ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZEQ.TO) and iShares MSCI Europe IMI Index ETF (XEU.TO).

ZEQ.TO and XEU.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ZEQ.TO is a passively managed fund by BMO that tracks the performance of the MSCI Europe Quality 100% Hedged to CAD Index. It was launched on Feb 10, 2014. XEU.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Eur GR CAD. It was launched on Apr 15, 2014. Both ZEQ.TO and XEU.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

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZEQ.TO) and iShares MSCI Europe IMI Index ETF (XEU.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ZEQ.TO BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF	-2.07%	7.89%	2.54%	15.35%	-12.26%	25.16%	6.22%	33.21%	-7.10%	15.45%
XEU.TO iShares MSCI Europe IMI Index ETF	0.19%	29.40%	9.36%	17.36%	-10.48%	16.36%	3.16%	18.30%	-8.11%	18.48%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ZEQ.TO achieves a -2.07% return, which is significantly lower than XEU.TO's 0.19% return. Over the past 10 years, ZEQ.TO has underperformed XEU.TO with an annualized return of 8.42%, while XEU.TO has yielded a comparatively higher 9.38% annualized return.

ZEQ.TO

• 1D: 1.91%
• 1M: -7.56%
• YTD: -2.07%
• 6M: 0.87%
• 1Y: 1.48%
• 3Y*: 4.02%
• 5Y*: 5.26%
• 10Y*: 8.42%

XEU.TO

• 1D: 3.04%
• 1M: -6.44%
• YTD: 0.19%
• 6M: 4.36%
• 1Y: 16.75%
• 3Y*: 14.84%
• 5Y*: 10.47%
• 10Y*: 9.38%

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

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ZEQ.TO has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is higher than XEU.TO's 0.28% expense ratio.

ZEQ.TO

BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF

XEU.TO

iShares MSCI Europe IMI Index ETF

Return for Risk

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

ZEQ.TO

ZEQ.TO Risk / Return Rank: 13
ZEQ.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 14
ZEQ.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 13
ZEQ.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 13
ZEQ.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
ZEQ.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 13

XEU.TO

XEU.TO Risk / Return Rank: 57
XEU.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 60
XEU.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
XEU.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 58
XEU.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 55
XEU.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 54

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.

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZEQ.TO) and iShares MSCI Europe IMI Index ETF (XEU.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.

	ZEQ.TO	XEU.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.09	1.01	-0.92
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.25	1.45	-1.20
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.03	1.21	-0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.06	1.31	-1.25
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.19	4.97	-4.78
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ZEQ.TO Sharpe Ratio is 0.09, which is lower than the XEU.TO Sharpe Ratio of 1.01. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ZEQ.TO and XEU.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

	ZEQ.TO	XEU.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.09	1.01	-0.92
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38	0.73	-0.35
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.55	0.59	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.53	0.50	+0.03

Correlation

The correlation between ZEQ.TO and XEU.TO is 0.71, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO - Dividend Comparison

ZEQ.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.14%, more than XEU.TO's 2.46% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ZEQ.TO BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF	3.14%	3.10%	2.04%	2.50%	2.62%	1.78%	1.94%	2.04%	3.21%	2.07%	2.01%	2.06%
XEU.TO iShares MSCI Europe IMI Index ETF	2.46%	2.47%	2.68%	2.96%	3.03%	2.42%	1.98%	3.56%	3.28%	2.27%	2.91%	2.33%

Drawdowns

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ZEQ.TO drawdown since its inception was -29.13%, smaller than the maximum XEU.TO drawdown of -32.02%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ZEQ.TO and XEU.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	ZEQ.TO	XEU.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-29.13%	-32.02%	+2.89%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.97%	-11.94%	+0.97%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-20.54%	-26.96%	+6.42%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-29.13%	-32.02%	+2.89%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.93%	-7.18%	-0.75%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.31%	-5.41%	+1.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.56%	3.14%	+0.42%

Volatility

ZEQ.TO vs. XEU.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZEQ.TO) is 5.72%, while iShares MSCI Europe IMI Index ETF (XEU.TO) has a volatility of 7.53%. This indicates that ZEQ.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XEU.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ZEQ.TO	XEU.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.72%	7.53%	-1.81%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.20%	10.47%	-1.27%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.67%	16.67%	-1.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.02%	14.48%	-0.46%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.44%	15.99%	-0.55%