News Releases

TORONTO, Jan. 24, 2020 /CNW/ - BMO Global Asset Management had 24 exchange traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds recognized for their outstanding performance at the annual Fundata FundGrade A+^® Awards last night in Toronto.  In addition, a BMO Life Assurance Company guaranteed investment fund (GIF) was also recognized. 

The 2019 FundGrade A+^® Awards celebrate funds that displayed the best risk-adjusted returns and maintained an excellent performance rating throughout a calendar year.

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

• BMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZIC)
• BMO MSCI All Country World High Quality Index ETF (ZGQ)
• BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZEQ)
• BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ)
• BMO Real Return Bond Index ETF (ZRR)
• BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS)
• BMO Aggregate Bond Index ETF (ZAG)
• BMO Floating Rate High Yield ETF (ZFH)
• BMO Global Infrastructure Index ETF (ZGI)
• BMO Long Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZLC)
• BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF (ZLB)
• BMO Low Volatility International Equity Hedged to CAD ETF (ZLD)
• BMO Dividend Class
• BMO Growth Opportunities Fund
• BMO Tactical Global Growth ETF Fund
• BMO U.S. Dollar Monthly Income Fund
• BMO Canadian Stock Selection Fund
• BMO Conservative ETF Portfolio
• BMO Enterprise Fund
• BMO Global Energy Class
• BMO Greater China Class
• BMO Monthly Income Fund
• BMO Tactical Global Asset Allocation ETF Fund
• BMO Target Education 2025 Portfolio

The BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF GIF⁽¹⁾ offered by BMO Life Assurance Company was also awarded Fundata's FundGrade A+^® Rating.

"We are honoured that Fundata chose to recognize so many BMO products for the third year in a row," said Steve Ilott, BMO Global Asset Management, Chief Investment Officer, North America. "These awards are a great source of pride for us and are a testament to our commitment to providing investors with the strongest possible investment options. We will continue to strive for excellence and look forward to leading the industry for another year."

⁽¹⁾  Any amount that is allocated to a segregated fund is invested at the risk of the policy owner and may increase or decrease in value. BMO Life Assurance Company is the sole issuer and guarantor of the BMO GIF individual variable insurance contract.

For more information please visit: www.bmo.com/gam/ca or https://www.bmo.com/insurance/advisor/products/.

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 $852 billion as of October 31, 2019, 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.

Performance for the investment funds for the period ending December 31, 2019 is as follows: BMO Mid-Term US IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZIC), 8.65% (1 year), 4.39% (3 years), 6.79% (5 years), 7.52% since inception (March 19, 2013); BMO MSCI All Country World High Quality Index ETF (ZGQ), 28.2% (1 year), 15.65% (3 year), 14.02% (5 year),  14.14% since inception (November 05, 2014); BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZEQ), 32.88% (1 year), 12.60% (3 years), 10.62% (5 years), 10.73% since inception (February 10, 2014); BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ), 31.53% (1 year), 17.46% (3 years), 16.40% (5 years), 16.79% since inception (November 5, 2014); BMO Real Return Bond Index ETF (ZRR), 7.89% (1 year), 2.51% (3 years), 2.49% (5 years), 3.91% since inception (May 19, 2010); BMO Short Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZCS), 4.55% (1 year), 2.34% (3 years), 2.35% (5 years), 2.91% (10 years)(Inception date October 26, 2009); BMO Aggregate Bond Index ETF (ZAG), 6.78% (1 year), 3.41% (3 years), 3.00% (5 years), 3.92% since inception (January 20, 2010); BMO Floating Rate High Yield ETF (ZFH), 11.12% (1 year), 5.76% (3 years), 5.92% (5 years), 5.57% since inception (February 10, 2014); BMO Global Infrastructure Index ETF (ZGI), 25.41% (1 year), 8.64% (3 years), 7.61% (5 years), 13.61% since inception (January 20, 2010); BMO Long Corporate Bond Index ETF (ZLC), 14.19% (1 year), 6.84% (3 years), 5.46% (5 years), 7.31% since inception (January 20, 2010); BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF (ZLB), 21.83% (1 year), 9.58% (3 years), 8.84% (5 years), 13.41% since inception (October 20, 2011); BMO Low Volatility International Equity Hedged to CAD ETF (ZLD), 16.88% (1 year), 9.98% (3 years), 10.15% since inception (October 2, 2016); BMO Dividend Class, 23.52% (1 year), 8.67% (3 years), 7.48% (5 years), 8.04% (10 years), (Inception date October 12, 2004); BMO Growth Opportunities Fund, 28.87% (1 year), 9.78% (3 years), 8.26% since inception (April 17, 2015); BMO Tactical Global Growth ETF Fund, 11.97% (1 year), 5.93% (3 years), 7.81% since inception (April 28, 2016); BMO U.S. Dollar Monthly Income Fund, 15.52% (1 year), 6.55% (3 years), 4.97% (5 years), 6.26% (10 years),(Inception date October 12, 2004); BMO Canadian Stock Selection Fund, 24.02% (1 year), 7.07% (3 years), 6.78% (5 years), 6.44% since inception (April 8, 2014); BMO Conservative ETF Portfolio, 10.6% (1 year), 3.96% (3 years), 4.24% (5 years), 5.13% since inception (August 12, 2013); BMO Enterprise Fund, 27.48% (1 year), 5.17% (3 years), 6.82% (5 years), 12.5% (10 years), (Inception date January 1, 1996); BMO Global Energy Class, -2.96% (1 year), -4.31% (3 years), -1.40% (5 years), 3.57% (10 years),(Inception date November 17, 2008); BMO Greater China Class, 16.42% (1 year), 15.62% (3 years), 11.11% (5 years), 7.61% (10 years), (Inception date October 12, 2004); BMO Monthly Income Fund, 14.17% (1 year), 5.81% (3 years), 5.25% (5 years), 6.23% (10 years), 5.84% since inception (March 22, 1999); BMO Tactical Global Asset Allocation ETF Fund, 7.89% (1 year), 6.81% (3 years), 6.68% since inception (April 28, 2016); BMO Target Education 2025 Portfolio, 9.44% (1 year), 4.76% (3 years), 5.06% (5 years), 5.00% since inception (November 13, 2014); BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF GIF, 19.09% (1 year), 7.14% (3 years), 7.06% since inception (June 21, 2016).

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.

Commissions, management fees and expenses (if applicable) 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, 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.

BMO Mutual Funds are offered by BMO Investments Inc., a financial services firm and separate entity from Bank of Montreal. BMO ETFs are managed and administered by BMO Asset Management Inc., an investment fund manager and portfolio manager and separate legal entity from Bank of Montreal. 

SOURCE BMO Financial Group