BMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (US Dollar Units) - ZIC.U

ETF Overview

This is the US Dollar version of ZIC.

The fund has been designed to replicate, to the extent possible, the performance of the Barclay's U.S. Investment Grade 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index, net of expenses.

The ETF trades in U.S. dollars on the TSX.

Additional Index Information

The Barclay's U.S. Investment Grade 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index consists of United States dollar-denominated, investment grade, fixed rate, taxable corporate bonds between 5-10 years until maturity.

In addition, each issue has a U.S. $750 million minimum amount outstanding and includes the three largest issues from each issuer.

Each security in the Barclay's U.S. Investment Grade 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index is weighted by its relative market capitalization and rebalanced on a monthly basis.

Key ETF Data

Fundamentals
Category (main)	USA Fixed Income - Corporate (investment grade) Mid Term
Category (other)	USD-based variant
Underlying Index	Barclays US Investment Grade 5 to 10 Year Corporate Bond Capped Index
ETF Structure	Passive type. Endeavours to return the Index return before fees/costs
Asset Class	Fixed Income - Corporate (investment grade) Mid Term
Region	USA
Issuer	BMO
ETF Home Page	Available here

Fund Facts
Inception Date	Mar 19, 2013
Total Holdings	413
Distribution Frequency	Monthly
Leverage	None
Significant Currency Exposure	Yes
Currency Hedging	No

Fees
Management Fee	0.25%
Management Expense Ratio (MER)	0.28% *

Trading Information
Ticker	ZIC.U
Exchange	TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange)
Currency	USD *

* Trades in USD. This is the US Dollar version of ZIC

Eligibility
Eligibility *	RRSP, RRIF, RESP, TFSA, DPSP, RDSP
DRIP available **	Yes
PACC Plan available **	Unknown
SWP available **	Unknown

* Always check eligibility with your plan operator as plans and accounts can differ

** Not all brokers can facilitate these plans. Check with your broker.

Current Price, Fund Performance, Yield, NAV, Charts etc

To view the TSX or Morningstar fund page for this ETF click on the Fund Data menu tab or below:

ETF Analysis

Bonds/fixed income funds should be an important component in most investment portfolios. The general rule of thumb is that you should have the percentage equivalent in bonds as per your age. So if you are 30, your portfolio should comprise 30% bonds/fixed income funds.

However the bond markets are in near unprecedented territory. Years of central bank stimulus packages and ultra-low interest rates since 2008's Financial crisis have created a massive bubble.

Many analysts including Peter Boockvar, managing director and chief market analyst at The Lindsey Group, agree. He stated in July 2016 that the bond market is in an ‘epic bubble of colossal proportions’.

Until the buddle bursts, we cannot recommend buying bonds/fixed income funds.

If you absolutely have to buy bonds/fixed income funds then ensure you always check the Yield To Maturity (YTM), also known as the Weighted Average Yield To Maturity.

The YTM is much more important than the bond's current yield (also called the current distribution yield).

The YTM (unlike current yield) considers not only the coupon income, but any capital gain or loss that an investor will realize by holding the bonds to maturity. It also considers reinvestment of the coupons.

Unfortunately the frothy bond market has meant many fixed income ETFs have had to purchase many bonds at a premium. An ultra-low rate environment and purchasing bonds at a premium makes for a particularly terrible climate for income seekers, and new fixed income investors.

Protect yourself by understanding YTM and checking the YTM of any fixed income security you are considering purchasing. Also understand quality ratings, duration and maturities.

Be particularly aware of fund fees. What is the fund's MER ()? An MER of 0.40% may not sound like much but fixed income funds are supposed to be less risky than equities (bond market bubbles such as the current one excepted) so their returns are typically considerably less. Consequently an MER of 0.40% may actually be a significant portion of any investment return from a bond/fixed income fund. Bond ETFs with sub 0.20% MERs are available.