Good
Overall Performance in the Context of Current Economic and Market
Conditions
P&C Canada Demonstrates Tangible Progress on its Strategic Agenda,
Earning Annual Net Income of More than $1.3 billion with Strong Quarterly
Results
Private Client Group’s Results Reflect Good Underlying Performance
as Annual Earnings Match Record Results of a Year Ago
BMO Capital Markets Earns $285 Million for the Quarter, Reflecting
Good Results in a Number of Core Businesses
Financial Results
Highlights:
Fourth
Quarter 2008 Compared with Fourth Quarter 2007:
- Net
income of $560 million compared with $452 million
-
EPS1 of $1.06 compared with $0.87 and cash EPS2 of $1.08 compared with
$0.89
-
Strong Tier 1 Capital Ratio, at 9.77% on a Basel II basis
- Return on equity at 14.0% reflects the benefits of our diversified
businesses
- Transferred $2.0
Billion of Securities from our Trading Portfolio to our Available-for-Sale
Portfolio and Recognized $123 Million After-Tax
of Unrealized Losses in Shareholders’ Equity
Fiscal
2008 Compared with a Year Ago:
- Net
income of $1,978 million compared with $2,131 million
- EPS of $3.76
compared with $4.11 and cash EPS of $3.83 compared with $4.18
-
Return on equity of 13.0% compared with 14.4% in 2007
| 1 | All Earnings per Share (EPS) measures in this document refer to diluted EPS unless specified otherwise. |
| 2 |
The
adjustments that change results under generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP) to cash results are outlined in the Non-GAAP
Measures section
at the end of Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A),
where all non-GAAP measures and their closest GAAP counterparts are
outlined. |
Toronto,
November 25, 2008 – For the fourth quarter ended
October 31, 2008, BMO Financial Group reported a 24% year-over-year
increase in net income, earning $560 million. Earnings per share
were $1.06, up $0.19 or 22%.
“We have maintained our strong Tier 1 Capital Ratio and earned a return
on equity of 14% in the quarter and 13% for the year. These results reflect BMO’s
relative strength and stability among global financial institutions,” said
Bill Downe, President and Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group.
“Our overall performance in the quarter was good and while we are not immune
to the difficulties of the current market environment, we are focused on our
core operations and serving our customers. This is reflected in our results this
quarter and further gains in market share in our priority businesses in Canadian
retail banking.
“P&C Canada, our Canadian personal and commercial banking unit, again
reported very good results, increasing both revenues and earnings in each quarter
of the year and capping off a solid performance in 2008 with year-over-year earnings
growth of 19% for the quarter.
“We have a well-earned reputation for working together with our customers
through the different phases of the credit cycle. In today’s economic
environment, we continue to apply our consistent underwriting standards
to make credit available
to Canadians and their businesses. Customers
and prospects alike have recognized our commitment and this approach
strengthens
our relationships and positions
our Canadian retail bank well for the future. Personal loans were up
a strong 21% year over year, due in part to our successful HomeOwner
Readiline, and commercial
loans were up a healthy 12% in the $1-to-$5 million segment. Our market
share of personal loans and personal deposits increased year over
year and quarter
over quarter.
“Private
Client Group’s results for the fiscal year matched the record
performance of a year ago. Results were down in the quarter, having
been affected by charges related to our offer to purchase certain
holdings from clients in the difficult market environment. Adjusted
for those charges, results in the quarter and underlying operating
performance were good,” added Mr. Downe.
Results in our
U.S. personal and commercial banking group were lower, having been
affected by higher levels of integration
costs, as we completed the integration
of our Wisconsin acquisitions, and by an increase to a previously-disclosed
Visa litigation reserve and the impact on revenues and expenses
of the difficult market
environment. Net income fell to US$11 million in the quarter or to US$24 million
adjusted for the litigation charge and integration costs, reflecting the challenging
environment. We continue to focus on meeting our customers’ needs in
the difficult environment and strengthening our relationships to build a solid
base
for when the U.S. economy recovers.
