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ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ZGRO.TO (BMO Growth ETF) and ZSP.TO (BMO S&P 500 Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ZGRO.TO is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund actively managed by BMO, while ZSP.TO is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. ZGRO.TO is actively managed, while ZSP.TO is passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ZGRO.TO returned 11.51%/yr vs 16.74%/yr for ZSP.TO. Their correlation of 0.85 suggests significant overlap in exposure. ZGRO.TO charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for ZSP.TO.

Performance

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in BMO Growth ETF (ZGRO.TO) and BMO S&P 500 Index ETF (ZSP.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ZGRO.TO achieves a 10.53% return, which is significantly lower than ZSP.TO's 12.15% return.

ZGRO.TO

1D
-0.41%
1M
5.37%
YTD
10.53%
6M
10.31%
1Y
25.76%
3Y*
18.49%
5Y*
11.51%
10Y*
—

ZSP.TO

1D
-0.29%
1M
7.18%
YTD
12.15%
6M
10.04%
1Y
28.96%
3Y*
23.44%
5Y*
16.74%
10Y*
15.98%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)2025202420232022202120202019
ZGRO.TO
BMO Growth ETF		10.53%16.39%20.71%14.64%-10.58%14.99%10.81%10.83%
ZSP.TO
BMO S&P 500 Index ETF		12.15%12.02%35.07%23.30%-12.68%27.53%15.61%15.75%

Correlation

The correlation between ZGRO.TO and ZSP.TO is 0.80, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.80

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.84

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.85

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 19, 2019

0.85

The correlation between ZGRO.TO and ZSP.TO has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.80 to 0.85 - a consistent structural relationship.

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
ZGRO.TO
ZSP.TO

Technology

22.2%
35.5%

Financial Services

19.8%
12.1%

Industrials

11.2%
8.4%

Consumer Cyclical

8.3%
10.3%

Energy

8.0%
3.3%

Basic Materials

7.2%
1.8%

Healthcare

6.9%
8.7%

Communication Services

6.7%
10.9%

Consumer Defensive

4.9%
4.8%

Utilities

3.0%
2.3%

Real Estate

2.0%
2.0%

Technology

ZGRO.TO
22.2%
ZSP.TO
35.5%

Financial Services

ZGRO.TO
19.8%
ZSP.TO
12.1%

Industrials

ZGRO.TO
11.2%
ZSP.TO
8.4%

Consumer Cyclical

ZGRO.TO
8.3%
ZSP.TO
10.3%

Energy

ZGRO.TO
8.0%
ZSP.TO
3.3%

Basic Materials

ZGRO.TO
7.2%
ZSP.TO
1.8%

Healthcare

ZGRO.TO
6.9%
ZSP.TO
8.7%

Communication Services

ZGRO.TO
6.7%
ZSP.TO
10.9%

Consumer Defensive

ZGRO.TO
4.9%
ZSP.TO
4.8%

Utilities

ZGRO.TO
3.0%
ZSP.TO
2.3%

Real Estate

ZGRO.TO
2.0%
ZSP.TO
2.0%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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BMO Growth ETF

BMO S&P 500 Index ETF

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Often compared with ZSP.TO:
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Return for Risk

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
ZGRO.TO
ZGRO.TO Risk / Return Rank: 7373
Overall Rank
ZGRO.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7272
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ZGRO.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 7272
Sortino Ratio Rank
ZGRO.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 7272
Omega Ratio Rank
ZGRO.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 7474
Calmar Ratio Rank
ZGRO.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 7878
Martin Ratio Rank
ZSP.TO
ZSP.TO Risk / Return Rank: 7272
Overall Rank
ZSP.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7676
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ZSP.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 7575
Sortino Ratio Rank
ZSP.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 7676
Omega Ratio Rank
ZSP.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 6767
Calmar Ratio Rank
ZSP.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 6868
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BMO Growth ETF (ZGRO.TO) and BMO S&P 500 Index ETF (ZSP.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.

ZGRO.TOZSP.TODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.39
2.53

-0.13

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.32
3.45

-0.12

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.44

1.47

-0.03

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

3.76

3.38

+0.39

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

15.21

12.70

+2.51

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ZGRO.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.39, which is comparable to the ZSP.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ZGRO.TO and ZSP.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.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

ZGRO.TOZSP.TODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.39

2.53

-0.13

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

1.08

1.13

-0.05

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

—

0.98

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.91

1.15

-0.24

Drawdowns

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ZGRO.TO drawdown since its inception was -24.64%, smaller than the maximum ZSP.TO drawdown of -26.94%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ZGRO.TO and ZSP.TO.

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Drawdown Indicators

ZGRO.TOZSP.TODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-24.64%

-26.94%

+2.30%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-6.87%

-8.61%

+1.74%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-12.45%

-18.95%

+6.50%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-17.19%

-22.25%

+5.06%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

—

-26.94%

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.41%

-0.29%

-0.12%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-3.38%

-3.34%

-0.04%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

1.70%

2.29%

-0.59%

Volatility

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Volatility Comparison

BMO Growth ETF (ZGRO.TO) has a higher volatility of 4.11% compared to BMO S&P 500 Index ETF (ZSP.TO) at 3.14%. This indicates that ZGRO.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ZSP.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

ZGRO.TOZSP.TODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

4.11%

3.14%

+0.97%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

9.00%

8.65%

+0.35%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

10.81%

11.53%

-0.72%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

10.76%

14.97%

-4.21%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

12.99%

16.36%

-3.37%

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ZGRO.TO has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is higher than ZSP.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%.

Dividends

ZGRO.TO vs. ZSP.TO - Dividend Comparison

ZGRO.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.48%, more than ZSP.TO's 0.75% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
ZGRO.TO
BMO Growth ETF		1.48%1.70%1.92%2.27%2.54%2.22%2.49%2.32%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
ZSP.TO
BMO S&P 500 Index ETF		0.75%0.82%0.94%1.33%1.44%1.15%1.44%1.47%1.63%1.63%2.20%1.53%

Frequently Asked Questions

ZGRO.TO and ZSP.TO have a correlation of 0.80, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, ZSP.TO is cheaper at 0.09% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

ZSP.TO is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.18% for ZGRO.TO.

ZGRO.TO is categorized as Large Cap Growth Equities, while ZSP.TO is S&P 500. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for ZGRO.TO and 0.09% for ZSP.TO.

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