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BMO 2015 ETF Outlook Report: Opportunities and Challenges for the ETF Industry

- Canadian ETF Industry Assets Are Expected to Reach $200 Billion by 2020

- BMO's ETF Business Led the Canadian ETF Industry in New Assets for the Fourth Year in a Row

- Trends Include Increased Use by Investors and Advisors, as Well as the Maturation of Smart Beta ETFs

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 23, 2015) - BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) today released its bi-annual BMO 2015 ETF Outlook Report, which examines growth opportunities for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and the industry's challenges for 2015.

According to the report, the Canadian ETF industry experienced significant growth in 2014, with more than C$10.3 billion in inflows - double the flows seen in 2013. Equity ETFs alone experienced C$5.8 billion in inflows in 2014 and fixed income ETFs had impressive inflows of more than C$4.3 billion. The report noted that this is because of the efficiency and liquidity benefits of offering fixed income on an exchange, bundling bonds in a basket instead of holding individual positions.

At the end of 2014, the Canadian ETF industry's assets under management (AUM) stood at C$76.8 billion, up 21.7 per cent over year-end 2013. There are now 360 ETFs listed in Canada, compared to just over 100 ETFs five years ago. The U.S. ETF market achieved a significant milestone last year, with just over US$2 trillion in AUM at year-end - 17.8 per cent higher than the previous year. More generally, the global ETF industry reached a record AUM of US$2.7 trillion invested in over 5,000 ETFs across 49 countries.

"2014 was another strong year, not only for the global ETF industry but domestically as well, with significant asset growth and an expanding user base," said Rajiv Silgardo, Co-CEO, BMO Global Asset Management. "It's clear that a growing number of investors understand the value that ETFs can bring to a portfolio, including transparency, increased liquidity, trading efficiency and access to markets."

According to Bloomberg data, BMO's ETF business led the Canadian ETF industry in new assets for the fourth year in a row. As at October 31, 2014, its AUM stood at C$17.8 billion with 24.3 per cent share of the market. In 2014, BMO S&P 500 Index ETF (Ticker: ZSP) experienced the largest equity inflows, signifying investors are looking to capitalize on the strong U.S. market. Two credit products, BMO High Yield Bond US Corporate Bond Hedged to CAD Index ETF (Ticker: ZHY) and BMO Short-Term US IG Corporate Bond Hedged to CAD Index ETF (Ticker: ZSU), had the largest fixed income inflows last year.

Key Growth Opportunities for ETFs in 2015

The report identified the following opportunities for the ETF industry in the year ahead:

Increased Investor Use: Because of the effective asset allocation ETFs can provide, the use of ETFs by those who have normally traded singular stocks will continue to drive growth.

Expanded Advisor Use: More advisors will look to use ETFs because of the role ETFs can play in portfolio construction. The global reach offered by ETFs, coupled with an advisor's local market savviness, creates an ideal combination. Additionally, the low cost of ETFs supports international discussions on embedded trailer fees, advisor compensation and CRM2 fee disclosure rules in Canada.

Continued Emergence of Smart Beta: The trend of smart beta ETFs will continue, as investors seek alternatives to traditional market capitalization weighting with ETFs that use factors that have enhanced risk adjusted returns over the long term.

Attractiveness of Low Volatility Products: As markets continue to move upwards, investors will seek products and strategies that can take advantage of this growth, while protecting past gains.

Potential Challenges in 2015

The report also noted that the growth and popularity of ETFs will bring more competition through both new providers and existing providers launching new products. With greater competition, a challenge that investors will face is determining the right product for them and the right provider to access those products.

Further, the expansion of ETFs into more asset classes has placed further emphasis on liquidity and has reinforced the need for experienced professional management.

The report identified three key benefits to working with an established provider when choosing an ETF:

  • They have mature ETFs in their line-up.
  • They are more likely to have financial strength and staying power.
  • They are more likely to offer access to additional support.

Finally, the global ETF industry has experienced different growth trends varying by region, with the U.S. leading the way in developing a more mature industry. Opportunities exist in other countries to replicate this success, where ETF adoption has been slower. For example, while the user base in Canada has diversified, the overall adoption rate is still behind that of the U.S. More generally, across Europe and the Asia Pacific, higher retail and advisor acceptance will spur industry growth.

"ETFs have become a mainstream investment type for all kinds of investors and have come a long way since the first ETF was launched in Canada in 1990," said Mr. Silgardo. "As more investors and advisors leverage ETFs in new and different ways, we expect that over the next five years, the Canadian ETF industry will experience a faster growth rate than the global average and will reach C$200 billion in assets under management."

To view the full report or for more information on ETFs, please visit: www.bmo.com/etfs.

About BMO ETFs

Since its inception in June 2009, BMO GAM's ETF business has grown to 62 funds; each offers numerous benefits to investors, including transparency, lower costs and tax efficiencies, while covering a number of diverse asset classes, sectors and regions.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services organization based in North America. The bank offers a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers. BMO Financial Group had total assets of $589 billion and more than 46,000 employees at October 31, 2014.

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.

BMO Global Asset Management comprises BMO Asset Management Inc., BMO Investments Inc., BMO Asset Management Corp. and BMO's specialized investment management firms.

®"BMO (M-bar roundel symbol)" is a registered trade-mark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence.

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Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions "expect", "intend", "will" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Fund, the Manager and/or the Advisor. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Fund's, the Manager's, and/or the Advisor's current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Although the Fund, the Manager, and/or the Advisor believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Fund, the Manager and/or the Advisor undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other such factors which affect this information, except as required by law.

For further information:
Media contacts:
Amanda Robinson, Toronto
416-867-3996
amanda.robinson@bmo.com

Valerie Doucet, Montreal
514-877-8224
valerie.doucet@bmo.com