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ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ZWC.TO (BMO CA High Dividend Covered Call ETF) and COW.TO (iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ZWC.TO is a Derivative Income fund actively managed by BMO, while COW.TO is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Manulife Investment Management Global Agriculture Index. ZWC.TO is actively managed, while COW.TO is passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ZWC.TO returned 11.09%/yr vs 4.24%/yr for COW.TO. A 0.58 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. ZWC.TO charges 0.91%/yr vs 0.72%/yr for COW.TO.

Performance

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in BMO CA High Dividend Covered Call ETF (ZWC.TO) and iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Loading charts...

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ZWC.TO achieves a 11.12% return, which is significantly lower than COW.TO's 15.84% return.

ZWC.TO

1D
-0.27%
1M
2.71%
YTD
11.12%
6M
12.78%
1Y
28.05%
3Y*
17.17%
5Y*
11.09%
10Y*
—

COW.TO

1D
0.40%
1M
-2.01%
YTD
15.84%
6M
13.53%
1Y
9.79%
3Y*
8.62%
5Y*
4.24%
10Y*
8.59%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
ZWC.TO
BMO CA High Dividend Covered Call ETF		11.12%22.79%12.00%7.54%-3.54%25.39%-6.92%17.32%-10.05%7.34%
COW.TO
iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF		15.84%-0.67%5.62%-8.61%12.64%19.02%11.66%25.91%-14.26%15.19%

Correlation

The correlation between ZWC.TO and COW.TO is 0.42, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

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

0.42

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

0.52

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

0.56

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 13, 2017

0.58

The correlation between ZWC.TO and COW.TO shifts across timeframes, from 0.42 (1 year) to 0.58 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
ZWC.TO
COW.TO

Financial Services

38.7%
0.5%

Energy

22.9%

-

Basic Materials

12.7%
27.4%

Utilities

8.9%

-

Communication Services

6.4%

-

Industrials

4.9%
28.0%

Consumer Cyclical

4.1%
1.7%

Consumer Defensive

1.5%
42.3%

Healthcare

-

-

Real Estate

-

-

Technology

-

-

Financial Services

ZWC.TO
38.7%
COW.TO
0.5%

Energy

ZWC.TO
22.9%
COW.TO

-

Basic Materials

ZWC.TO
12.7%
COW.TO
27.4%

Utilities

ZWC.TO
8.9%
COW.TO

-

Communication Services

ZWC.TO
6.4%
COW.TO

-

Industrials

ZWC.TO
4.9%
COW.TO
28.0%

Consumer Cyclical

ZWC.TO
4.1%
COW.TO
1.7%

Consumer Defensive

ZWC.TO
1.5%
COW.TO
42.3%

Healthcare

ZWC.TO

-

COW.TO

-

Real Estate

ZWC.TO

-

COW.TO

-

Technology

ZWC.TO

-

COW.TO

-

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BMO CA High Dividend Covered Call ETF

iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF

Often compared with ZWC.TO:
ZWC.TO vs. ZWB.TOZWC.TO vs. VDY.TOZWC.TO vs. HDIV.TOZWC.TO vs. XEI.TOZWC.TO vs. ZDV.TOZWC.TO vs. ZWH.TOZWC.TO vs. HMAX.TO
Often compared with COW.TO:
COW.TO vs. NTR.TOCOW.TO vs. CWW.TOCOW.TO vs. COWGCOW.TO vs. XHC.TOCOW.TO vs. VOOCOW.TO vs. DBACOW.TO vs. XUS.TO

Return for Risk

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
ZWC.TO
ZWC.TO Risk / Return Rank: 9292
Overall Rank
ZWC.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9393
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ZWC.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 9595
Sortino Ratio Rank
ZWC.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 9494
Omega Ratio Rank
ZWC.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 8585
Calmar Ratio Rank
ZWC.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 9292
Martin Ratio Rank
COW.TO
COW.TO Risk / Return Rank: 1919
Overall Rank
COW.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 1919
Sharpe Ratio Rank
COW.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 1919
Sortino Ratio Rank
COW.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 1818
Omega Ratio Rank
COW.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 2121
Calmar Ratio Rank
COW.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 1818
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.

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BMO CA High Dividend Covered Call ETF (ZWC.TO) and iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.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.

ZWC.TOCOW.TODifference

Sharpe ratio

Return per unit of total volatility

3.61

0.63

+2.98

Sortino ratio

Return per unit of downside risk

5.11

1.03

+4.07

Omega ratio

Gain probability vs. loss probability

1.69

1.12

+0.57

Calmar ratio

Return relative to maximum drawdown

4.71

0.94

+3.77

Martin ratio

Return relative to average drawdown

23.23

1.94

+21.29

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

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ZWC.TO Sharpe Ratio is 3.61, which is higher than the COW.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.63. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ZWC.TO and COW.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

ZWC.TOCOW.TODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

3.61

0.63

+2.98

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

1.10

0.23

+0.87

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

—

0.45

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.56

0.36

+0.20

Drawdowns

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ZWC.TO drawdown since its inception was -40.57%, smaller than the maximum COW.TO drawdown of -55.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ZWC.TO and COW.TO.

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Drawdown Indicators

ZWC.TOCOW.TODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-40.57%

-55.00%

+14.43%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-5.99%

-10.51%

+4.52%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-9.09%

-14.51%

+5.42%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-16.43%

-29.82%

+13.39%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

—

-36.62%

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.97%

-7.17%

+6.20%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-4.69%

-13.94%

+9.25%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

1.21%

5.06%

-3.85%

Volatility

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for BMO CA High Dividend Covered Call ETF (ZWC.TO) is 2.40%, while iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF (COW.TO) has a volatility of 3.85%. This indicates that ZWC.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than COW.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

ZWC.TOCOW.TODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

2.40%

3.85%

-1.45%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

6.77%

12.44%

-5.67%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

7.80%

15.68%

-7.88%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

10.13%

18.87%

-8.74%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

14.94%

19.30%

-4.36%

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ZWC.TO has a 0.91% expense ratio, which is higher than COW.TO's 0.72% expense ratio.

Dividends

ZWC.TO vs. COW.TO - Dividend Comparison

ZWC.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.64%, more than COW.TO's 2.07% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
COW.TO
iShares Global Agriculture Index ETF		2.07%2.40%1.43%1.62%2.03%0.69%1.02%1.02%1.07%0.58%1.10%1.78%
ZWC.TO
BMO CA High Dividend Covered Call ETF		5.64%5.92%6.73%7.62%7.01%6.60%8.15%6.92%7.11%5.46%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

ZWC.TO and COW.TO have a correlation of 0.42, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, COW.TO is cheaper at 0.72% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

COW.TO is cheaper with a 0.72% expense ratio, compared with 0.91% for ZWC.TO.

ZWC.TO is categorized as Derivative Income, while COW.TO is Large Cap Blend Equities. They also come from different issuers: BMO and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.91% for ZWC.TO and 0.72% for COW.TO.

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