ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ZCON.TO (BMO Conservative ETF) and PSA.TO (Purpose High Interest Savings Fund) are both exchange-traded funds - ZCON.TO is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by BMO, while PSA.TO is a Money Market fund actively managed by Purpose Investments. Over the past 5 years, ZCON.TO returned 5.75%/yr vs 3.17%/yr for PSA.TO. At a 0.02 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ZCON.TO charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.17%/yr for PSA.TO.

Performance

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in BMO Conservative ETF (ZCON.TO) and Purpose High Interest Savings Fund (PSA.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ZCON.TO achieves a 5.73% return, which is significantly higher than PSA.TO's 0.89% return.

ZCON.TO

• 1D: -0.23%
• 1M: 3.35%
• YTD: 5.73%
• 6M: 4.98%
• 1Y: 13.68%
• 3Y*: 10.81%
• 5Y*: 5.75%
• 10Y*: —

PSA.TO

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.17%
• YTD: 0.89%
• 6M: 1.08%
• 1Y: 2.35%
• 3Y*: 3.73%
• 5Y*: 3.17%
• 10Y*: 2.25%

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

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
ZCON.TO BMO Conservative ETF	5.73%	9.31%	11.51%	9.89%	-11.00%	6.06%	9.69%	7.50%
PSA.TO Purpose High Interest Savings Fund	0.89%	2.64%	4.56%	5.12%	2.34%	0.60%	0.93%	1.85%

Correlation

The correlation between ZCON.TO and PSA.TO is 0.05, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.05
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.03
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.03
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 5, 2019	0.02

Return for Risk

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

ZCON.TO

ZCON.TO Risk / Return Rank: 67
ZCON.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
ZCON.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
ZCON.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 71
ZCON.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
ZCON.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 65

PSA.TO

PSA.TO Risk / Return Rank: 100
PSA.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 99
PSA.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
PSA.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 100
PSA.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
PSA.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 100

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.

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BMO Conservative ETF (ZCON.TO) and Purpose High Interest Savings Fund (PSA.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.

	ZCON.TO	PSA.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.22	10.34	-8.12
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.26	28.20	-24.94
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.42	6.27	-4.85
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.03	117.76	-114.73
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	11.81	422.79	-410.98
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ZCON.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.22, which is lower than the PSA.TO Sharpe Ratio of 10.34. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ZCON.TO and PSA.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

	ZCON.TO	PSA.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.22	10.34	-8.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.80	11.66	-10.86
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	9.68	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.81	9.26	-8.45

Drawdowns

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ZCON.TO drawdown since its inception was -17.22%, which is greater than PSA.TO's maximum drawdown of -0.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ZCON.TO and PSA.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	ZCON.TO	PSA.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-17.22%	-0.04%	-17.18%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.54%	-0.02%	-4.52%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-6.83%	-0.02%	-6.81%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.88%	-0.04%	-15.84%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-0.04%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.23%	0.00%	-0.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.19%	-0.00%	-3.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.16%	0.01%	+1.15%

Volatility

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO - Volatility Comparison

BMO Conservative ETF (ZCON.TO) has a higher volatility of 2.22% compared to Purpose High Interest Savings Fund (PSA.TO) at 0.06%. This indicates that ZCON.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PSA.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ZCON.TO	PSA.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.22%	0.06%	+2.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.85%	0.16%	+4.69%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.19%	0.23%	+5.96%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.23%	0.27%	+6.96%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.00%	0.24%	+7.76%

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ZCON.TO has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than PSA.TO's 0.17% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

ZCON.TO vs. PSA.TO - Dividend Comparison

ZCON.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.05%, less than PSA.TO's 2.33% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PSA.TO Purpose High Interest Savings Fund	2.33%	2.61%	4.47%	5.05%	2.26%	0.59%	0.94%	2.18%	1.66%	1.07%	0.99%	1.07%
ZCON.TO BMO Conservative ETF	2.05%	2.36%	2.49%	2.71%	2.89%	2.50%	2.59%	2.51%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ZCON.TO and PSA.TO in my portfolio?

ZCON.TO and PSA.TO have a correlation of 0.05, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, ZCON.TO or PSA.TO?

On fees, ZCON.TO is cheaper at 0.15% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, ZCON.TO or PSA.TO?

ZCON.TO is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.17% for PSA.TO.

What is the main difference between ZCON.TO and PSA.TO?

ZCON.TO is categorized as Diversified Portfolio, while PSA.TO is Money Market. They also come from different issuers: BMO and Purpose Investments. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for ZCON.TO and 0.17% for PSA.TO.