“Results
in BMO Capital Markets improved for the third consecutive quarter
and were up significantly from a year ago. Although some businesses
are clearly affected by low activity levels and charges related to
current market conditions, a number of our core businesses have benefited
from solid growth in the quarter, including our interest-rate-sensitive
businesses, foreign exchange trading business and the structured-products
trading business within Trading Products,” concluded Mr. Downe.
Detail on charges recorded in the quarter is provided in the Effects of the Capital Markets Environment on Fourth Quarter Results section.
BMO’s revenues
increased 28% year over year, compared with 10% expense growth. Net
income growth was affected by higher credit losses. Provisions for
credit losses totalled $465 million for the quarter, of which $333
million was recorded in Corporate Services under our expected loss
provisioning methodology. There was a $150 million increase in the
general allowance. Specific provisions of $315 million were down
quarter over quarter but up appreciably relative to a year ago due
to U.S. economic weakness, particularly in U.S. real estate markets.
The effective
tax rate in the quarter was a recovery rate of 9.2%, and included
the benefit of $73 million of recoveries of prior-period
income taxes. Excluding
the impact of the increase in the general allowance, tax recoveries, and a
higher proportion of income from lower-tax-rate jurisdictions,
the effective tax rate
in the current quarter would be within the expected sustainable range of 16%
to 20%.
Operating
Segment Overview
P&C
Canada
Net income was $344 million, up $57 million or 19% from a year ago. Results
were strong and revenues and net income have risen in each quarter of 2008.
There was good volume growth across most products. We earned net income of
$1,320 million in fiscal 2008, up $53 million or 4.1% from a year ago. Net
income a year ago included $6 million arising from three items, a $43 million
recovery of prior year income taxes and two items that lowered revenue by a
net $78 million ($37 million after-tax): a MasterCard gain and an adjustment
to the liability for customer redemptions related to our credit card loyalty
rewards program.
Revenue in the
fourth quarter rose $202 million or 18% year over year. Adjusted
for the above items, revenue rose $124 million
or 10%. Volume growth remained
strong notwithstanding the emergence of weakness in the economy. There were
improved revenues in each of personal banking, commercial banking
and especially cards
and payment services. Net interest margin was up year over year but was unchanged
from the third quarter. Compared to the prior year, margin benefited from the
interest on tax refunds, favourable product mix changes and increased product
yields, partially offset by higher funding costs and lower mortgage refinancing
fees.
Expenses increased
$38 million or 5.7% from a year ago due to higher employee costs
and higher capital taxes. We continue to invest
strategically in the
business, including the expansion and renovation of our branch network, credit
and debit
card chip technology, as well as increasing the size of our mortgage specialist
and financial planner workforce. In fiscal 2008, we opened 16 new branches,
closed 10, relocated 11 and expanded seven.
In personal banking,
there continues to be growth in most products. Our personal loan
growth was a strong 21% year over year with
market share increasing
89 basis points from the prior year and 33 basis points from the third
quarter. Our HomeOwner
Readiline remains an important contributor to our accelerating personal
loan growth. Our mortgage portfolio grew as new originations
outpaced the impact
of exiting from the broker mortgage channels. Personal deposit balances
were up
slightly from a year ago, with the number of active chequing account customers
continuing to rise and the number of products per household showing positive
trends. Personal deposits market share was up 6 basis points from a year
ago
and 1 basis point from the third quarter as competition remains intense.
In commercial
banking, there was solid loan growth at 7.2% in softer market conditions.
Market share of business banking improved
67 basis points from
the prior year
but fell 5 basis points from the third quarter. BMO ranks second in Canadian
business banking market share at 19.84% and our objective is to be the
market leader. In the deposit category, year-over-year balance growth
of 4.9% was
accompanied by steady growth in the number of commercial operating deposit
customers.
We are pleased
with our improved loyalty scores in personal and commercial banking
where we have made broad-based gains relative
to our competition.
