PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

PLDI.TO (PIMCO Low Duration Monthly Income Fund (Canada)) and ZCS.TO (BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - PLDI.TO is a fund fund, while ZCS.TO is a Canadian Government Bonds fund tracking the FTSE Canada Short Term Corporate Bond Index. Over the past 5 years, PLDI.TO returned 3.25%/yr vs 2.85%/yr for ZCS.TO. At a 0.20 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in PIMCO Low Duration Monthly Income Fund (Canada) (PLDI.TO) and BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PLDI.TO achieves a 0.60% return, which is significantly lower than ZCS.TO's 1.29% return.

PLDI.TO

• 1D: -0.16%
• 1M: 0.84%
• YTD: 0.60%
• 6M: 0.71%
• 1Y: 5.13%
• 3Y*: 5.89%
• 5Y*: 3.25%
• 10Y*: —

ZCS.TO

• 1D: -0.04%
• 1M: 1.02%
• YTD: 1.29%
• 6M: 1.26%
• 1Y: 3.96%
• 3Y*: 5.98%
• 5Y*: 2.85%
• 10Y*: 2.79%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
PLDI.TO PIMCO Low Duration Monthly Income Fund (Canada)	0.60%	6.61%	5.92%	5.62%	-2.88%	1.59%	0.36%	3.40%
ZCS.TO BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF	1.29%	4.41%	7.42%	6.67%	-4.48%	-0.76%	6.10%	2.64%

Correlation

The correlation between PLDI.TO and ZCS.TO is 0.35, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.35
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.25
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 20, 2019	0.20

The correlation between PLDI.TO and ZCS.TO shifts across timeframes, from 0.20 (all time) to 0.35 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	PLDI.TO	ZCS.TO
Financial Services	33.5%	-
Communication Services	11.5%	-
Basic Materials	10.9%	-
Consumer Defensive	10.7%	-
Utilities	9.3%	-
Energy	7.6%	-
Healthcare	6.9%	-
Consumer Cyclical	6.2%	-
Industrials	3.4%	-
Real Estate	-	0.1%
Technology	-	-

Return for Risk

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

PLDI.TO

PLDI.TO Risk / Return Rank: 39
PLDI.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
PLDI.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 32
PLDI.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 33
PLDI.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
PLDI.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 48

ZCS.TO

ZCS.TO Risk / Return Rank: 56
ZCS.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 56
ZCS.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
ZCS.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 67
ZCS.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 49
ZCS.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 55

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.

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PIMCO Low Duration Monthly Income Fund (Canada) (PLDI.TO) and BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS.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.

	PLDI.TO	ZCS.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.14	1.95	-0.81
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.71	2.63	-0.92
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.41	-0.19
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.53	2.44	+0.09
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	7.87	9.64	-1.77
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PLDI.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.14, which is lower than the ZCS.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PLDI.TO and ZCS.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.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	PLDI.TO	ZCS.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.14	1.95	-0.81
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.02	1.00	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.64	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.00	0.80	+0.20

Drawdowns

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PLDI.TO drawdown since its inception was -6.86%, smaller than the maximum ZCS.TO drawdown of -13.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PLDI.TO and ZCS.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	PLDI.TO	ZCS.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-6.86%	-13.95%	+7.09%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.03%	-1.63%	-0.40%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-2.55%	-1.63%	-0.92%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-5.45%	-7.76%	+2.31%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-13.95%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.44%	-0.04%	-0.40%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.79%	-0.89%	+0.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.65%	0.41%	+0.24%

Volatility

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO - Volatility Comparison

PIMCO Low Duration Monthly Income Fund (Canada) (PLDI.TO) has a higher volatility of 1.16% compared to BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS.TO) at 0.69%. This indicates that PLDI.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZCS.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PLDI.TO	ZCS.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.16%	0.69%	+0.47%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.67%	1.79%	+1.88%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.53%	2.05%	+2.48%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.81%	2.87%	+1.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.47%	4.38%	+1.09%

Dividends

PLDI.TO vs. ZCS.TO - Dividend Comparison

PLDI.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.10%, more than ZCS.TO's 3.93% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PLDI.TO PIMCO Low Duration Monthly Income Fund (Canada)	4.10%	4.37%	7.04%	5.80%	3.29%	2.04%	4.71%	2.49%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
ZCS.TO BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF	3.93%	3.60%	3.27%	3.35%	3.23%	2.99%	2.88%	2.96%	2.88%	3.04%	3.34%	3.53%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PLDI.TO and ZCS.TO in my portfolio?

PLDI.TO and ZCS.TO have a correlation of 0.35, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.