For Canadian investors, choosing between hedged and unhedged ETFs is a key decision when building global portfolios. In this episode, Bipan Rai and Jennifer Li join host Erika Toth to discuss how these preferences have evolved in recent years, how advisors can align hedging decisions with clients' investment policies, and the foreign exchange dynamics shaping Canada's ETF market.
Erika Toth is Director and Head of ETF and Portfolio Consulting at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM). She is joined by Bipan Rai, Head of ETF Strategy, Exchange Traded Funds at BMO GAM, and Jennifer Li, Director, Institutional ETF Sales at CIBC Capital Markets. This episode was recorded live on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
ETFs mentioned:
· BMO S&P 500 Index ETF (ZSP)
· BMO S&P 500 Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZUE)
Sources:
ETF Flows, according to the National Bank Report, December 2025
“FX Hedging Behaviours in the Canadian ETF Space” - Sarah Ying, Executive Director and Head of FX Strategy, Global Markets at CIBC Capital Markets
FX: Foreign Exchange
Management Expense Ratio (MER): the percentage of the annual fees plus the annual expenses, divided by the average net assets of the fund.
Disclaimers:
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25 Min.
Jan 29 202629 Min.