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XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

XGRO.TO (iShares Core Growth ETF Portfolio) and ZESG.TO (BMO Balanced ESG ETF) are both Diversified Portfolio funds. Both are actively managed. Over the past 5 years, XGRO.TO returned 10.89%/yr vs 8.76%/yr for ZESG.TO. A 0.54 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. XGRO.TO charges 0.20%/yr vs 0.18%/yr for ZESG.TO.

Performance

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares Core Growth ETF Portfolio (XGRO.TO) and BMO Balanced ESG ETF (ZESG.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, XGRO.TO achieves a 10.70% return, which is significantly higher than ZESG.TO's 6.18% return.

XGRO.TO

1D
0.29%
1M
5.00%
YTD
10.70%
6M
8.71%
1Y
23.83%
3Y*
18.10%
5Y*
10.89%
10Y*
10.17%

ZESG.TO

1D
0.61%
1M
4.05%
YTD
6.18%
6M
5.50%
1Y
17.13%
3Y*
14.47%
5Y*
8.76%
10Y*
—
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020
XGRO.TO
iShares Core Growth ETF Portfolio		10.70%15.59%19.53%15.01%-11.08%14.29%8.21%
ZESG.TO
BMO Balanced ESG ETF		6.18%12.26%16.70%15.27%-13.70%13.20%7.69%

Correlation

The correlation between XGRO.TO and ZESG.TO is 0.79, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

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

0.79

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

0.63

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

0.59

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 24, 2020

0.54

Over the past year, XGRO.TO and ZESG.TO have become more correlated (0.79) than their long-term average of 0.54, meaning their price movements have been converging.

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
XGRO.TO
ZESG.TO

Technology

25.8%
24.7%

Financial Services

20.3%
19.7%

Industrials

7.3%
10.1%

Energy

7.2%
5.8%

Communication Services

6.8%
8.5%

Consumer Cyclical

6.3%
6.8%

Basic Materials

5.6%
6.6%

Healthcare

5.1%
8.4%

Consumer Defensive

3.8%
5.4%

Utilities

1.5%
2.3%

Real Estate

0.4%
1.8%

Technology

XGRO.TO
25.8%
ZESG.TO
24.7%

Financial Services

XGRO.TO
20.3%
ZESG.TO
19.7%

Industrials

XGRO.TO
7.3%
ZESG.TO
10.1%

Energy

XGRO.TO
7.2%
ZESG.TO
5.8%

Communication Services

XGRO.TO
6.8%
ZESG.TO
8.5%

Consumer Cyclical

XGRO.TO
6.3%
ZESG.TO
6.8%

Basic Materials

XGRO.TO
5.6%
ZESG.TO
6.6%

Healthcare

XGRO.TO
5.1%
ZESG.TO
8.4%

Consumer Defensive

XGRO.TO
3.8%
ZESG.TO
5.4%

Utilities

XGRO.TO
1.5%
ZESG.TO
2.3%

Real Estate

XGRO.TO
0.4%
ZESG.TO
1.8%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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

iShares Core Growth ETF Portfolio

BMO Balanced ESG ETF

Often compared with XGRO.TO:
XGRO.TO vs. XEQT.TOXGRO.TO vs. VGRO.TOXGRO.TO vs. VEQT.TOXGRO.TO vs. XCG.TOXGRO.TO vs. TGRO.TOXGRO.TO vs. ZGRO.TOXGRO.TO vs. XAW.TO
Often compared with ZESG.TO:
ZESG.TO vs. HBAL.TOZESG.TO vs. PYF.TOZESG.TO vs. TCON.TOZESG.TO vs. VBAL.TOZESG.TO vs. XTR.TOZESG.TO vs. XBAL.TOZESG.TO vs. MIX.TO

Return for Risk

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
XGRO.TO
XGRO.TO Risk / Return Rank: 7171
Overall Rank
XGRO.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6969
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XGRO.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 7070
Sortino Ratio Rank
XGRO.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 7272
Omega Ratio Rank
XGRO.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 6868
Calmar Ratio Rank
XGRO.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 7878
Martin Ratio Rank
ZESG.TO
ZESG.TO Risk / Return Rank: 6666
Overall Rank
ZESG.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6767
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ZESG.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 7272
Sortino Ratio Rank
ZESG.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 6868
Omega Ratio Rank
ZESG.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 5757
Calmar Ratio Rank
ZESG.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.

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core Growth ETF Portfolio (XGRO.TO) and BMO Balanced ESG ETF (ZESG.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.

XGRO.TOZESG.TODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.22
2.19

+0.03

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.13
3.20

-0.07

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.42

1.40

+0.02

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

3.36

2.82

+0.54

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

14.92

11.81

+3.11

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

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XGRO.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.22, which is comparable to the ZESG.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XGRO.TO and ZESG.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

XGRO.TOZESG.TODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.22

2.19

+0.03

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.99

0.99

0.00

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.83

—

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.36

0.87

-0.51

Drawdowns

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XGRO.TO drawdown since its inception was -47.97%, which is greater than ZESG.TO's maximum drawdown of -19.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XGRO.TO and ZESG.TO.

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Drawdown Indicators

XGRO.TOZESG.TODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-47.97%

-19.68%

-28.29%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-7.12%

-6.09%

-1.03%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-12.47%

-10.28%

-2.19%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-18.40%

-18.81%

+0.41%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-25.85%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

0.00%

0.00%

0.00%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-8.49%

-4.19%

-4.30%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

1.60%

1.45%

+0.15%

Volatility

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core Growth ETF Portfolio (XGRO.TO) has a higher volatility of 3.40% compared to BMO Balanced ESG ETF (ZESG.TO) at 2.61%. This indicates that XGRO.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZESG.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

XGRO.TOZESG.TODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

3.40%

2.61%

+0.79%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

9.20%

6.23%

+2.97%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

10.78%

7.87%

+2.91%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

11.05%

8.92%

+2.13%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

12.26%

9.92%

+2.34%

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XGRO.TO has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is higher than ZESG.TO's 0.18% 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

XGRO.TO vs. ZESG.TO - Dividend Comparison

XGRO.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.75%, more than ZESG.TO's 1.65% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
XGRO.TO
iShares Core Growth ETF Portfolio		1.75%1.92%1.98%2.22%1.86%1.66%1.94%2.21%7.42%2.04%2.65%2.15%
ZESG.TO
BMO Balanced ESG ETF		1.65%1.71%1.89%2.22%2.53%2.05%2.27%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

XGRO.TO and ZESG.TO have a correlation of 0.79, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, ZESG.TO is cheaper at 0.18% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

ZESG.TO is cheaper with a 0.18% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for XGRO.TO.

They also come from different issuers: iShares and BMO. Their fees differ too: 0.20% for XGRO.TO and 0.18% for ZESG.TO.

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