BMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZIC)

This Page's Content Was Updated: November 9, 2026
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Important Information

WOWA.ca is an independent information website. We are not affiliated with BMO or BMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Index ETF. This page is for general information only and is not investment advice, an offer or a solicitation. Past returns don’t guarantee future results.

  • Investment focus:Mid-term US investment-grade corporate bonds
  • Category:US and global bonds
  • Management style:Index (passive)
  • Managed by:BMO
  • Market data as of:October 30, 2026

With C$3.35 billion in assets, ZIC is the 11th largest of the 42 bond ETFs WOWA tracks. Its management expense ratio (MER) is 0.28%, and over the past 12 months it paid out 4.70% of its unit price in distributions.

Jump to section: Overview • Index • Performance • Distributions • Risks • Fit • Ranking • Compare

AUM

C$3.35B

as of Oct 30, 2026

MER

0.28%

annual cost

Trailing yield

4.70%

past 12 months

5-year return

3.04%

annualized

About ZIC

BMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZIC) is a bond ETF from BMO, launched on March 19, 2013. It tracks a Bloomberg index of US-dollar investment-grade corporate bonds with five to ten years to maturity, capped so no single issuer dominates.

What ZIC tracks

Fund detailValue
IndexBloomberg U.S. Investment Grade 5 to 10 Year Corporate Bond Capped Index
RebalancingMonthly, following the index

This Bloomberg index holds investment-grade US-dollar corporate bonds with five to ten years left to run. That range is the “Mid-Term” in the fund’s name. No single company is allowed to grow too large in it. BMO adds “(CAD)” to the index name, but that only means the values are shown in Canadian dollars. There is no hedge, so ZIC moves with the US dollar.

Funds that track the same index

ZIC shares its index with one other ETF. They aim for the same return before costs, so fees and currency treatment are the main differences.

ETF data as of October 30, 2026

Updated weekly
TickerFundCurrency treatmentMER 5-year returnAUM (CAD B)
ZICBMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Index ETFUnhedged (USD)0.28%3.04%3.35
ZMUBMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Hedged to CAD Index ETFHedged to CAD0.28%-0.54%3.31

Currency

All of ZIC's holdings are in US dollars, and the fund does not hedge them. When the Canadian dollar weakens, the fund's value in Canadian dollars rises; when the Canadian dollar strengthens, it falls. Part of the return comes from the exchange rate rather than the bonds. For the same bonds with the currency hedged, see ZMU.

ZIC fund facts

ETF data as of October 30, 2026

Updated weekly
Fund detailValue
Fund basics
TickerZIC
ProviderBMO
Inception dateMarch 19, 2013
Legal structureMutual fund trust
Management styleIndex (passive)
Portfolio
Bond marketUS
Bond sectorCorporate
Maturity segmentMid
Credit mandateInvestment grade
Currency treatmentUnhedged (USD)
Number of holdings719 (as of September 9, 2026)
Costs and distributions
Management fee0.25%
MER 0.28%
Distribution frequencyMonthly
Trailing distribution yield4.70%
Risk rating (issuer)Low to Medium
Size and trading
Assets under managementC$3.35 billion (as of October 30, 2026)
Average daily volume6,056 units a day (listing exchange)

ZIC performance

ETF data as of October 30, 2026

Updated weekly
PeriodZICUS and global median
1 year-1.44%-2.11%
3 years, annualized7.14%4.38%
5 years, annualized3.04%0.92%
10 years, annualized2.82%2.00%

Total returns with distributions reinvested, in CAD, as of October 30, 2026. Category median: the middle value among the funds in the US and global group with a return for that period (10 funds for one and three years, 9 for five years, 6 for ten years). N/A: no complete return record for the period. Past performance does not predict future results.

$10,000 invested in ZIC ten years ago would be worth about $13,200 as of October 30, 2026, with distributions reinvested and before taxes and trading costs.

Risk and return measures

ETF data as of October 30, 2026

Updated weekly
Measure3 years5 years10 years
Volatility5.50%6.54%6.99%
Sharpe ratio0.690.010.15

Volatility shows how much monthly returns have swung, as a yearly percentage. The Sharpe ratio compares the return above 3-month Government of Canada T-bills with that volatility. Higher means more return for each unit of risk, and below 0 means the fund earned less than T-bills.

ZIC distributions

ZIC pays distributions monthly. Over the 12 months to October 30, 2026, it paid 4.70% of its unit price, its trailing distribution yield. Amounts can change from one payment to the next.