Cards and payment
services revenues grew a strong 15% year over year, adjusted for
last year’s unusual items. The growth was driven by transactions
and accelerating balance growth as well as higher revenues from Moneris,
our investment
in a joint venture, and one of North America’s leading processors
of debit and credit payment transactions. Our most recent AIR MILES
and Cashback rewards
offers have broad appeal to customers which, combined with our pricing
and credit strategies, have continued to drive strong revenue growth
in a highly competitive
environment. Cards and payment services are also seeing improvements
in customer loyalty. In 2008, the group was awarded the Global Quality
Platinum award from
MasterCard Worldwide, which acknowledges performance in the key areas
that affect the customer experience when making a purchase, including
satisfaction at the
point of sale through issuer availability and satisfaction with the
authorization process.
P&C
U.S. (all amounts in U.S.$)
Net income
was $11 million, compared with a particularly strong $33 million
a year ago. Results included $15 million of integration
costs, lower than the $16 million to $18 million we estimated
last quarter, as we focus on expense efficiency. Acquisition-integration
costs were $13 million ($9 million after tax) higher than a year
ago. Results were also affected by an additional $4 million after-tax
charge for a Visa litigation reserve. Adjusted for the impact
of these items, net income was $24 million in the quarter. The
weak credit environment is affecting results as there are higher
levels of non-performing loans and costs of managing our portfolio
have increased.
Revenue was up
$23 million or 11%, with the Wisconsin acquisitions contributing
three-quarters of the growth and the balance attributable
to core revenue improvements.
Net interest margin decreased due to a portfolio transfer earlier in the year,
the higher levels of non-performing loans and product mix.
Private Client Group
Net income was $78 million, compared with $103 million a year ago.
Results were affected by $31 million ($19 million after tax) of
charges in respect of actions taken to support U.S. clients in the
weak capital markets environment. They included charges related
to securities of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (Lehman’s)
and in respect of the valuation of auction-rate securities that
we have offered to purchase from client accounts. Adjusted for the
charges, underlying performance in the quarter was good. Notwithstanding
the charges, net income for the year was very strong, at $395 million,
matching the record levels of a year ago.
Revenue for the
quarter rose $17 million or 2.9% from a year ago, excluding the foregoing
charges. Deposit balances have increased
in the brokerage businesses
and term investment products. There were also increases in loans and deposits
in North American Private Banking.
Assets under management
and administration and term deposits have been affected by softer market
conditions and decreased $27.4
billion or 9.7%, excluding
the impact of foreign exchange.
BMO Capital
Markets
Net income of $285 million increased $239 million from a year
ago. Results for the quarter were lowered by $14 million ($8 million
after tax) of charges related to the capital markets environment. Net
income a year ago was lowered by $227 million after tax for similar charges
and commodities losses. See the Effects of the Capital Markets Environment
on Fourth Quarter Results section for more details of the capital markets
environment charges. Results for the quarter were raised by the group’s
$52 million share of BMO’s recovery of prior-period income taxes.
Revenue rose $294
million to $715 million due in part to strong performance from our
interest-rate-sensitive businesses and higher trading
revenue. The charges
noted above lowered revenue by $14 million in the current period and $342 million
a year ago. We continued to focus on improving our risk-return profile by lowering
the volatility of our earnings and by concentrating on our core, profitable
client relationships. In response to market conditions, certain
trading strategies were
adjusted to reduce our risk exposures. As explained in note 5 to the attached
financial statements, during the quarter, the Canadian Institute of Chartered
Accountants (CICA) amended accounting and reporting rules on transfers of financial
instruments. Since we intend to hold certain securities impacted by current
market issues for the foreseeable future rather than trading
them in the short term,
we elected to transfer the securities from our trading portfolio to our available-for-sale
portfolio. This aligns well with our previously-stated strategy of reducing
the volatility of our group’s results. The value of the
transferred securities on August 1, 2008 was $2.0 billion. The
transfer resulted in $183 million of
pre-tax mark-to-market valuation charges being recognized in other comprehensive
income rather than the income statement.
