XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

XUU-U.TO (iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF) and ZUQ.TO (BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF) are both Large Cap Blend Equities funds - XUU-U.TO tracks the S&P Total Market Index while ZUQ.TO tracks the MSCI USA Quality Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, XUU-U.TO returned 12.61%/yr vs 12.29%/yr for ZUQ.TO. At a 0.46 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XUU-U.TO charges 0.08%/yr vs 0.33%/yr for ZUQ.TO.

Performance

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF (XUU-U.TO) and BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

XUU-U.TO is traded in USD, while ZUQ.TO is traded in CAD. To make them comparable, the ZUQ.TO values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XUU-U.TO achieves a 11.58% return, which is significantly higher than ZUQ.TO's 9.03% return.

XUU-U.TO

• 1D: 0.47%
• 1M: 4.96%
• YTD: 11.58%
• 6M: 11.20%
• 1Y: 28.66%
• 3Y*: 21.55%
• 5Y*: 12.61%
• 10Y*: —

ZUQ.TO

• 1D: 0.88%
• 1M: 4.02%
• YTD: 9.03%
• 6M: 4.71%
• 1Y: 17.93%
• 3Y*: 19.58%
• 5Y*: 12.29%
• 10Y*: 15.63%

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

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
XUU-U.TO iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF	11.58%	16.34%	22.50%	26.52%	-20.40%	28.14%	18.72%	7.44%
ZUQ.TO BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF	9.03%	10.85%	23.43%	36.27%	-23.80%	27.34%	22.32%	9.85%

Correlation

The correlation between XUU-U.TO and ZUQ.TO is 0.69, 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	0.69
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.58
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.52
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 23, 2019	0.46

Over the past year, XUU-U.TO and ZUQ.TO have become more correlated (0.69) than their long-term average of 0.46, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Return for Risk

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

XUU-U.TO

XUU-U.TO Risk / Return Rank: 76
XUU-U.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
XUU-U.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 73
XUU-U.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 84
XUU-U.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
XUU-U.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 80

ZUQ.TO

ZUQ.TO Risk / Return Rank: 44
ZUQ.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
ZUQ.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
ZUQ.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 50
ZUQ.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
ZUQ.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 40

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.

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF (XUU-U.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.

	XUU-U.TO	ZUQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.42	1.43	+0.99
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.25	1.97	+1.28
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.50	1.26	+0.24
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.27	1.62	+1.65
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	15.43	6.09	+9.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XUU-U.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.42, which is higher than the ZUQ.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.43. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XUU-U.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

	XUU-U.TO	ZUQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.42	1.43	+0.99
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.76	0.68	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.82	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.89	0.75	+0.14

Drawdowns

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XUU-U.TO drawdown since its inception was -28.73%, smaller than the maximum ZUQ.TO drawdown of -31.27%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XUU-U.TO and ZUQ.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	XUU-U.TO	ZUQ.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.73%	-31.27%	+2.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.80%	-11.10%	+2.30%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-19.43%	-17.32%	-2.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.53%	-30.75%	+6.22%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-31.27%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.78%	-4.81%	-0.97%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.86%	2.95%	-1.09%

Volatility

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF (XUU-U.TO) has a higher volatility of 2.87% compared to BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ.TO) at 2.42%. This indicates that XUU-U.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

	XUU-U.TO	ZUQ.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.87%	2.42%	+0.45%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.21%	9.93%	-0.72%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.88%	12.59%	-0.71%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.75%	18.09%	-1.34%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.65%	19.10%	-1.45%

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XUU-U.TO has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is lower than ZUQ.TO's 0.33% expense ratio.

Dividends

XUU-U.TO vs. ZUQ.TO - Dividend Comparison

XUU-U.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.74%, more than ZUQ.TO's 0.43% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XUU-U.TO iShares Core S&P U.S. Total Market Index ETF	0.74%	0.83%	0.76%	0.85%	1.01%	0.77%	0.90%	0.38%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
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 XUU-U.TO and ZUQ.TO in my portfolio?

XUU-U.TO and ZUQ.TO have a correlation of 0.69, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XUU-U.TO or ZUQ.TO?

On fees, XUU-U.TO is cheaper at 0.08% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XUU-U.TO or ZUQ.TO?

XUU-U.TO is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.33% for ZUQ.TO.

What is the main difference between XUU-U.TO and ZUQ.TO?

XUU-U.TO tracks S&P Total Market Index, while ZUQ.TO tracks MSCI USA Quality Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and BMO. Their fees differ too: 0.08% for XUU-U.TO and 0.33% for ZUQ.TO.