TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about TD Canadian Long Term Federal Bond ETF (TCLB.TO) and BMO Short-Term Bond Index ETF (ZSB.TO).

TCLB.TO and ZSB.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. TCLB.TO is a passively managed fund by TD that tracks the performance of the FTSE Canada Long Term Federal Bond Index. It was launched on Nov 19, 2019. ZSB.TO is a passively managed fund by BMO that tracks the performance of the FTSE Canada Short Term Overall Bond Index. It was launched on Mar 1, 2018. Both TCLB.TO and ZSB.TO are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in TD Canadian Long Term Federal Bond ETF (TCLB.TO) and BMO Short-Term Bond Index ETF (ZSB.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
TCLB.TO TD Canadian Long Term Federal Bond ETF	0.65%	-3.46%	-1.09%	6.70%	-18.75%	-7.23%	10.77%	-1.73%
ZSB.TO BMO Short-Term Bond Index ETF	0.26%	3.77%	5.55%	5.05%	-4.08%	-1.20%	5.13%	-0.10%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TCLB.TO achieves a 0.65% return, which is significantly higher than ZSB.TO's 0.26% return.

TCLB.TO

• 1D: 0.40%
• 1M: -3.43%
• YTD: 0.65%
• 6M: -1.99%
• 1Y: -5.28%
• 3Y*: -0.42%
• 5Y*: -2.92%
• 10Y*: —

ZSB.TO

• 1D: 0.23%
• 1M: -0.90%
• YTD: 0.26%
• 6M: 0.64%
• 1Y: 2.40%
• 3Y*: 4.25%
• 5Y*: 1.91%
• 10Y*: —

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

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

TCLB.TO has a 0.23% expense ratio, which is higher than ZSB.TO's 0.10% 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%.

TCLB.TO

TD Canadian Long Term Federal Bond ETF

ZSB.TO

BMO Short-Term Bond Index ETF

Return for Risk

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

TCLB.TO

TCLB.TO Risk / Return Rank: 3
TCLB.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3
TCLB.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 3
TCLB.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 3
TCLB.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 3
TCLB.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 4

ZSB.TO

ZSB.TO Risk / Return Rank: 68
ZSB.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
ZSB.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
ZSB.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 67
ZSB.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
ZSB.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 67

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.

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for TD Canadian Long Term Federal Bond ETF (TCLB.TO) and BMO Short-Term Bond Index ETF (ZSB.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.

	TCLB.TO	ZSB.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.56	1.26	-1.82
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.68	1.72	-2.40
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.92	1.25	-0.33
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.59	1.68	-2.27
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.94	6.82	-7.77
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TCLB.TO Sharpe Ratio is -0.56, which is lower than the ZSB.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.26. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TCLB.TO and ZSB.TO, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	TCLB.TO	ZSB.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.56	1.26	-1.82
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.01	0.71	-0.72
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.02	0.89	-0.90

Correlation

The correlation between TCLB.TO and ZSB.TO is 0.44, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO - Dividend Comparison

TCLB.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.31%, more than ZSB.TO's 3.20% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
TCLB.TO TD Canadian Long Term Federal Bond ETF	3.31%	3.25%	2.94%	2.33%	1.48%	0.16%	0.20%	0.00%	0.00%
ZSB.TO BMO Short-Term Bond Index ETF	3.20%	3.16%	2.91%	2.54%	2.60%	2.43%	2.34%	2.40%	2.42%

Drawdowns

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TCLB.TO drawdown since its inception was -87.04%, which is greater than ZSB.TO's maximum drawdown of -7.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TCLB.TO and ZSB.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	TCLB.TO	ZSB.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-87.04%	-7.49%	-79.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.70%	-1.46%	-8.24%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-85.33%	-7.12%	-78.21%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-27.84%	-0.90%	-26.94%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-24.80%	-1.52%	-23.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.67%	0.36%	+6.31%

Volatility

TCLB.TO vs. ZSB.TO - Volatility Comparison

TD Canadian Long Term Federal Bond ETF (TCLB.TO) has a higher volatility of 2.98% compared to BMO Short-Term Bond Index ETF (ZSB.TO) at 0.96%. This indicates that TCLB.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZSB.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TCLB.TO	ZSB.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.98%	0.96%	+2.02%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.12%	1.38%	+4.74%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.29%	1.91%	+8.38%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	255.06%	2.72%	+252.34%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	241.75%	2.63%	+239.12%