News Releases
BMO Capital Markets, the investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: BMO), announced it has become a member of the London Stock Exchange, one of the world's leading equity exchanges and home to some of the biggest companies globally.
BMO Capital Markets also becomes a Broker on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), one of the fastest growing exchanges in the world and the London Stock Exchange's international market for smaller growing companies.
By becoming a member of the London Stock Exchange and through its role as a Broker on AIM, BMO will have the authority to advise and execute on equity offerings, including leading initial public offerings and secondary financings, on behalf of companies on the London Stock Exchange or AIM.
“We are increasing our presence on the London Stock Exchange Main Market and on AIM as part of our long-term commitment to expand the global reach of our equity platform,” said Yvan Bourdeau, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Capital Markets.
“The timing of our membership is perfect for us. Given the increased level of activity on AIM and the explosive growth of the metals and mining sector where we are a global leader, we are extremely well-positioned to add value to our clients immediately. It is our goal to continue to be a leading underwriter of equity issues for mining companies globally and to build upon our strength – which is assisting metals and mining companies at every stage of the business cycle,” added Mr. Bourdeau.
“We are delighted to welcome BMO Capital Markets as a Member of the London Stock Exchange. They bring valuable international experience and are highly regarded in their field,” said Martin Graham, Director of Markets at the London Stock Exchange. “Our markets thrive on growing liquidity and so when a new member joins, they not only gain from the new opportunities, they also bring benefits to the rest of the market.”
BMO Capital Markets has raised approximately CDN $1 billion in equity capital for AIM listed companies over the last 18 months.
Specifically, BMO's membership of the London Stock Exchange and role as a Broker on AIM will enable BMO to serve issuing clients in the following three ways:
- Provide advice to clients on market- and trading-related issues
- Assess the level of investor interest in clients' shares, both as they prepare to float and in the run-up to any subsequent follow-on issues
- Advise on the pricing of shares and investment issues
BMO Capital Markets is a member of the following global stock exchanges: The Toronto Stock Exchange, The TSX Venture Exchange, NYSE, NASDAQ, American Stock Exchange, AIM and the London Stock Exchange.
BMO's Leading Equity Research Team
BMO Capital Markets also announced today it has hired two mining analysts to be based in London, England. James Picton, a top ranked senior analyst and a 41-year industry veteran, will cover the diamond sector including AIM listed stocks. Mr. Picton was most recently a mining analyst at W.H. Ireland, a Manchester-based stockbrokerage firm where he put the diamond sector on the map. Prior to that, he worked for JP Morgan in South Africa among other investment firms. Mr. Picton has a BA in Economics & Law from Cambridge University.
The firm has also hired Chris Rollason who will cover the mining exploration industry. Mr. Rollason was most recently a mining investment banker at Collins Stewart in London and has more than 18 years of experience in the mining sector in a range of roles. Prior to that, he worked for Morgan Stanley in London as part of the Russian Mining and Steel equity research team. Mr. Rollason has a Masters of Science in Mineral Exploration from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London.
The appointments follow the recent hiring of senior mining analysts Tony Robson and David Haughton, who are founding partners of Global Mining Research, an independent provider of international mining research in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Robson and Mr. Haughton are now based in Toronto and they cover the global senior metals industry and the global gold sector for BMO, respectively. All four of the new analysts will share their coverage responsibilities with other members of BMO's Global Metals and Mining Research Team: Andrea Cheung, John Hayes, Craig Miller, Jay Turner and Nawojka Wachowiak.
With nine dedicated Metals & Mining equity research analysts, BMO Capital Markets will provide clients with access to outstanding analysis in base metals, precious metals, coal and uranium, among other sub-sectors.
About the BMO Capital Markets Metals & Mining Group
BMO Capital Markets has been focused on the Metals & Mining industry for almost 100 years. As a member of BMO Financial Group, (TSX, NYSE: BMO), the firm is able to leverage the financial strength and capabilities of one of North America's leading financial services organizations. BMO Capital Markets has offices in 26 locations globally including London, Melbourne, Beijing, Munich, Lugano, Zurich, Toronto, New York and Chicago. For more information about the BMO Capital Markets Metals & Mining Group, visit: www.bmocm.com/industry/canada/mining
About BMO Capital Markets
BMO Capital Markets is a leading full-service North American financial services provider, with over 2,000 employees operating in 14 North American offices and 26 worldwide, offering corporate, institutional and government clients access to a complete range of investment and corporate banking products and services. BMO Capital Markets is a member of BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), one of the largest diversified financial services providers in North America with more than $359 billion in total assets and 35,000 employees as at July 31, 2007. For more information, visit www.bmocm.com.