What ZIC’s 2025 distributions were made of

ComponentShare of total
Total distribution per unit$0.777
Foreign income98.10%
Return of capital1.90%
  • Foreign income is also taxed as regular income. For funds that hold foreign bonds, it is mostly interest from those bonds.
  • Return of capital is not taxed when you receive it, but it lowers your adjusted cost base, which raises the capital gain when you sell.

Inside a TFSA or RRSP, the type of income does not change your tax. Our guide to registered and non-registered accounts explains the trade-offs.

2025 tax-year breakdown reported for the fund. Shares of the total distribution per unit.

Risks to know

BMO rates ZIC’s risk as low to medium on the standard Canadian fund scale, which runs from low to high. The rating reflects how much the fund’s returns have varied, not the chance that a borrower defaults.

The US-dollar exposure is unhedged, so exchange rates can swing returns noticeably. About half the fund is rated BBB, the lowest investment-grade band.

  • Interest rates: Mid-term maturities mean the price moves noticeably when yields change.
  • Credit: It holds investment-grade company debt, which can still lose value if a borrower's outlook weakens or its rating is cut.
  • Currency: Its US-dollar exposure is not hedged, so a stronger Canadian dollar lowers returns and a weaker one raises them.

Is ZIC a good fit?

Good fit if youThink twice if you
want more income than government bonds usually pay and accept company credit risk.don't want exchange rates moving your return.
want bonds from outside Canada, to spread your bond holdings across more markets.want the lowest credit risk: government bond funds carry less.
want more yield than short-term bonds usually pay and can accept moderate price swings.may need the money within a year or two: its price can fall noticeably when yields rise.

General pointers based on the fund’s category, structure and costs, not personal advice.

How ZIC ranks

By assets

11th

of 42 bond ETFs

By lowest MER

28th (tied)

of 42 bond ETFs

By 5-year return

1st

of 9 US and global bond ETFs

ZIC ranks 11th by assets among the 42 bond ETFs WOWA monitors, 28th (tied) by lowest MER, and 1st of 9 by five-year return in the US and global group, as of October 30, 2026. See the full list of Canadian bond ETFs.

Compare ZIC with similar bond ETFs

ZIC is in the US and global group on our Best Canadian Bond ETFs page. These are the largest other funds in that group.

ETF data as of October 30, 2026

Updated weekly
TickerExposure and strategy5-year returnMER Trailing yieldAUM (CAD B)
ZICMid-term US investment-grade corporate bonds, unhedged3.04%0.28%4.70%3.35
ZMUMid-term US investment-grade corporate bonds, hedged to CAD-0.54%0.28%4.81%3.31
NUBFGlobal bonds of all credit qualities · active0.92%0.88%4.57%2.98
XSTHShort-term US inflation-protected Treasury bonds, hedged to CAD1.89%0.11%4.84%2.60
VBUUS investment-grade bonds, hedged to CAD-1.48%0.21%3.76%1.96

See all 10 funds in this group.

Other bond ETFs from BMO

FundInvestment focusAUMFund page
BMO Aggregate Bond Index ETF (ZAG)Canadian investment-grade government and corporate bondsC$13.24BLearn more
BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS)Short-term Canadian corporate bondsC$5.38BLearn more
BMO Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF (ZST)Canadian investment-grade bonds with very short maturities · activeC$3.41BLearn more
BMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZMU)Mid-term US investment-grade corporate bonds, hedged to CADC$3.31BLearn more
BMO Core Plus Bond Fund ETF (ZCPB)Canadian bonds with room for foreign and high-yield debt · activeC$2.85BLearn more

We cover 9 more bond ETFs from BMO. See them all on our Best Canadian Bond ETFs page.

How to buy ZIC

You can buy ZIC through any Canadian brokerage account, including a TFSA, RRSP or FHSA, by searching for its ticker. When comparing Canadian trading platforms, look at commissions, account fees and currency-conversion costs.

Before you place the order, check the bid-ask spread and consider a limit order, which caps the price you pay but may not fill. If this is your first account, our brokerage account guide walks you through opening one. Buying inside a TFSA? Our guide to the best TFSA investment options covers the other choices for that account.

If you’re from BMO and would like to add or update information on this page, please contact us.

Returns, volatility, Sharpe ratios, trailing yield and trading volume: WOWA calculations from Yahoo Finance prices adjusted for distributions, as of October 30, 2026. Assets under management: as of October 30, 2026. Fees, risk rating and inception date: BMO fund documents. Distribution breakdown: 2025 tax year. Fund page: BMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Index ETF.

Disclaimer: This page is for general information only and is not investment advice. WOWA does not recommend any specific fund. Figures come from issuer and third-party sources, may contain errors and can change after publication, so check the fund’s own documents before you invest.