Quarterly Model Portfolios
Strategy Updates

BMO ETFs Tax Efficient Model – Strategy Report (Q4 2026)

All prices, returns and portfolio weights are as of market close on September 30, 2026, unless otherwise indicated.

Oct 8, 2026

Table 1 – Holdings and Weights for Our Updated Tax Efficient Portfolio (Q4 2026)
Ticker Name Weight Country

Income

ZDB

BMO Discount Bond Index ETF 

8.00%

Canada

ZCDB

BMO Corporate Discount Bond ETF

7.00%

Canada

5.00%
International
5.00%
U.S.

Growth

ZUQ

BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF 

22.00%

U.S.

ZCN

BMO S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETF

25.00%

Canada

ZLSC

BMO Long Short Canadian Equity ETF

5.00%

International

ZLSU

BMO Long Short US Equity ETF

5.00%

International

ZOCT

BMO US Equity Buffer - October

5.00%

U.S.

Alts/Non-Traditional Hybrids

ZCOM

BMO Broad Commodity Index ETF 

8.00%

U.S.

ZWGD

BMO Covered Call Spread Gold Bullion ETF

5.00%

Canada

Total

100.00%

Source: BMO Global Asset Management, as of September 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 – BMO GAM Tax Efficient Portfolio for Q4 2026
Ticker   ETF Name               Sector Positioning  Management Fee  Weight (%)  90-Day Vol Volatility Contribution
                    Income                                                                                     
ZDB BMO Discount Bond Index ETF Fixed Income Core 0.09% 8.00% 4.64% 3.09%
ZCDB BMO Corporate Discount Bond ETF Fixed Income Core 0.15% 7.00% 3.66% 2.13%
ZPAY BMO Premium Yield ETF Equity Tactical 0.65% 5.00% 8.87% 3.69%
ZWHC BMO Covered Call Health Care ETF Equity Tactical 0.65% 5.00% 19.20% 7.99%
             Total Income                                           25.00%   16.91%
                  Growth                                       
ZUQ BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF Equity Core 0.30% 22.00% 12.50% 22.90%
ZCN BMO S&P/TSX Capped Composite Index ETF Equity Core 0.05% 25.00% 11.97% 24.93%
ZLSC BMO Long Short Canadian Equity ETF Equity Tactical 0.20% 5.00% 6.29% 2.62%
ZLSU BMO Long Short US Equity ETF Equity Tactical 0.25% 5.00% 9.84% 4.10%
ZOCT BMO US Equity Buffer - October Equity Tactical 0.25% 5.00% 3.77% 1.57%
            Total Growth                                 62.00%   56.12%
                Non-Traditional Hybrids                                            
ZCOM BMO Broad Commodity ETF Hybrid Tactical 0.26% 8.00% 25.11% 16.73%
ZWGD BMO Covered Call Spread Gold Bullion ETF Hybrid Tactical 0.65% 5.00% 24.57% 10.23%
          Total Alternatives                                       13.00%   26.96%
                Total Cash                                         0.00%   0.00%
                   Portfolio                                             0.23% 100.00% 12.01% 100.00%

Source: BMO Global Asset Management, as of September 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 3 – Changes to the Tax Efficient Portfolio (from Q3 2026 to Q4 2026)

Sell/​Trim

Ticker

Old weight

(%)

New weight

Buy/​Add

Ticker

Old weight

%

New weight

BMO Discount Bond Index ETF

ZDB

12.50%

-4.50%

8.00%

BMO Premium Yield ETF

ZPAY

0.00%

5.00%

5.00%

BMO Corporate Discount Bond ETF

ZCDB

12.50%

-5.50%

7.00%

BMO Covered Call Health Care ETF

ZWHC

0.00%

5.00%

5.00%

BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF

ZUQ

25.00%

-3.00%

22.00%

BMO Long Short Canadian Equity ETF

ZLSC

0.00%

5.00%

5.00%

BMO Covered Call Technology ETF

ZWT

5.00%

-5.00%

0.00%

BMO Long Short US Equity ETF

ZLSU

0.00%

5.00%

5.00%

BMO Covered Call Canadian Banks ETF

ZWB

5.00%

-5.00%

0.00%

BMO US Equity Buffer - October

ZOCT

0.00%

5.00%

5.00%

BMO Covered Call Utilities ETF

ZWU

5.00%

-5.00%

0.00%

BMO Broad Commodity Index ETF

ZCOM

5.00%

3.00%

8.00%

Source: BMO Global Asset Management, as of September 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.

