XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XHU.TO (iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF) and ZUQ.TO (BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF) are both Large Cap Blend Equities funds - XHU.TO tracks the Morningstar US Market TR CAD while ZUQ.TO tracks the MSCI USA Quality Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XHU.TO returned 7.63%/yr vs 16.38%/yr for ZUQ.TO. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XHU.TO charges 0.34%/yr vs 0.33%/yr for ZUQ.TO.

Performance

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF (XHU.TO) and BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XHU.TO achieves a 13.95% return, which is significantly higher than ZUQ.TO's 9.39% return. Over the past 10 years, XHU.TO has underperformed ZUQ.TO with an annualized return of 7.63%, while ZUQ.TO has yielded a comparatively higher 16.38% annualized return.

XHU.TO

• 1D: 1.05%
• 1M: 2.71%
• YTD: 13.95%
• 6M: 4.75%
• 1Y: 13.69%
• 3Y*: 11.06%
• 5Y*: 9.96%
• 10Y*: 7.63%

ZUQ.TO

• 1D: 0.28%
• 1M: 5.91%
• YTD: 9.39%
• 6M: 3.18%
• 1Y: 19.10%
• 3Y*: 20.39%
• 5Y*: 15.26%
• 10Y*: 16.38%

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

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XHU.TO iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF	13.95%	-0.28%	16.64%	-1.52%	12.37%	18.23%	-9.27%	13.08%	3.95%	5.12%
ZUQ.TO BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF	9.39%	5.78%	34.02%	33.24%	-18.33%	26.40%	19.92%	31.74%	4.70%	16.90%

Correlation

The correlation between XHU.TO and ZUQ.TO is 0.24, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.24
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.25
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.36
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.45
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 23, 2015	0.47

Over the past year, the correlation between XHU.TO and ZUQ.TO has dropped to 0.24 - well below their long-term average of 0.47, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	XHU.TO	ZUQ.TO
Consumer Defensive	24.1%	11.1%
Energy	21.2%	0.2%
Healthcare	16.8%	14.8%
Financial Services	10.8%	10.1%
Technology	9.0%	33.8%
Utilities	8.9%	0.1%
Consumer Cyclical	5.8%	2.8%
Industrials	2.0%	11.0%
Basic Materials	1.1%	1.7%
Communication Services	0.1%	14.5%
Real Estate	-	-

Return for Risk

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XHU.TO

XHU.TO Risk / Return Rank: 32
XHU.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
XHU.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
XHU.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 34
XHU.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
XHU.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 35

ZUQ.TO

ZUQ.TO Risk / Return Rank: 41
ZUQ.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 43
ZUQ.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 42
ZUQ.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 46
ZUQ.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
ZUQ.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 37

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.

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF (XHU.TO) and BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ.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.

	XHU.TO	ZUQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.17	1.56	-0.40
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.54	2.15	-0.60
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.30	-0.07
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.58	1.81	-0.24
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	5.48	5.87	-0.39
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XHU.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.17, which is comparable to the ZUQ.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.56. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XHU.TO and ZUQ.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

	XHU.TO	ZUQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.17	1.56	-0.40
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.84	0.94	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53	0.94	-0.41
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.55	0.94	-0.39

Drawdowns

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XHU.TO drawdown since its inception was -29.94%, which is greater than ZUQ.TO's maximum drawdown of -26.94%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XHU.TO and ZUQ.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XHU.TO	ZUQ.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-29.94%	-26.94%	-3.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.73%	-10.57%	+1.84%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-12.53%	-17.93%	+5.40%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-12.53%	-26.94%	+14.41%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.94%	-26.94%	-3.00%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.84%	-0.10%	-1.74%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.73%	-4.60%	+0.87%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.51%	3.26%	-0.75%

Volatility

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF (XHU.TO) has a higher volatility of 3.53% compared to BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ.TO) at 2.31%. This indicates that XHU.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZUQ.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XHU.TO	ZUQ.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.53%	2.31%	+1.22%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.28%	9.60%	+0.68%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.79%	12.29%	-0.50%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.89%	16.35%	-4.46%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.38%	17.52%	-3.14%

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XHU.TO has a 0.34% expense ratio, which is higher than ZUQ.TO's 0.33% expense ratio.

Dividends

XHU.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Dividend Comparison

XHU.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.44%, more than ZUQ.TO's 0.43% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XHU.TO iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF	2.44%	2.75%	2.72%	2.86%	2.63%	2.60%	3.18%	2.25%	2.52%	2.27%	2.38%	2.30%
ZUQ.TO BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF	0.43%	0.46%	0.57%	0.86%	0.99%	0.80%	0.96%	0.96%	1.07%	1.16%	1.00%	0.88%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XHU.TO and ZUQ.TO in my portfolio?

XHU.TO and ZUQ.TO have a correlation of 0.24, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XHU.TO or ZUQ.TO?

On fees, ZUQ.TO is cheaper at 0.33% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XHU.TO or ZUQ.TO?

ZUQ.TO is cheaper with a 0.33% expense ratio, compared with 0.34% for XHU.TO.

What is the main difference between XHU.TO and ZUQ.TO?

XHU.TO tracks Morningstar US Market TR CAD, while ZUQ.TO tracks MSCI USA Quality Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and BMO. Their fees differ too: 0.34% for XHU.TO and 0.33% for ZUQ.TO.