BMO ETFs Fixed Income Model Strategy Report (Q3 2026)
All prices, returns and portfolio weights are as of market close on June 30, 2026, unless otherwise indicated.
Jul 7, 2026- We are increasing ZFH (BMO Floating Rate High Yield ETF) exposure from 10% to 15% to lean into an area that has been working. This is a tactical allocation, but it fits the current environment: spreads have been resilient, carry remains attractive, and the floating-rate structure reduces sensitivity to rate volatility.
- The Bank of Canada is likely to remain on pause for the next several meetings. The Canadian dollar (CAD) swaps market has shifted to price in just over one hike for 2026 (around 31 bps) from close to three hikes a few months back. As such, we’re trimming our position in ZFS (BMO Short Federal Bond Index ETF).
- We continue to like ZAAA.F (BMO AAA CLO ETF – Hedged Units), consistent with the view that US private sector should remain healthy in the coming quarters. Indeed, household balance sheets remain in good standing while business earnings remain solid. While bankruptcy filings are rising – they still remain comparatively lower relative to prior periods.
- We are maintaining the ZDB (BMO Discount Bond Index ETF), ZBI (Canadian Bank Income Index ETF) and ZPR (BMO Laddered Preferred Share Index ETF) exposure to their existing weights.
- Further out the curve, we remain mindful that term premium risk has not disappeared. Long‑end supply dynamics and global spillovers can still reprice duration quickly, which keeps us biased toward parts of the curve where carry is steadier and the policy signal is clearer.
Table 1 – Fixed Income Portfolio for Q3 2026
| ETF Name | Ticker | Weight (%) | Duration | Yield-to-Maturity | Management Fee | Exposure | Position |
| BMO Discount Bond Index ETF | ZDB | 15.00% | 6.95 | 3.43% | 0.09% | Canada | Core |
| BMO Laddered Preferred Share Index ETF | ZPR | 20.00% | 3.74 | 5.86% | 0.45% | Canada | Core |
| BMO Canadian Bank Income Index ETF | ZBI | 25.00% | 1.95 | 3.75% | 0.25% | Canada | Core |
| BMO Floating Rate High Yield ETF | ZFH | 15.00% | 0.18 | 5.19% | 0.40% | United States | Tactical |
| BMO Short Federal Bond Index ETF | ZFS | 5.00% | 2.87 | 2.90% | 0.20% | Canada | Tactical |
| BMO AAA CLO ETF (Hedged Units) | ZAAA.F | 20.00% | 0.13 | 5.26% | 0.20% | United States | Tactical |
| Total Portfolio | 100.00% | 2.47 | 4.60% | 0.28% | |||
Source: BMO Global Asset Management, as of June 30, 2026. The portfolio holdings are subject to change without notice and only represent a percentage of portfolio holdings. They are not recommendations to buy or sell any particular security.
Table 2 – Changes from Q2 2026
Sell/Trim |
Ticker |
Old weight |
(%) |
New weight |
10% |
-5% |
5% |
||
Buy/Add |
||||
| BMO Floating Rate High Yield ETF | 10% | 5% | 15% |
Source: BMO Global Asset Management, as of June 30, 2026. The portfolio holdings are subject to change without notice and only represent a percentage of portfolio holdings. They are not recommendations to buy or sell any particular security.
Chart 1 - Credit Summary

Chart 2 - Term Summary

Chart 3-Performance
Ticker |
Year-to-Date |
1-Month |
3-Month |
6-Month |
1-Year |
3-Year |
5-Year |
10-Year |
Since Inception |
Inception Date |
6.58% |
1.60% |
4.41% |
9.08% |
20.16% |
20.52% |
8.09% |
8.20% |
3.95% |
2012-11-14 |
|
1.58% |
1.37% |
-0.55% |
0.20% |
2.46% |
4.04% |
0.63% |
1.66% |
2.32% |
2014-02-10 |
|
0.86% |
0.68% |
-0.30% |
0.50% |
2.28% |
3.81% |
1.45% |
1.37% |
1.69% |
2009-10-20 |
|
1.12% |
0.29% |
0.62% |
1.47% |
3.11% |
— |
— |
— |
3.25% |
2025-04-30 |
|
2.08% |
0.72% |
2.63% |
2.76% |
7.66% |
10.09% |
7.05% |
5.79% |
5.38% |
2014-02-10 |
|
1.70% |
0.69% |
0.50% |
1.97% |
5.45% |
8.39% |
— |
— |
4.18% |
2022-02-07 |
Source: BMO Global Asset Management, as of June 30, 2026. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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