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HBF.TO vs. COW.TO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

HBF.TO (Harvest US Equity Leaders Income ETF Class A (CAD Hedged)) and COW.TO (iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - HBF.TO is a Derivative Income fund actively managed by Harvest Portfolios Group, while COW.TO is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Manulife Investment Management Global Agriculture Index. HBF.TO is actively managed, while COW.TO is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, HBF.TO returned 11.18%/yr vs 8.59%/yr for COW.TO. At a 0.45 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. HBF.TO charges 0.75%/yr vs 0.72%/yr for COW.TO.

Performance

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Harvest US Equity Leaders Income ETF Class A (CAD Hedged) (HBF.TO) and iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.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, HBF.TO achieves a 8.15% return, which is significantly lower than COW.TO's 15.84% return. Over the past 10 years, HBF.TO has outperformed COW.TO with an annualized return of 11.18%, while COW.TO has yielded a comparatively lower 8.59% annualized return.

HBF.TO

1D
-1.15%
1M
3.49%
YTD
8.15%
6M
7.25%
1Y
25.20%
3Y*
14.19%
5Y*
7.67%
10Y*
11.18%

COW.TO

1D
0.40%
1M
-2.01%
YTD
15.84%
6M
13.53%
1Y
9.79%
3Y*
8.62%
5Y*
4.24%
10Y*
8.59%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
HBF.TO
Harvest US Equity Leaders Income ETF Class A (CAD Hedged)		8.15%15.51%13.12%11.23%-14.97%21.88%11.41%25.99%-4.71%18.27%
COW.TO
iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF		15.84%-0.67%5.62%-8.61%12.64%19.02%11.66%25.91%-14.26%14.84%

Correlation

The correlation between HBF.TO and COW.TO is 0.19, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

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

0.19

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

0.40

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

0.45

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.51

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 25, 2014

0.45

Over the past year, the correlation between HBF.TO and COW.TO has dropped to 0.19 - well below their long-term average of 0.45, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
HBF.TO
COW.TO

Technology

29.5%

-

Financial Services

19.7%
0.5%

Consumer Defensive

15.1%
42.3%

Communication Services

10.4%

-

Consumer Cyclical

9.9%
1.7%

Industrials

5.4%
28.0%

Energy

5.1%

-

Healthcare

5.0%

-

Basic Materials

-

27.4%

Real Estate

-

-

Utilities

-

-

Technology

HBF.TO
29.5%
COW.TO

-

Financial Services

HBF.TO
19.7%
COW.TO
0.5%

Consumer Defensive

HBF.TO
15.1%
COW.TO
42.3%

Communication Services

HBF.TO
10.4%
COW.TO

-

Consumer Cyclical

HBF.TO
9.9%
COW.TO
1.7%

Industrials

HBF.TO
5.4%
COW.TO
28.0%

Energy

HBF.TO
5.1%
COW.TO

-

Healthcare

HBF.TO
5.0%
COW.TO

-

Basic Materials

HBF.TO

-

COW.TO
27.4%

Real Estate

HBF.TO

-

COW.TO

-

Utilities

HBF.TO

-

COW.TO

-

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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Harvest US Equity Leaders Income ETF Class A (CAD Hedged)

iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF

Often compared with HBF.TO:
HBF.TO vs. YGOG.NEOHBF.TO vs. RUD.TOHBF.TO vs. XTOT.TOHBF.TO vs. HPYE.TOHBF.TO vs. HPYB.TOHBF.TO vs. METE.TOHBF.TO vs. FLUS.TO
Often compared with COW.TO:
COW.TO vs. NTR.TOCOW.TO vs. CWW.TOCOW.TO vs. COWGCOW.TO vs. XHC.TOCOW.TO vs. VOOCOW.TO vs. DBACOW.TO vs. ZWC.TO

Return for Risk

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
HBF.TO
HBF.TO Risk / Return Rank: 7474
Overall Rank
HBF.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7676
Sharpe Ratio Rank
HBF.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 7979
Sortino Ratio Rank
HBF.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 7575
Omega Ratio Rank
HBF.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 6666
Calmar Ratio Rank
HBF.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 7272
Martin Ratio Rank
COW.TO
COW.TO Risk / Return Rank: 1919
Overall Rank
COW.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 1919
Sharpe Ratio Rank
COW.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 1919
Sortino Ratio Rank
COW.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 1818
Omega Ratio Rank
COW.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 2121
Calmar Ratio Rank
COW.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 1818
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.

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Harvest US Equity Leaders Income ETF Class A (CAD Hedged) (HBF.TO) and iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.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.

HBF.TOCOW.TODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.46
0.63

+1.83

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.52
1.03

+2.48

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.44

1.12

+0.33

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

3.25

0.94

+2.31

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

13.35

1.94

+11.41

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

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HBF.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.46, which is higher than the COW.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.63. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HBF.TO and COW.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

HBF.TOCOW.TODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.46

0.63

+1.83

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.55

0.23

+0.32

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.66

0.45

+0.22

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.50

0.36

+0.14

Drawdowns

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HBF.TO drawdown since its inception was -35.28%, smaller than the maximum COW.TO drawdown of -55.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HBF.TO and COW.TO.

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Drawdown Indicators

HBF.TOCOW.TODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-35.28%

-55.00%

+19.72%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-7.79%

-10.51%

+2.72%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-15.21%

-14.51%

-0.70%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-23.69%

-29.82%

+6.13%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-35.28%

-36.62%

+1.34%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-1.15%

-7.17%

+6.02%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-6.77%

-13.94%

+7.17%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

1.89%

5.06%

-3.17%

Volatility

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Harvest US Equity Leaders Income ETF Class A (CAD Hedged) (HBF.TO) is 2.65%, while iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.TO) has a volatility of 3.85%. This indicates that HBF.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than COW.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

HBF.TOCOW.TODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

2.65%

3.85%

-1.20%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

7.79%

12.44%

-4.65%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

10.29%

15.68%

-5.39%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

14.07%

18.87%

-4.80%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

16.95%

19.30%

-2.35%

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

HBF.TO has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than COW.TO's 0.72% expense ratio.

Dividends

HBF.TO vs. COW.TO - Dividend Comparison

HBF.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.41%, more than COW.TO's 2.07% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
COW.TO
iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF		2.07%2.40%1.43%1.62%2.03%0.69%1.02%1.02%1.07%0.58%1.10%1.78%
HBF.TO
Harvest US Equity Leaders Income ETF Class A (CAD Hedged)		7.41%7.27%7.48%7.52%7.75%5.62%6.34%6.57%7.72%6.86%7.54%7.74%

Frequently Asked Questions

HBF.TO and COW.TO have a correlation of 0.19, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, COW.TO is cheaper at 0.72% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

COW.TO is cheaper with a 0.72% expense ratio, compared with 0.75% for HBF.TO.

HBF.TO is categorized as Derivative Income, while COW.TO is Large Cap Blend Equities. They also come from different issuers: Harvest Portfolios Group and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.75% for HBF.TO and 0.72% for COW.TO.

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