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BMO Capital Markets Reports Strong Interest in Global Treasury Services Despite Turbulent Markets Growing number of businesses intend to look overseas for new markets

BMO Capital Markets, the investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: BMO), announced today that interest in global treasury services from North American clients remains high despite turbulent markets and a struggling U.S. economy.

“Corporate treasurers are telling us that they still see opportunities amid the global turmoil, and they're approaching us for support as a trusted advisor,” says Marnie Kinsley, Executive Managing Director, Global Treasury Management, BMO Capital Markets.

BMO Capital Markets launched a suite of treasury services for clients with global ambitions in September 2007, and is currently signing up clients who do business in North America and Europe. In fact, BMO has identified 170 corporate clients who conduct trade with Europe who will be introduced to the service over the coming months.

“A growing number of businesses intend to expand beyond their borders over the next couple of years, and we anticipate that demand for these services will only increase over time,” said Susan Witteveen, Executive Managing Director of BMO's Global Treasury Management Group in Canada. “This is a great opportunity to support their ambitions as they look beyond traditional borders for new business.”

Industry statistics reveal that over the next several years, payments by North American companies for work and supplies procured in Europe are expected to grow at a rate of 10 per cent per year. BMO Capital Markets has seen a 12 per cent year-over-year increase in transactions originating from foreign currency accounts, signaling that BMO clients are looking overseas for growth opportunities.

“With the U.S. economy now struggling, these trends will likely garner some momentum,” said Michael Gregory, Senior Economist, BMO Capital Markets. “Although Canada's trade relationship with America deepened during the decade after the original Free Trade Agreement, the new millennium marked a new trend. Canadian businesses are increasingly looking east and west to find new markets to buy from and sell to,” he added.

BMO Capital Markets is the first in Canada to offer global treasury services through a single relationship manager. What sets these services apart is that clients will be able to manage cash flow and their Canadian dollar, U.S. dollar and Euro payments and receivables through a single BMO Capital Markets Relationship Manager, eliminating the need to deal with separate financial institutions in each country where they do business.

“Our clients tell us that they have to be nimble in order to seize the best opportunities out there. These services help our clients do that, by eliminating the need for them to find multiple banking partners, or work through unfamiliar local requirements on their own,” said Ms. Kinsley. “We take care of these complexities so that clients are free to concentrate on growing their business.”

BMO Capital Markets is offering the global treasury management services through an arrangement with Deutsche Bank AG, the world's number-one Euro clearer. Under this relationship, Deutsche Bank provides and maintains European back-office treasury management support for BMO. For BMO clients, this provides access to Deutsche Bank's European network and services. BMO Capital Markets also offers its North American clients access to seamless cross-border cash management services through its U.S. subsidiary Harris.

While current services focus on Canada, the U.S. and Europe, BMO Capital Markets' long-term plan is to offer the same capabilities in Asia, including China and India.

BMO's new global treasury management services include key disbursement and concentration services such as:

Wire payments
Chequing services
Small value, recurring electronic payments such as Automated Clearing House payments (ACH) and Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs)
Lockbox services (includes the collection of paper cheques from suppliers and invoice management)

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 (TSX, NYSE: BMO), one of the largest diversified financial services providers in North America with total assets of CAD$377 billion and more than 36,000 employees as at January 31, 2008. For more information, visit www.bmocm.com.

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