
TSE:ZWB
This summary was created by AI, based on 9 opinions in the last 12 months.
The BMO Covered Call Canadian Banks ETF (ZWB) has received a mix of reviews from various experts, highlighting both its benefits and drawbacks. The ETF, which is concentrated in Canadian banks and designed to generate income through a covered call strategy, has seen a notable increase of approximately 52% over the last year, albeit less than the equal-weighted counterpart, ZEB, which rose by 63%. While many experts appreciate the extra layer of yield that the covered call provides, they also caution against investing heavily at this stage in the economic cycle due to potential downturns affecting bank performance. Concerns about underperformance relative to the underlying banks, and the inherent trade-offs of call writing, such as capping upside potential, were also articulated. Overall, ZWB is seen as a long-term holding for those looking for income, but caution is advised regarding new investments given current market conditions.
The profitability of banks is net interest margins. The steepening of the yield curve has led to banks being more profitable. A flattening yield curve is a headwind. We are not there yet. When the yield curve starts to flatten. ZEB is good to capture upside, and ZWB for when it will go sideways to down.
There are two elements to covered call strategies. There is the underlying stocks, and then the option premium. Volatility will continue to be high for the next couple years. Premiums will remain elevated. FIE pays back a part of your money back. There are a couple different elements to consider.
ZWC vs. ZWB Both offer additional income through covered calls. ZWC yields 8.4% plus the dividend and premium from the covered call strategy. ZWB (Canadian banks) pays 6.5%. Both you pay 72 basis points in MER. ZWC is more diverse with banks, pipelines and telecoms so he prefers ZWC. Warning: long-term, covered calls can lag the underlying securities if there's a bull market in those securities. In an up market, he prefers the stocks themselves or other ETFs.