmark--
Replication Method
Asset ClassEquity, Fixed IncomeEquity, Fixed Income
Dividend PolicyDistributingDistributing
Trailing 12m distribution yield2.01%2.20%
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 September 2, 2026, ZBCB has returned 8.33% year to date, while XBAL has returned 8.99%. XBAL is ahead on YTD performance.
Which ETF is larger by assets under management: ZBCB or XBAL?
As of September 2, 2026, ZBCB manages $8.95 M in assets, while XBAL manages $3.47 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 +$1.65 M in net flows, compared with +$646.92 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 0.19%.
What are the top holdings of ZBCB and XBAL?
ZBCB's largest holdings include Royal Bank of Canada, Alphabet, Inc., and NVIDIA Corp.. XBAL's top holdings include Apple, Inc., NVIDIA Corp., and Alphabet, Inc..
Which ETF is more diversified: ZBCB or XBAL?
ZBCB holds 6680 securities, while XBAL holds 21780. On holdings count, XBAL is the more diversified portfolio.

Recent articles about ZBCB and XBAL

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