ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS.TO) and Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF (VAB.TO).

ZCS.TO and VAB.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ZCS.TO is a passively managed fund by BMO that tracks the performance of the FTSE Canada Short Term Corporate Bond Index. It was launched on Oct 20, 2009. VAB.TO is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Canadian Float Adjusted Bond Index. It was launched on Nov 30, 2011. Both ZCS.TO and VAB.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

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS.TO) and Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF (VAB.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ZCS.TO BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF	0.15%	4.41%	7.42%	6.67%	-4.48%	-0.76%	6.10%	5.01%	1.23%	1.04%
VAB.TO Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF	0.13%	2.28%	3.98%	6.90%	-11.86%	-2.88%	8.26%	6.77%	1.13%	2.30%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ZCS.TO achieves a 0.15% return, which is significantly higher than VAB.TO's 0.13% return. Over the past 10 years, ZCS.TO has outperformed VAB.TO with an annualized return of 2.75%, while VAB.TO has yielded a comparatively lower 1.54% annualized return.

ZCS.TO

• 1D: 0.22%
• 1M: -1.01%
• YTD: 0.15%
• 6M: 0.61%
• 1Y: 3.27%
• 3Y*: 5.49%
• 5Y*: 2.68%
• 10Y*: 2.75%

VAB.TO

• 1D: 0.26%
• 1M: -2.02%
• YTD: 0.13%
• 6M: -0.33%
• 1Y: 0.57%
• 3Y*: 3.27%
• 5Y*: 0.52%
• 10Y*: 1.54%

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

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ZCS.TO has a 0.11% expense ratio, which is higher than VAB.TO's 0.09% 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%.

ZCS.TO

BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF

VAB.TO

Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF

Return for Risk

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

ZCS.TO

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

VAB.TO

VAB.TO Risk / Return Rank: 16
VAB.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 15
VAB.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 13
VAB.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 13
VAB.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
VAB.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 17

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.

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS.TO) and Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF (VAB.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.

	ZCS.TO	VAB.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.57	0.12	+1.45
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.09	0.19	+1.90
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.02	+0.30
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.05	0.30	+1.75
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.00	0.62	+8.39
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ZCS.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.57, which is higher than the VAB.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.12. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ZCS.TO and VAB.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

	ZCS.TO	VAB.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.57	0.12	+1.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.94	0.08	+0.86
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.63	0.24	+0.39
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.79	0.38	+0.41

Correlation

The correlation between ZCS.TO and VAB.TO is 0.58, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO - Dividend Comparison

ZCS.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.82%, more than VAB.TO's 3.33% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ZCS.TO BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF	3.82%	3.60%	3.27%	3.35%	3.23%	2.99%	2.88%	2.96%	2.88%	3.04%	3.34%	3.53%
VAB.TO Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF	3.33%	3.33%	3.19%	2.95%	2.87%	2.48%	2.50%	2.65%	2.79%	2.77%	2.75%	2.78%

Drawdowns

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ZCS.TO drawdown since its inception was -13.95%, smaller than the maximum VAB.TO drawdown of -18.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ZCS.TO and VAB.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	ZCS.TO	VAB.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-13.95%	-18.39%	+4.44%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.63%	-2.86%	+1.23%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-7.76%	-15.82%	+8.06%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-13.95%	-18.39%	+4.44%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.01%	-3.36%	+2.35%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.90%	-4.13%	+3.23%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.37%	1.41%	-1.04%

Volatility

ZCS.TO vs. VAB.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS.TO) is 1.22%, while Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF (VAB.TO) has a volatility of 2.02%. This indicates that ZCS.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VAB.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ZCS.TO	VAB.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.22%	2.02%	-0.80%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.60%	3.06%	-1.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.09%	4.66%	-2.57%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.86%	6.54%	-3.68%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.38%	6.46%	-2.08%