BMO Capital Markets
was involved in 49 new issues in the quarter including 21 corporate
debt deals, nine government debt deals,
seven issues of preferred
shares
and 12 common equity transactions, raising $23.5 billion.
Performance
Targets
We achieved one of our five performance targets in 2008, maintaining a
strong Tier 1 Capital Ratio. We indicated at the end of the first quarter
that we did not expect to achieve four of our five annual targets given
the challenging economic environment.
The weak economic
environment as well as difficult credit and capital market conditions
create added uncertainty in the estimation
of future financial performance.
Therefore, we will not be disclosing financial targets for 2009. However, BMO
has a rigorous business planning process that considers many potential economic
scenarios. There is clear and direct accountability for performance against
internal benchmarks and progress against strategic priorities
including financial measures.
This is aligned with our medium-term objectives of, over time, increasing EPS
by an average of 10% per year, earning average ROE of between 17% and 20%,
achieving average annual cash operating leverage of at least
2%, and maintaining a strong
regulatory capital position.
| Annual
Targets for 2008 |
Performance
to October 31, 2008* |
- 10% to 15% EPS growth
from a base of $5.241
|
- EPS of $4.08, down
22% from $5.24 a year ago
|
|
|
- Specific provision
for credit losses of $475 million or less
|
- Specific provision
for credit losses of $1,070 million
|
- Tier 1 Capital Ratio
of at least 8.0% on a Basel II basis
|
- Tier 1 Capital Ratio
of 9.77% on a Basel II basis
|
- Cash operating leverage
of at least 2.0%
|
- Cash operating leverage
of
- 5.3%
|
|
* Excluding changes in the general allowance |
| 1 |
The 2007 base excluded
the impact of restructuring, changes in the general allowance and
commodities losses. Performance excludes the increase in the general
allowance and is
measured relative to the base, as appropriate.
|
|
Caution
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Bank
of Montreal’s public communications often include written or
oral forward-looking statements. Statements of this type are included
in this document, and may be included in other filings with Canadian
securities regulators or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,
or in other communications. All such statements are made pursuant
to the ‘safe harbor’ provisions of, and are intended
to be forward-looking statements under, the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and any applicable Canadian
securities legislation. Forward-looking statements may involve, but
are not limited to, comments with respect to our objectives and priorities
for 2009 and beyond, our strategies or future actions, our targets,
expectations for our financial condition or share price, and the
results of or outlook for our operations or for the Canadian and
U.S. economies.
By their nature,
forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and
are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties.
There is significant risk that
predictions, forecasts, conclusions or projections will not prove to be accurate,
that our assumptions may not be correct and that actual results may differ
materially from such predictions, forecasts, conclusions
or projections. We caution readers
of this document not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements
as a number of factors could cause actual future results, conditions, actions
or events to differ materially from the targets, expectations, estimates or
intentions expressed in the forward-looking statements. The future
outcomes that relate to forward-looking statements may be influenced
by many factors, including but not limited
to: general economic and market conditions
in the countries in which we operate; weak capital and/or credit markets; interest
rate and currency value fluctuations; changes in monetary policy; the degree
of competition in the geographic and business areas in which we operate; changes
in laws; judicial or regulatory proceedings; the accuracy and completeness
of the information we obtain with respect to our customers
and counterparties; our
ability to execute our strategic plans and to complete and integrate acquisitions;
critical accounting estimates; operational and infrastructure risks; general
political conditions; global capital market activities; the possible effects
on our business of war or terrorist activities; disease or illness that impacts
on local, national or international economies; disruptions to public infrastructure,
such as transportation, communications, power or water supply; and technological
changes.
We
caution that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of
all possible factors. Other factors could
adversely affect our results. For more information,
please
see the discussion on pages 28 and 29 of BMO’s 2007 Annual Report,
which outlines in detail certain key factors that may affect BMO’s
future results. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions
with respect to
Bank of Montreal, investors and others should carefully consider these factors,
as well as other uncertainties and potential events, and the inherent uncertainty
of forward-looking statements. Bank of Montreal does not undertake to update
any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made,
from time to time, by the organization or on its behalf, except as required
by law.
