ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ZTIP.TO (BMO Short-Term US TIPS Index ETF) is Inflation-Protected Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Government Inflation-Linked 0-5 Year Bond Index, while PHYS (Sprott Physical Gold Trust) is a stock. Over the past 5 years, ZTIP.TO returned 6.29%/yr vs 20.77%/yr for PHYS. At a 0.03 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in BMO Short-Term US TIPS Index ETF (ZTIP.TO) and Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

ZTIP.TO is traded in CAD, while PHYS is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the PHYS values have been converted to CAD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ZTIP.TO achieves a 3.34% return, which is significantly higher than PHYS's 2.93% return.

ZTIP.TO

• 1D: 0.39%
• 1M: 2.04%
• YTD: 3.34%
• 6M: 1.60%
• 1Y: 5.97%
• 3Y*: 6.13%
• 5Y*: 6.29%
• 10Y*: —

PHYS

• 1D: -0.68%
• 1M: 0.23%
• YTD: 2.93%
• 6M: 3.92%
• 1Y: 32.84%
• 3Y*: 31.50%
• 5Y*: 20.77%
• 10Y*: 13.21%

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

ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
ZTIP.TO BMO Short-Term US TIPS Index ETF	3.34%	1.12%	13.84%	1.93%	3.96%	4.47%
PHYS Sprott Physical Gold Trust	2.93%	56.43%	37.29%	10.49%	5.19%	-2.17%

Correlation

The correlation between ZTIP.TO and PHYS is -0.08, 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	-0.08
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 Jan 27, 2021	0.03

The correlation between ZTIP.TO and PHYS shifts across timeframes, from -0.08 (1 year) to 0.03 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS — Risk / Return Rank

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

ZTIP.TO

ZTIP.TO Risk / Return Rank: 36
ZTIP.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
ZTIP.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
ZTIP.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 47
ZTIP.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 33
ZTIP.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 30

PHYS

PHYS Risk / Return Rank: 70
PHYS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
PHYS Sortino Ratio Rank: 65
PHYS Omega Ratio Rank: 70
PHYS Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
PHYS Martin Ratio Rank: 71

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.

ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BMO Short-Term US TIPS Index ETF (ZTIP.TO) and Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS). 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.

	ZTIP.TO	PHYS	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.30	1.26	+0.04
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.84	1.63	+0.21
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.25	+0.04
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.59	1.82	-0.23
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	4.26	4.49	-0.23
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ZTIP.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.30, which is comparable to the PHYS Sharpe Ratio of 1.26. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ZTIP.TO and PHYS, 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

	ZTIP.TO	PHYS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.30	1.26	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.99	1.22	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.84	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.84	0.55	+0.29

Drawdowns

ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ZTIP.TO drawdown since its inception was -5.60%, smaller than the maximum PHYS drawdown of -36.76%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ZTIP.TO and PHYS.

Drawdown Indicators

	ZTIP.TO	PHYS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-5.60%	-36.76%	+31.16%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.78%	-18.09%	+14.31%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-5.60%	-18.09%	+12.49%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-5.60%	-18.09%	+12.49%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-23.34%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-16.20%	+16.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.53%	-13.90%	+12.37%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.41%	7.33%	-5.92%

Volatility

ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for BMO Short-Term US TIPS Index ETF (ZTIP.TO) is 0.77%, while Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) has a volatility of 5.51%. This indicates that ZTIP.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PHYS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ZTIP.TO	PHYS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.77%	5.51%	-4.74%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.13%	22.48%	-19.35%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.67%	26.17%	-21.50%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.36%	17.08%	-10.72%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.28%	15.69%	-9.41%

Dividends

ZTIP.TO vs. PHYS - Dividend Comparison

ZTIP.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.43%, while PHYS has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
PHYS Sprott Physical Gold Trust	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
ZTIP.TO BMO Short-Term US TIPS Index ETF	3.43%	3.63%	3.63%	4.91%	4.93%	0.38%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ZTIP.TO and PHYS in my portfolio?

ZTIP.TO and PHYS have a correlation of -0.08, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.