News Releases

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 11, 2012) - BMO Financial Group announced today that its Exchange Traded Funds (ETF)* business marked its third anniversary by surpassing $6 billion in assets under management (AUM). In the first six months of 2012 alone, the total assets of BMO ETFs grew by 62 per cent.

"This represents a significant milestone for us," said Kevin Gopaul, Chief Investment Officer and Senior Vice President, BMO Asset Management Inc. (BMO AM). "Our growth can be attributed to our ability to anticipate investors' needs combined with the strength and experience of our team, as well as a commitment to ongoing innovation. We are extremely proud of this achievement and thank our clients and partners for helping us grow our assets under management to more than $6 billion dollars in three years. We're looking forward to building on this success."

In particular, BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF and BMO Canadian Dividend ETF have captured the attention of investors over the past six months as they help address Canadians' need for income-generating investments:

• BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF provides exposure to a low beta-weighted portfolio of Canadian stocks. The fund's rules-based methodology chooses the least market-sensitive stocks based on the one-year beta, with the 40 lowest beta stocks from the 100 largest and most liquid securities in Canada selected.
  
  
• BMO Canadian Dividend ETF provides exposure to a yield-weighted portfolio of Canadian dividend paying stocks. Its rules-based methodology considers the three-year dividend growth rate, yield and payout ratio to invest in Canadian equities.
  

"These two innovative ETFs, along with our full line-up of product offerings, continue to provide Canadian investors with broader choices and greater access to an innovative portfolio of investment products," said Mr. Gopaul.

Key BMO ETF Business Milestones

June 2009 - The initial launch of BMO Financial Group's ETF business through BMO AM is comprised of four funds and includes BMO Dow Jones Canada Titans 60 Index ETF and BMO US Equity Index ETF.

October 2009 - BMO AM adds nine funds to its ETF business. New entrants include BMO Short Federal Bond Index ETF, BMO High Yield US Corporate Bond Hedged to CAD ETF and BMO Emerging Markets Equity Index ETF.

January 2010 - BMO AM announces another significant expansion to its ETF line-up with the launch of nine new funds, bringing its product line to a total of 22 ETFs. Investors gain access to dynamic markets and sectors through the addition of BMO China Equity Hedged to CAD ETF, BMO India Equity Hedged to CAD ETF and BMO Junior Gold Index ETF.

July 2010 - BMO Investments Inc. launches a new series of four risk-differentiated mutual fund portfolios that invest primarily in ETFs. These ETF Portfolios combine the advantages of ETFs with the convenience of mutual funds. BMO ETF Portfolios include BMO Canadian Tactical ETF Class, BMO Global Tactical ETF Class, BMO Security ETF Portfolio, BMO Balanced ETF Portfolio, BMO Growth ETF Portfolio and BMO Aggressive Growth ETF Portfolio. During this time BMO AM also launches BMO Junior Oil Index ETF, giving investors access to the energy sector.

September 2010 - BMO AM reaches $1 billion in AUM only 15 months after entering the ETF market.

February 2011 - BMO AM announces yet another expansion to its ETF line-up with the launch of 10 new funds, bringing its total product line-up to 40. The new ETFs include yield-focused funds such as BMO Monthly Income ETF, BMO Covered Call Canadian Banks ETF, BMO Energy Commodities Index ETF and BMO Precious Metals Commodities Index ETF.

April 2011 - BMO ETFs reach $2 billion in AUM in fewer than two years.

September 2011 - BMO ETFs surpass $3 billion in AUM fewer than two and a half years after the business was initially launched. BMO's ETF business doubled in 2011 alone.

March 2012 - BMO ETFs surpass $5 billion in AUM. In the first two months of 2012 alone, AUM grew by 32 per cent.

June 2012 - BMO AM's ETF business celebrates its third anniversary and surpasses $6 billion in AUM.

For more information on BMO ETFs, please visit www.bmo.com/etfs.

Get the latest BMO press releases via Twitter by following @BMOmedia.

*BMO ETFs are managed and administered by BMO Asset Management Inc., an investment fund manager and portfolio manager and a separate legal entity from Bank of Montreal.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in exchange traded funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. The funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly-diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $525 billion as at April 30, 2012, and more than 46,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.