The forward-looking information contained in this document is presented for
the purpose of assisting our shareholders in understanding our financial
position
as at and for the periods ended on the dates presented and our strategic
priorities and objectives, and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Assumptions
about the level of asset sales, expected asset sale prices, net
funding cost, credit quality and risk
of default and losses on default of the
underlying
assets of the structured investment vehicles were material factors we considered
when establishing our expectations regarding the structured investment vehicles
discussed in this document including the amount to be drawn under the BMO
liquidity facilities and the expectation that the first-loss
protection provided by the
subordinate capital notes will exceed future losses. Key assumptions included
that assets would continue to be sold with a view to reducing the size of
the structured-investment vehicles, under various asset
price scenarios, that the
level of defaults and losses will be consistent with the credit quality of
the underlying assets and our current expectations regarding continuing difficult
market conditions.
Assumptions about
the level of defaults and losses on defaults were material factors we
considered when establishing our expectation
of the future performance
of the transactions that Apex Trust has entered into. Key assumptions included
that the level of defaults and losses on defaults would be consistent with
historical experience. Material factors which were taken into account when
establishing
our expectations of the future risk of credit losses in Apex Trust included
industry diversification in the portfolio, initial credit quality by portfolio
and the
first-loss protection incorporated into the structure.
Assumptions
about the performance of the Canadian and U.S. economies in 2009
and how that will affect our businesses
were material factors we considered
when setting our strategic priorities and objectives, and our outlook for
our businesses.
Key assumptions included that the Canadian and the U.S. economies will
contract in the first half of 2009, and that interest rates
and inflation will remain
low. We also assumed that housing markets in Canada will weaken in 2009
and strengthen in the second half of the year in the United
States. We assumed
that capital
markets will improve somewhat in the second half of 2009 and that the Canadian
dollar will strengthen modestly relative to the U.S. dollar. In determining
our expectations for economic growth, both broadly and in the financial
services sector, we primarily consider historical economic
data provided by the Canadian
and U.S. governments and their agencies. Tax laws in the countries in which
we
operate, primarily Canada and the United States, are material factors we
consider when determining our sustainable effective tax rate.
Economic
Review and Outlook
The Canadian economy grew at a modest pace in 2008, as exports continued
to decline in response to weak U.S. demand. Growth in consumer spending
moderated from last year’s rapid pace, as employment growth and
confidence weakened. Business investment also slowed in response to
persistent uncertainty about the impact of the global credit crisis
on the economy. Housing sales declined from last year’s record
levels, reflecting reduced affordability. The softer economy led to
some slowing in residential mortgages and business and personal credit
in the second half of the year, although growth remained relatively
brisk. Rising commodity prices in the first half of the year lifted
inflation to the highest level in five years; however, most prices continue
to rise modestly and in some cases (such as books and motor vehicles)
are falling. The Bank of Canada reduced overnight lending rates 225
basis points in the fiscal year to address the economic slowdown, the
recent downturn in commodity prices and credit concerns in the market.
The U.S. economy grew
modestly in the first half of 2008 and likely contracted in the second
half, despite aggressive monetary and
fiscal stimulus and strong
export gains. The worsening credit conditions and housing slump, coupled with
record-high energy costs, significantly affected consumers and businesses.
Interbank lending spreads widened to all-time highs in early October
amid the collapse
or forced takeover of a number of banks and Wall Street brokers, severely curtailing
the availability of credit and raising borrowing costs for businesses and consumers.
While the downward trend in housing sales appears to have stabilized, the large
number of unsold homes continues to weigh on prices. Growth in residential
mortgages and personal and business loans slowed in 2008. The Federal
Reserve aggressively
reduced interest rates and expanded its liquidity provisions to support bank
lending and the economy.
