News Releases

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 28, 2016) - BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) today released its semi-annual ETF Outlook Report, which highlights key trends that impacted the Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) industry in the first half of 2016 along with expectations moving forward.

According to the report, the Canadian ETF industry is on pace for another historic year with more than C$10.6 billion in inflows to date in 2016. Assets under management (AUM) have surpassed the C$100 billion mark - double the AUM of the industry four years ago. This compares to US$2.3 trillion in AUM for the U.S. market, US$529 billion in AUM for the European market and US$123 billion in AUM for the Asia-Pacific market.

"The Canadian ETF industry has had a tremendous start to the year and continues to evolve and innovate around changing investor needs," said Mark Raes, Head of Product, BMO Global Asset Management Canada. "Investors are recognizing the value of using ETFs to position their portfolios around market events and as a long-term holding."

2016 Trends and Growth Opportunities

The report examines how global market uncertainty will drive growth opportunities for the ETF industry in the second half of 2016.

Market Volatility and ETFs: Investors continue to recognize the benefits of using ETFs to address volatility and are moving to smart beta ETFs focused on income, quality and low volatility.

Sector-Specific ETFs: Investors are migrating away from direct-security holdings to sector-based ETFs that offer diversified exposure.

Fixed Income ETFs: The growth of fixed income ETFs is expected to outpace equity ETFs as investors look for yield solutions. The ETF industry has added more precise exposures, slicing the credit spectrum and segmenting by maturity.

Currency Exposure: In an environment of global economic uncertainty, currency exposure continues to be top of mind for investors. The ETF industry has evolved and offers both hedged and unhedged exposures, giving investors effective tools to manage currency risk in their portfolios.

Capturing Yield: In the current low-interest-rate environment, investors are looking beyond traditional exposures and are gravitating towards ETFs that can generate more income for their portfolios.

Looking Forward

The report also featured expectations for the future of the ETF industry, noting that the number of providers has continued to expand globally. In response, providers are focusing on creating products that stand out in the marketplace, allowing investors to benefit from having more choice than ever before.

Mr. Raes added, "Global events, such as the Brexit vote, have kept volatility at the forefront of investors' concerns. ETFs have proven their value as efficient and effective positioning tools that can help investors manage through market events. In Canada, we expect the value traded on ETFs to double over the next few years."

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

About BMO Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

Established in June 2009, BMO Financial Group's ETF business is a leading ETF provider in Canada. 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, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of $681 billion as of April 30, 2016, and over 45,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

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.

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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.