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GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

GCNS.TO (iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio) and ZCON.TO (BMO Conservative ETF) are both Diversified Portfolio funds. Over the past 5 years, GCNS.TO returned 6.92%/yr vs 5.75%/yr for ZCON.TO. At a 0.38 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. GCNS.TO charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for ZCON.TO.

Performance

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS.TO) and BMO Conservative ETF (ZCON.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GCNS.TO achieves a 6.84% return, which is significantly higher than ZCON.TO's 5.73% return.

GCNS.TO

1D
0.17%
1M
4.64%
YTD
6.84%
6M
5.63%
1Y
13.41%
3Y*
12.23%
5Y*
6.92%
10Y*
—

ZCON.TO

1D
-0.23%
1M
3.35%
YTD
5.73%
6M
4.98%
1Y
13.68%
3Y*
10.81%
5Y*
5.75%
10Y*
—
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020
GCNS.TO
iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio		6.84%7.23%15.54%11.66%-10.94%8.07%4.37%
ZCON.TO
BMO Conservative ETF		5.73%9.31%11.51%9.89%-11.00%6.06%4.56%

Correlation

The correlation between GCNS.TO and ZCON.TO is 0.37, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.37

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.37

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.39

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 22, 2020

0.38

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
GCNS.TO
ZCON.TO

Technology

33.8%
22.5%

Financial Services

29.3%
20.0%

Industrials

9.8%
11.2%

Basic Materials

7.4%
6.9%

Consumer Cyclical

5.1%
8.2%

Healthcare

4.8%
6.8%

Communication Services

3.3%
6.9%

Real Estate

3.2%
2.0%

Consumer Defensive

2.7%
4.8%

Utilities

0.6%
2.9%

Energy

-

7.8%

Technology

GCNS.TO
33.8%
ZCON.TO
22.5%

Financial Services

GCNS.TO
29.3%
ZCON.TO
20.0%

Industrials

GCNS.TO
9.8%
ZCON.TO
11.2%

Basic Materials

GCNS.TO
7.4%
ZCON.TO
6.9%

Consumer Cyclical

GCNS.TO
5.1%
ZCON.TO
8.2%

Healthcare

GCNS.TO
4.8%
ZCON.TO
6.8%

Communication Services

GCNS.TO
3.3%
ZCON.TO
6.9%

Real Estate

GCNS.TO
3.2%
ZCON.TO
2.0%

Consumer Defensive

GCNS.TO
2.7%
ZCON.TO
4.8%

Utilities

GCNS.TO
0.6%
ZCON.TO
2.9%

Energy

GCNS.TO

-

ZCON.TO
7.8%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio

BMO Conservative ETF

Often compared with GCNS.TO:
GCNS.TO vs. XCNS.TOGCNS.TO vs. VFV.TOGCNS.TO vs. XSTB.TOGCNS.TO vs. ZBI.TOGCNS.TO vs. CMR.TOGCNS.TO vs. GEQT.TOGCNS.TO vs. VCNS.TO
Often compared with ZCON.TO:
ZCON.TO vs. XCNS.TOZCON.TO vs. ZBAL.TOZCON.TO vs. PYF.TOZCON.TO vs. MIX.TOZCON.TO vs. ZMI.TOZCON.TO vs. FEQT.NEOZCON.TO vs. ZMMK.TO

Return for Risk

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
GCNS.TO
GCNS.TO Risk / Return Rank: 5252
Overall Rank
GCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4646
Sharpe Ratio Rank
GCNS.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 4747
Sortino Ratio Rank
GCNS.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 5757
Omega Ratio Rank
GCNS.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 5757
Calmar Ratio Rank
GCNS.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 5454
Martin Ratio Rank
ZCON.TO
ZCON.TO Risk / Return Rank: 6767
Overall Rank
ZCON.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6767
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ZCON.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 7272
Sortino Ratio Rank
ZCON.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 7171
Omega Ratio Rank
ZCON.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 6262
Calmar Ratio Rank
ZCON.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 6565
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS.TO) and BMO Conservative ETF (ZCON.TO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

GCNS.TOZCON.TODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.59
2.22

-0.63

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.32
3.26

-0.94

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.35

1.42

-0.07

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.80

3.03

-0.23

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

9.32

11.81

-2.49

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GCNS.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.59, which is comparable to the ZCON.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.22. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GCNS.TO and ZCON.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

GCNS.TOZCON.TODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.59

2.22

-0.63

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.85

0.80

+0.05

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.92

0.81

+0.11

Drawdowns

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GCNS.TO drawdown since its inception was -15.37%, smaller than the maximum ZCON.TO drawdown of -17.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GCNS.TO and ZCON.TO.

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Drawdown Indicators

GCNS.TOZCON.TODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-15.37%

-17.22%

+1.85%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-4.81%

-4.54%

-0.27%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-7.38%

-6.83%

-0.55%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-15.37%

-15.88%

+0.51%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

0.00%

-0.23%

+0.23%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-3.56%

-3.19%

-0.37%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

1.44%

1.16%

+0.28%

Volatility

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio (GCNS.TO) has a higher volatility of 2.47% compared to BMO Conservative ETF (ZCON.TO) at 2.22%. This indicates that GCNS.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZCON.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

GCNS.TOZCON.TODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

2.47%

2.22%

+0.25%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

5.59%

4.85%

+0.74%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

8.49%

6.19%

+2.30%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

8.20%

7.23%

+0.97%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

7.83%

8.00%

-0.17%

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

GCNS.TO has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than ZCON.TO's 0.15% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

GCNS.TO vs. ZCON.TO - Dividend Comparison

GCNS.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.98%, less than ZCON.TO's 2.05% yield.

PositionTTM2025202420232022202120202019
GCNS.TO
iShares ESG Conservative Balanced ETF Portfolio		1.98%2.07%2.03%2.88%2.09%1.60%2.49%0.00%
ZCON.TO
BMO Conservative ETF		2.05%2.36%2.49%2.71%2.89%2.50%2.59%2.51%

Frequently Asked Questions

GCNS.TO and ZCON.TO have a correlation of 0.37, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, ZCON.TO is cheaper at 0.15% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

ZCON.TO is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.25% for GCNS.TO.

They also come from different issuers: iShares and BMO. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for GCNS.TO and 0.15% for ZCON.TO.

Portfolio Optimizer

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