The Canadian economy
is expected to contract moderately in the first half of 2009 as exports
decline further, before recovering modestly
in the second half
of the year in response to low interest rates and recent weakness in the
currency. The unemployment rate is expected to remain low but climb
about one percentage
point in late 2009 to just above 7%. Consumer and business spending will
likely remain soft, further moderating credit growth. Housing activity
should continue
to decline, dampening demand for residential mortgages. The Bank of Canada
is expected to reduce interest rates further as inflation falls and the Canadian
dollar is expected to strengthen modestly relative to the U.S. dollar in
the second half of the year, supported by steadier commodity prices.
The U.S. economy is
expected to continue contracting in the first half of 2009, before improving
slightly as the housing market stabilizes
and credit
conditions
ease. Personal and business credit and residential mortgage demand will
likely remain weak, at least in the first half of the year. U.S.
unemployment has
climbed steadily in the past year and is expected to rise about two percentage
points
to 8.5 % in 2009, well above Canada’s rate. The Federal Reserve may
continue to reduce interest rates to support the economy. Weakness in capital
markets
is expected to extend into early 2009, with some improvement expected in
the second half of the year as the economy recovers and housing prices
stabilize.
This Economic Review
and Outlook section contains forward-looking statements. Please see the Caution
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.
Effects
of the Capital Markets Environment on Fourth Quarter Results
Financial markets remain unsettled with continuing concerns in respect of capital
markets and the extent and severity of the economic downturn. In the fourth quarter,
capital markets continued to be affected by volatility in credit spreads, impacting
mark-to-market valuations. Equity valuations in the quarter were especially hard
hit with many sectors recording significant declines.
BMO’s results
in the fourth quarter were affected by capital markets environment charges
of $45 million ($27 million after tax and $0.06 per share) reflected
in BMO Capital Markets and Private Client Group. The charges in BMO Capital
Markets included $14 million ($8 million after tax) comprised of:
| • |
charges of $258 million
($173 million after tax) in respect of exposures related to Apex,
a Canadian credit protection vehicle ($170 million pre-tax),
and mark-to-market valuations on counterparty credit exposures
on derivative contracts largely as a result of corporate counterparties
credit spreads widening relative to BMO’s ($88 million
pre-tax); |
| • |
a charge of $49 million ($33
million after tax) for other-than-temporary impairment on securities
in our portfolios including $29 million in respect of securities
transferred from the trading to available-for-sale portfolio;
|
| • |
a benefit
of $133 million ($90 million after tax) for mark-to-market valuations
on credit default swaps related to BMO Capital Markets’ loan
portfolio; |
| • |
a benefit
of $89 million ($60 million after tax) related to our liabilities
recorded at fair value as a result of our credit spreads widening;
and |
| • |
a number
of other valuation adjustments and trading activities resulting
in a net benefit of $71 million ($48 million after tax), including
an $81 million pre-tax gain primarily related to portfolios where
certain securities were transferred to the available-for-sale
portfolio. |
The charges in
Private Client Group included Cdn$31 million (Cdn$19 million after
tax) in respect of management actions taken to support our U.S. clients
in the weak capital markets environment including:
| • |
a net charge of Cdn$19
million related to securities of Lehman’s; and |
| • |
a charge of Cdn$12 million
in respect of the valuation of auction rate securities that we
expect to be tendered to our offer to purchase them from client
accounts. |
The above capital markets
environment charges of $45 million were all reflected in non-interest revenue.
There was $181 million of losses in securities gains (losses), other than
trading, a reduction of $30 million in other revenue and a $166 million increase
in trading non-interest revenue.
As explained in the preceding BMO Capital Markets section, during the quarter,
the CICA amended accounting and reporting rules applicable to financial instruments.
As a result of the amendments, we elected to transfer certain securities from
our trading portfolio to our available-for-sale portfolio. We subsequently
recorded mark-to-market charges on these securities totalling $212 million
($143 million after tax), of which $29 million ($20 million after tax) was
charged to earnings, as part of the other-than-temporary impairments outlined
above, and $183 million ($123 million after tax) was charged to other comprehensive
income rather than trading revenue in the statement of income.
