ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about BMO Short-Term Discount Bond ETF (ZSDB.TO) and BMO NASDAQ 100 Equity Index ETF (ZNQ.TO).

ZSDB.TO and ZNQ.TO are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ZSDB.TO is an actively managed fund by BMO. It was launched on Jan 24, 2022. ZNQ.TO is a passively managed fund by BMO that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. It was launched on Feb 11, 2019.

Performance

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in BMO Short-Term Discount Bond ETF (ZSDB.TO) and BMO NASDAQ 100 Equity Index ETF (ZNQ.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
ZSDB.TO BMO Short-Term Discount Bond ETF	0.01%	2.56%	6.02%	5.94%	-2.83%
ZNQ.TO BMO NASDAQ 100 Equity Index ETF	-4.69%	14.60%	35.84%	51.32%	-16.71%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ZSDB.TO achieves a 0.01% return, which is significantly higher than ZNQ.TO's -4.69% return.

ZSDB.TO

• 1D: 0.18%
• 1M: -0.90%
• YTD: 0.01%
• 6M: -0.73%
• 1Y: 0.96%
• 3Y*: 4.44%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

ZNQ.TO

• 1D: 3.23%
• 1M: -2.99%
• YTD: -4.69%
• 6M: -4.08%
• 1Y: 19.05%
• 3Y*: 23.10%
• 5Y*: 14.86%
• 10Y*: —

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

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ZSDB.TO has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is lower than ZNQ.TO's 0.39% expense ratio.

ZNQ.TO

BMO NASDAQ 100 Equity Index ETF

ZSDB.TO

BMO Short-Term Discount Bond ETF

Return for Risk

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

ZSDB.TO

ZSDB.TO Risk / Return Rank: 22
ZSDB.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
ZSDB.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
ZSDB.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 22
ZSDB.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 24
ZSDB.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 23

ZNQ.TO

ZNQ.TO Risk / Return Rank: 54
ZNQ.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
ZNQ.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
ZNQ.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 55
ZNQ.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
ZNQ.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 49

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.

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BMO Short-Term Discount Bond ETF (ZSDB.TO) and BMO NASDAQ 100 Equity Index ETF (ZNQ.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.

	ZSDB.TO	ZNQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.42	0.85	-0.43
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.50	1.30	-0.80
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.09	1.19	-0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.55	1.49	-0.94
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.60	4.40	-2.81
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ZSDB.TO Sharpe Ratio is 0.42, which is lower than the ZNQ.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.85. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ZSDB.TO and ZNQ.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

	ZSDB.TO	ZNQ.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.42	0.85	-0.43
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.72	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.05	0.89	+0.17

Correlation

The correlation between ZSDB.TO and ZNQ.TO is 0.06, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO - Dividend Comparison

ZSDB.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.31%, more than ZNQ.TO's 0.26% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
ZSDB.TO BMO Short-Term Discount Bond ETF	1.31%	1.28%	1.33%	1.75%	1.77%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
ZNQ.TO BMO NASDAQ 100 Equity Index ETF	0.26%	0.25%	0.30%	0.35%	0.23%	0.12%	0.47%	0.52%

Drawdowns

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ZSDB.TO drawdown since its inception was -4.88%, smaller than the maximum ZNQ.TO drawdown of -32.09%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ZSDB.TO and ZNQ.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	ZSDB.TO	ZNQ.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.88%	-32.09%	+27.21%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.93%	-13.03%	+11.10%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-32.09%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.39%	-9.67%	+8.28%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.77%	-6.76%	+5.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.66%	4.42%	-3.76%

Volatility

ZSDB.TO vs. ZNQ.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for BMO Short-Term Discount Bond ETF (ZSDB.TO) is 0.92%, while BMO NASDAQ 100 Equity Index ETF (ZNQ.TO) has a volatility of 6.36%. This indicates that ZSDB.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ZNQ.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ZSDB.TO	ZNQ.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.92%	6.36%	-5.44%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.98%	12.64%	-10.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.31%	22.57%	-20.26%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	3.66%	20.84%	-17.18%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	3.66%	22.46%	-18.80%