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TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2019 /CNW/ - BMO Global Asset Management had 15 Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and mutual funds recognized for their performance at the annual Fundata FundGrade A+^® Awards last night in Toronto.

The 2018 FundGrade A+^® Awards recognize funds that have shown the best risk-adjusted returns and the highest level of consistency through an entire calendar year.

The following BMO ETFs and BMO Mutual Funds were awarded Fundata's FundGrade A+^® rating:

• BMO Aggregate Bond Index ETF (Ticker: ZAG)
• BMO Equal Weight Banks Index ETF (Ticker: ZEB)
• BMO Equal Weight US Banks Index ETF (Ticker: ZBK)
• BMO Europe High Dividend Covered Call Hedged to CAD ETF (Ticker: ZWE)
• BMO Long Corporate Bond Index ETF (Ticker: ZLC)
• BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF (Ticker: ZLB)
• BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (Ticker: ZUQ)
• BMO Nasdaq 100 Equity Hedged to CAD Index ETF (Ticker: ZQQ)
• BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (Ticker: ZCS)
• BMO US Dividend ETF (Ticker: ZDY)
• BMO Global Energy Class
• BMO Tactical Dividend ETF Fund
• BMO Target Education 2025 Portfolio
• BMO Target Education 2035 Portfolio
• BMO U.S. Dividend Fund

"We are honoured once again to have many of our ETFs and mutual funds recognized by Fundata," said Mark Raes, Head of Product, BMO Global Asset Management Canada. "We are committed to providing investors with a wide variety of active and passive investment solutions across asset classes and geographies, which deliver strong and stable performance amid market volatility."

For more information please visit: www.bmo.com/gam/ca  

About BMO Financial Group
Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider - the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $774 billion as of October 31, 2018, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial 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, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

About the Fundata FundGrade A+ Rating
FundGrade A+^® is used with permission from Fundata Canada Inc., all rights reserved. The annual FundGrade A+^® Awards are presented by Fundata Canada Inc. to recognize the "best of the best" among Canadian investment funds. The FundGrade A+^® calculation is supplemental to the monthly FundGrade ratings and is calculated at the end of each calendar year. The FundGrade rating system evaluates funds based on their risk-adjusted performance, measured by Sharpe Ratio, Sortino Ratio, and Information Ratio. The score for each ratio is calculated individually, covering all time periods from 2 to 10 years. The scores are then weighted equally in calculating a monthly FundGrade. The top 10% of funds earn an A Grade; the next 20% of funds earn a B Grade; the next 40% of funds earn a C Grade; the next 20% of funds receive a D Grade; and the lowest 10% of funds receive an E Grade. To be eligible, a fund must have received a FundGrade rating every month in the previous year. The FundGrade A+^® uses a GPA-style calculation, where each monthly FundGrade from "A" to "E" receives a score from 4 to 0, respectively. A fund's average score for the year determines its GPA. Any fund with a GPA of 3.5 or greater is awarded a FundGrade A+^® Award. For more information, see www.FundGradeAwards.com. Although Fundata makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, the accuracy is not guaranteed by Fundata. The FundGrade A+ Awards and the FundGrade Ratings being referenced are calculated based on comparisons of performance of investment funds within a specified category established by the CIFSC.

Performance for the funds for the period ending December 31, 2018 is as follows: BMO Aggregate Bond  Index ETF (ZAG), 1.24% (1 year), 1.69% (3 years), 3.32% (5 years), and 3.62% since inception (January 19, 2010); BMO Equal Weight Banks Index ETF (ZEB), -8.85% (1 year), 10.86% (3 years), 7.83% (5 years), and 9.94% since inception (October 20, 2009); BMO Equal Weight US Banks Index ETF (ZBK), -11.40% (1 year), 6.73% (3 years), and 10.72% since inception (February 10, 2014); BMO Europe High Dividend Covered Call Hedged to CAD ETF (ZWE), -8.54% (1 year), 4.52% (3 years) and 4.85% since inception (September 9, 2015); BMO Long Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZLC), -1.25% (1 year),  4.35% (3 years), 5.81% (5 years) and 6.60% since inception (January 19, 2010); BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF (ZLB), -2.78% (1 year), 6.88% (3 years), 10.01% (5 years) and 12.29% since inception (October 21, 2011); BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ), 5.16% (1 year), 8.63% (3 years) and 13.49% since inception (November 5, 2014); BMO NASDAQ 100 Equity Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZQQ), -1.85% (1 year), 11.19% (3 years), 12.32% (5 years) and 14.66% since inception (January 19, 2010); BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS), 1.69% (1 year), 1.56% (3 years) 2.10% (5 years) and 2.76% since inception (October 20, 2009); BMO US Dividend ETF (ZDY), 3.95% (1 year), 10.06% (3 years), 14.61% (5 years), and 16.03% since inception (March 19, 2013); BMO Global Energy Class (Series A), -5.70 % (1 year), 7.70 % (3 years), -2.23 % (5 years), and 7.21 % since inception (November 17, 2008); BMO Tactical Dividend ETF Fund (Series A), -4.42% (1 year), 3.87% (3 years), 4.16% (5 years) and 4.88% since inception (August 12, 2013); BMO Target Education 2025 Portfolio  (Series A),  -1.79% (1 year), 3.56% (3 years) and 3.95% since inception (November 13, 2014); BMO Target Education 2035 Portfolio (Series A),  -4.91% (1 year), 3.45% (3 years) and 4.03 % since inception (November 13, 2014); and BMO U.S. Dividend Fund (Series A),  -1.48% (1 year), 8.99% (3 years), and 9.36% since inception (November 13, 2014).

The BMO ETFs or securities referred to herein are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by MSCI Inc. ("MSCI"), and MSCI bears no liability with respect to any such BMO ETFs or securities or any index on which such BMO ETFs or securities are based. The prospectus of the BMO ETFs contains a more detailed description of the limited relationship MSCI has with BMO Asset Management Inc. and any related BMO ETFs.

Nasdaq®, OMX®, NASDAQ OMX®, Nasdaq-100®, and Nasdaq-100 Index®, are registered trademarks of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (which with its affiliates is referred to as the "Corporations") and are licensed for use by BMO Asset Management Inc. The BMO Nasdaq 100 Equity Hedged to CAD Index ETF has not been passed on by the Corporations as to its legality or suitability and is not issued, endorsed, sold, or promoted by the Corporations. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO The BMO Nasdaq 100 Equity Hedged to CAD Index ETF.

^®/™Registered trade-marks/trade-mark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence.

BMO Global Asset Management is a brand name that comprises BMO Asset Management Inc., BMO Investments Inc., BMO Asset Management Corp., BMO Asset Management Limited and BMO's specialized investment management firms.

BMO Mutual Funds are managed by BMO Investments Inc., which is an investment fund manager and a separate legal entity from Bank of Montreal.

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

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in mutual funds and ETFs. Trailing commissions may be associated with investments in certain series of securities of mutual funds.  Please read the ETF facts, fund facts or prospectus of the relevant mutual fund or ETF before investing.  The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in share or unit value and reinvestment of all dividends or distributions and do not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any securityholder that would have reduced returns. Mutual funds and ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

For a summary of the risks of an investment in the BMO ETFs or BMO Mutual Funds, please see the specific risks set out in the prospectus. BMO ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase the risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/or elimination.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group