The effects of notable
items affecting comparative period results are discussed at the end of this
MD&A.
Given the uncertainty in
the capital markets environment, our investments in asset-backed commercial
paper (ABCP), structured investment vehicles
(SIVs),
structured finance vehicles and mark-to-market investments could experience
further gains and losses. This Effects of the Capital Markets Environment
on Fourth Quarter
Results section contains forward-looking statements. Please see the Caution Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements.
Notable
Items
Q4 2008
Charges related to the capital markets environment in the fourth
quarter are detailed in the Effects of the Capital Markets Environment
on Fourth Quarter Results section. Results also reflected a $150 million
($98 million after tax) increase in the general allowance for credit losses.
Q3 2008
BMO’s results in the third quarter were affected by capital markets
environment charges of $134 million ($96 million after tax), or $0.19
per share in respect of:
| • |
a charge of $88 million
($65 million after tax) including: |
| |
o |
a charge of $58
million ($39 million after tax) for mark-to-market valuations
on counterparty credit exposures on derivative contracts largely
as a result of corporate counterparty credit spreads widening
relative to BMO’s; |
| |
o |
a charge of $55 million ($43
million after tax) for other than temporary impairments and valuation
adjustments on preferred shares held in our trading portfolio; |
| |
o |
a recovery of $25 million
($17 million after tax) for other trading and structured-credit
related positions; |
| • |
a $28 million ($19 million
after tax) impairment charge for asset-backed commercial paper
held that is subject to the Montreal Accord; |
| • |
a net charge
of $15 million ($10 million after tax) related to Apex; and |
| • |
a $3 million
($2 million after tax) charge for our capital notes investment
in SIVs.
|
Results also reflected
a $50 million ($30 million after tax) increase in the general allowance
for credit losses.
The capital markets
environment charges of $134 million above were all reflected in non-interest
revenue with $61 million in securities gains (losses) other than trading,
$76 million in trading non-interest revenue and a recovery of $3 million
in other revenue.
Q2 2008
BMO’s results in the second quarter included a net benefit of
$42 million ($28 million after tax) in respect of charges/recoveries
related to the capital markets environment. The charges/recoveries consisted
of:
| • |
a net recovery of $26
million ($18 million after tax) in respect of: |
| |
o |
a mark-to-market
recovery of $85 million ($57 million after tax) for Apex/Sitka
Trust in recognition during the quarter of the increased likelihood
of a successful restructuring; |
| |
o |
a mark-to-market charge of
$36 million ($24 million after tax) for our holdings of commercial
paper of third-party Canadian conduits affected by the Montreal
Accord; |
| |
o |
a charge of $23 million
($15 million after tax) for the capital notes in the Links and
Parkland SIVs; |
| • |
a recovery of $35 million
($24 million after tax) for items impacted by credit spreads,
specifically mark-to-market adjustments, consisting of a benefit
of $128 million ($86 million after tax) for mark-to-market gains
on counterparty credit exposures on derivatives contracts as
BMO’s credit spreads moved out relative to various counterparties;
less a charge of $93 million ($62 million after tax) for other
trading and structured-credit related positions; and |
| • |
a charge
of $19 million ($14 million after tax) related to four smaller
items, each with a net income impact of $10 million or less and
including mark-to-market charges on our preferred share trading
portfolio and monoline exposures. |
The net benefit of $42
million above was reflected in trading non-interest revenue ($71 million),
other revenue ($6 million) and securities gains/losses other than trading
(-$35 million).
Q1
2008
In the first quarter of 2008, BMO recorded $548 million ($362 million
after tax and $0.72 per share) of charges for certain trading activities
and valuation adjustments and an increase in the general allowance
for credit losses. They included $488 million ($324 million after tax)
in BMO Capital Markets in respect of: losses on exiting positions related
to monoline insurer ACA Financial Guarantee Corporation ($158 million);
trading and structured-credit related positions, preferred shares,
third-party Canadian conduits and other mark-to-market losses ($177
million); investments in Apex ($130 million); and capital notes in
the Links and Parkland SIVs ($23 million). BMO has no further exposure
to ACA. Reduced performance-based compensation associated with the
charges was not included in the determination of the impact of significant
items.