Notes on tax characteristics:

ZDB, ZCDB

  • The BMO Discount Bond ETF suite (ZDB, ZCDB, ZSDB) is designed to minimize interest income by buying bonds with lower coupons that are trading at a discount to par value, such that a portion of future returns will come from price appreciation and will be treated as a capital gain instead of interest income. Please see here for a breakdown of how the suite can help investors reduce taxable interest income relative to traditional bond funds with similar exposures.
  • ZUAG/F: Average coupon is far below Yield-To-Maturity, or YTM (2.82% average coupon, which is lower than the yield to maturity of 4.32% as of Dec 29, 2025, indicating pull-to-par opportunity and minimization of interest income versus other bond ETFs).

ZUQ, ZOCT, ZLSU

  • Dividends from U.S. companies are subject to U.S. withholding tax. Because of their screens, they have a lower dividend payout rate, and therefore a lower rate of U.S. withholding tax exposure versus U.S. equity exposures that pay out a higher dividend distribution rate.

ZCN, ZLSC

  • Baskets of Canadian companies with distributions taxed as Canadian eligible dividends and entitled to the advantageous Canadian dividend gross up and tax credit system.

ZWGD

  • These covered call strategies sell call options in order to collect monthly cash flow; this portion of the yield is taxed as capital gains and/​or return of capital, which are exposed to tax at a lower rate versus interest income or foreign income.

ZWHC, ZPAY

  • Baskets composed of U.S. large cap names, which pay dividends (foreign income exposed to U.S. withholding tax). The ETF’s covered call strategy sells call options in order to collect monthly cash flow; this portion is taxed as capital gains, which are exposed to tax at a lower rate than interest income or foreign income.
Performance of Portfolio
*Source: BMO Global Asset Management, as Data as of September 30, 2026.
Notes on Tax Characteristics:

ZDB, ZCDB

The BMO Discount Bond ETF suite (ZDB, ZCDB, ZSDB) is designed to minimize interest income by buying bonds with lower coupons that are trading at a discount to par value, such that a portion of future returns will come from price appreciation and will be treated as a capital gain instead of interest income. 

ZUQ, ZOCT, ZLSU

  • Dividends from U.S. companies are subject to U.S. withholding tax. Because of their screens, they have a lower dividend payout rate, and therefore a lower rate of U.S. withholding tax exposure versus U.S. equity exposures that pay out a higher dividend distribution rate.

ZCN, ZLSC

  • Baskets of Canadian companies with distributions taxed as Canadian eligible dividends and entitled to the advantageous Canadian dividend gross up and tax credit system.

ZWGD

  • These covered call strategies sell call options in order to collect monthly cash flow; this portion is taxed as capital gains and/​or return of capital, which are exposed to tax at a lower rate versus interest income or foreign income.

ZWHC, ZPAY

  • Baskets composed of U.S. large cap names, which pay dividends (foreign income exposed to U.S. withholding tax). The ETF’s covered call strategy sells call options in order to collect monthly cash flow; this portion is taxed as capital gains, which are exposed to tax at a lower rate than interest income or foreign income.

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For advisors only. No portion of this material may be reproduced or distributed to retail clients. Any statement that necessarily depends on future events may be a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although such statements are based on assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from expectations. Investors are cautioned not to rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. In connection with any forward-looking statements, investors should carefully consider the areas of risk described in the most recent prospectus.

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Cash distributions, if any, on units of a BMO ETF (other than accumulating units or units subject to a distribution reinvestment plan) are expected to be paid primarily out of dividends or distributions, and other income or gains, received by the BMO ETF less the expenses of the BMO ETF, but may also consist of non-taxable amounts including returns of capital, which may be paid in the manager’s sole discretion. To the extent that the expenses of a BMO ETF exceed the income generated by such BMO ETF in any given month, quarter, or year, as the case may be, it is not expected that a monthly, quarterly, or annual distribution will be paid. Distributions, if any, in respect of the accumulating units of BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF, BMO Short Federal Bond Index ETF, BMO Short Provincial Bond Index ETF, BMO Ultra Short-Term Bond ETF and BMO Ultra Short-Term US Bond ETF will be automatically reinvested in additional accumulating units of the applicable BMO ETF. Following each distribution, the number of accumulating units of the applicable BMO ETF will be immediately consolidated so that the number of outstanding accumulating units of the applicable BMO ETF will be the same as the number of outstanding accumulating units before the distribution. Non-resident unitholders may have the number of securities reduced due to withholding tax. Certain BMO ETFs have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan, which provides that a unitholder may elect to automatically reinvest all cash distributions paid on units held by that unitholder in additional units of the applicable BMO ETF in accordance with the terms of the distribution reinvestment plan. For further information, see the distribution policy in the BMO ETFs’ prospectus. 

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