News Releases

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 28, 2013) - BMO Financial Group today announced that its Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) business marked its fourth anniversary by surpassing $11 billion Cdn in assets under management (AUM).

First introduced in 2009, BMO Financial Group's ETF business - under BMO Asset Management Inc. (BMO AM) - has grown to 55 funds and includes several industry firsts.

"The impressive growth of our BMO ETF assets in just four short years can largely be attributed to the experience of our team and our ability to respond quickly to key investor needs," said Rajiv Silgardo, Co-CEO, BMO Global Asset Management. "We look forward to building on our success by continuing to develop thoughtful, effective and innovative ETFs that provide investors with unbiased exposure to various sectors and indexes. ETFs are increasingly capturing the attention of Canadians and our goal is to continue to be a leader in this space."

A History of Growth- Key BMO ETF Business Milestones

June 2009 - The initial launch of BMO Financial Group's ETF business through BMO AM, comprised of four funds, provides investors with exposure to Canadian equity, U.S. equity and Canadian fixed income.

October 2009 - BMO AM adds nine funds to its ETF business. New additions include BMO Short Federal Bond Index ETF, BMO High Yield US Corporate Bond Hedged to CAD Index ETF and BMO MSCI Emerging Markets 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 Index ETF, BMO India Equity Index 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. During this time BMO AM also launches BMO Junior Oil Index ETF, giving investors access to the energy sector.

September 2010 - BMO AM's ETFs reach $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.

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

November 2012 - BMO AM adds four more ETFs to its line-up, including BMO S&P/TSX Laddered Preferred Share Index ETF, BMO S&P/TSX Equal Weight Industrials Index ETF, BMO S&P/TSX Equal Weight Global Gold Index ETF, and BMO S&P 500 Index ETF.

March 2013 - BMO AM introduces seven new ETFs. The new equity ETFs and new fixed income ETFs will allow investors to adjust the risk/return characteristics of their portfolio, as well as adjust their portfolio to address changing market conditions.

June 2013 - BMO AM's ETFs celebrate their fourth anniversary by crossing $11 billion in AUM. Its line-up currently consists of 55 ETFs.

Further information about BMO ETFs can be found at www.bmo.com/etfs.

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BMO ETFs are managed and administered by BMO Asset Management Inc., a portfolio manager and investment fund manager and 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. Exchange traded funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

About BMO Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

Established in June 2009, BMO Financial Group's ETF business is a leading ETF provider in Canada. Since its inception, the lineup of BMO ETFs has grown to 55 funds and includes several industry firsts. BMO ETFs provide Canadian investors with broader choices and greater access to an innovative portfolio of investment products.

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 $555 billion as at April 30, 2013, and more than 46,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.