XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF (XEC.TO) and BMO MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF (ZEM.TO).

XEC.TO and ZEM.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XEC.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar EM GR CAD. It was launched on Apr 10, 2013. ZEM.TO is a passively managed fund by BMO that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. It was launched on Oct 19, 2009. Both XEC.TO and ZEM.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

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF (XEC.TO) and BMO MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF (ZEM.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XEC.TO iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF	5.09%	25.78%	16.14%	7.92%	-14.68%	-1.74%	15.08%	11.53%	-8.26%	27.93%
ZEM.TO BMO MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF	5.85%	27.66%	15.21%	7.38%	-15.80%	-2.64%	16.41%	13.20%	-8.06%	30.19%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XEC.TO achieves a 5.09% return, which is significantly lower than ZEM.TO's 5.85% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with XEC.TO having a 8.43% annualized return and ZEM.TO not far ahead at 8.75%.

XEC.TO

• 1D: 2.97%
• 1M: -7.17%
• YTD: 5.09%
• 6M: 7.57%
• 1Y: 28.87%
• 3Y*: 16.82%
• 5Y*: 6.11%
• 10Y*: 8.43%

ZEM.TO

• 1D: 3.49%
• 1M: -7.48%
• YTD: 5.85%
• 6M: 8.61%
• 1Y: 30.27%
• 3Y*: 17.10%
• 5Y*: 5.87%
• 10Y*: 8.75%

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

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XEC.TO has a 0.28% expense ratio, which is higher than ZEM.TO's 0.27% expense ratio.

XEC.TO

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF

ZEM.TO

BMO MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF

Return for Risk

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XEC.TO

XEC.TO Risk / Return Rank: 82
XEC.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
XEC.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
XEC.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 82
XEC.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
XEC.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 79

ZEM.TO

ZEM.TO Risk / Return Rank: 82
ZEM.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
ZEM.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
ZEM.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 81
ZEM.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
ZEM.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF (XEC.TO) and BMO MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF (ZEM.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.

	XEC.TO	ZEM.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.54	1.45	+0.08
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.08	2.02	+0.07
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.30	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.28	2.66	-0.38
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.06	8.76	-0.70
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XEC.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.54, which is comparable to the ZEM.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.45. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XEC.TO and ZEM.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

	XEC.TO	ZEM.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.54	1.45	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.40	0.35	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.48	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.43	0.35	+0.08

Correlation

The correlation between XEC.TO and ZEM.TO is 0.85, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO - Dividend Comparison

XEC.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.83%, less than ZEM.TO's 2.11% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XEC.TO iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF	1.83%	1.92%	2.03%	2.16%	2.28%	2.78%	1.64%	2.87%	2.66%	2.13%	1.80%	2.19%
ZEM.TO BMO MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF	2.11%	2.23%	2.56%	2.87%	2.89%	2.50%	1.69%	2.42%	2.20%	1.76%	4.19%	2.45%

Drawdowns

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XEC.TO drawdown since its inception was -32.54%, smaller than the maximum ZEM.TO drawdown of -34.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XEC.TO and ZEM.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XEC.TO	ZEM.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-32.54%	-34.79%	+2.25%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.55%	-11.64%	-0.91%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.14%	-30.69%	+1.55%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.54%	-34.79%	+2.25%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.54%	-8.56%	+0.02%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.67%	-10.09%	+0.42%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.55%	3.53%	+0.02%

Volatility

XEC.TO vs. ZEM.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index ETF (XEC.TO) is 9.95%, while BMO MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF (ZEM.TO) has a volatility of 13.62%. This indicates that XEC.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ZEM.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XEC.TO	ZEM.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.95%	13.62%	-3.67%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.75%	16.72%	-2.97%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.88%	20.92%	-2.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.44%	16.71%	-1.27%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.36%	18.28%	-0.92%