The $177 million charge
above was primarily due to the impact of widening credit spreads on
a number of our trading portfolios. The charge was comprised of a number
of items, the largest of which was $78 million for counterparty credit
risk on our derivatives, with approximately half related to monoline
insurers
(other than ACA) and similar credit derivative product companies. The
$488 million charge included reductions in trading non-interest revenue
($420 million), investment securities
gains ($23 million) and other income ($45 million). Corporate Services
results included a $60 million ($38 million after tax) increase in the
general allowance for credit losses to reflect portfolio growth and risk
migration.
Q4 2007
In the fourth quarter of 2007, net income was reduced by $275
million after tax ($0.55 per share) of notable items. They
included $318 million ($211 million after tax) of charges
for certain trading activities and valuation adjustments
related to deterioration in capital markets, $16 million after
tax
in respect of commodities losses, $33 million after tax
as a result of an increase in the general allowance and the
$15
million after-tax impact of a restructuring charge. The
charges included $169 million in respect of trading and structured-credit
related positions and preferred shares; $134 million related
to Canadian asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP); and $15
million related to capital notes in the Links Finance Corporation
(Links) and Parkland Finance Corporation (Parkland) structured
investment vehicles (SIVs).
The Canadian ABCP
charges reflect $80 million for our investment in commercial paper
issued by one of our BMO-sponsored conduits, and $54 million for our
investment in commercial paper issued by non-bank sponsored conduits.
Fiscal 2008
Notable items in 2008 are detailed above. Fiscal 2007
Net income for fiscal 2007 was reduced by $787 million of notable items. They
included $440 million after tax in respect of commodities losses of $853
million net of $120 million of reduced performance-based compensation. They
also included $318 million ($211 million after tax) in respect of charges
related to the capital markets environment, the $103 million after-tax impact
of a $159 million restructuring charge and an increase in the general allowance
of $33 million after tax.
To view the rest
of this news release consisting of:
INVESTOR AND
MEDIA PRESENTATION
Investor Presentation
Materials
Interested parties are invited
to visit our web site at www.bmo.com/investorrelations to
review this quarterly news release, presentation materials and a supplementary
financial information package online. Copies of these documents are
also available at BMO Financial Group’s offices at 100 King Street
West, 18th Floor, 1 First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario, M5X 1A1.
Quarterly
Conference Call and Webcast Presentations
Interested parties are also invited to listen to our quarterly conference
call on Tuesday, November 25, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. (EST). At that time,
senior BMO executives will comment on results for the quarter and respond
to questions from the investor community. The call may be accessed
by telephone at 416-695-9753 (from within Toronto) or 1-888-789-0089
(toll-free outside Toronto). A replay of the conference call can be
accessed until Monday, March 2, 2009, by calling 416-695-5800 (from
within Toronto) or 1-800-408-3053 (toll-free outside Toronto) and entering
passcode 648306.
A live webcast of
the call can be accessed on our web site at www.bmo.com/investorrelations.
A replay can be accessed on the site until Monday, March 2, 2009.
Media Relations
Contacts
Ralph Marranca, Toronto, ralph.marranca@bmo.com,
(416) 867-3996
Ronald Monet, Montreal, ronald.monet@bmo.com,
(514) 877-1873
Investor Relations
Contacts
Viki Lazaris, Senior Vice-President, viki.lazaris@bmo.com,
(416) 867-6656
Steven Bonin, Director, steven.bonin@bmo.com,
(416) 867-5452
Krista White, Senior Manager, krista.white@bmo.com,
(416) 867-7019
Chief Financial
Officer
Russel Robertson, Interim Chief Financial Officer
russ.robertson@bmo.com,
(416) 867-7360
Corporate Secretary
Blair Morrison, Vice-President & Corporate Secretary
corp.secretary@bmo.com,
(416) 867-6785 |