News Releases

BMO Harris Investment Management Inc., the investment management arm of BMO Harris Private Banking, has enhanced its international equity platform with the launch of two new funds that enable clients to take advantage of global investing opportunities.

The BMO Harris Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio, sub-advised by Comgest SA, focuses on the growth opportunities in developing countries. The BMO Harris International Special Equity Portfolio, sub-advised by GlobeFlex Capital, L.P., invests in the equities of small and mid-cap companies around the world.

Both funds were launched on November 1, 2006.

The new funds complement BMO Harris Private Banking's existing large cap fund, the BMO Harris International Equity Portfolio, sub-advised by The Boston Company Asset Management LLC.

“Although most Canadian investors have a domestic bias when it comes to investing, they should consider crossing borders and going global to enhance the return potential and level of asset class diversification in their investment portfolios” said Paul Taylor, Chief Investment Officer, BMO Harris Private Banking. “Overall, we anticipate decent returns in both bond and equity markets, over the upcoming twelve months.  In particular, we expect non-North American equity markets to offer strong potential, based on our view that there is a higher likelihood of economic slowing in North America than in other regions globally.”

“At the end of the day, these three sectors of the international markets have unique characteristics that complement each other, and when combined in an investment portfolio, typically serve to reduce a client's risk if, for example, a particular market experiences some volatility,” added Taylor.

About BMO Harris Private Banking

BMO Harris Private Banking serves the needs of high net worth clients and their families, to help them deal with a wide range of complex financial issues, providing comprehensive wealth management expertise. The bank's team of professionals is comprised of leading specialists in a variety of disciplines including banking, investment management, estate, trust and various specialized services such as philanthropic and business succession planning.

BMO Harris Private Banking is part of BMO Financial Group's Private Client Group. The Private Client Group provides integrated wealth management services in Canada and the United States and had total assets under administration and term investments of $280.1 billion as at July 31, 2006.

About Comgest SA.

The Comgest group is composed of three separate legal entities: Comgest S.A., Comgest Far East Limited and Comgest Asset Management International Limited. Based in Paris, Comgest S.A. was founded in 1986 as a portfolio management company whose emerging markets' investment strategy aims to achieve above-average long-term returns with below-average risk by holding shares in a limited number of quality growth companies. The group's assets under management currently total over US$8 billion.

About GlobeFlex Capital, L.P.

GlobeFlex Capital, L.P., founded in 1994, is an independent, employee-owned investment firm, based out of San Diego, California that specializes in equity management for the institutional marketplace. With over US$4.8 billion in assets under management, GlobeFlex Capital, L.P. employs bottom-up, fundamental analysis utilizing a disciplined systematic process to identify international growth companies currently undervalued, which are predominantly smaller in market capitalization.

About The Boston Company Asset Management LLC.

The Boston Company Asset Management LLC, established in 1970 and a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Mellon Financial Company, delivers a fundamental research approach to global equity management. With more than US$62 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2006, the company builds international portfolios based on a process that includes security selection, consistency, and research and risk control. Its global portfolios and strategies are managed by investment professionals headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. 

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