Key Points - Michelle Connolly has joined Q Wealth Partners as head of advanced wealth planning, leaving Raymond James Ltd. after one year in a similar role [3] - Steve Reimer has joined Raymond James Ltd. as a senior portfolio manager and investment advisor, previously with Richardson Wealth for over 20 years [3] - Mike Pedersen has been appointed to the board of EQB Inc. and will take over as chair in April 2026, bringing over three decades of leadership experience in financial services [3] - Caroline Dufaux has been named chief financial officer of BMO U.S., succeeding Rahul Nalgirkar, who will become CFO of BMO Financial Group in January [3] - Kaitlyn Lawson has been promoted to head of practice management at CI Global Asset Management, previously serving as director of advisor development [3] - J.P. Lavoie has been named senior vice-president at Wellington-Altus, having joined the firm in 2018 [3] - Nicolas Ospina has joined VersaBank as global chief financial officer, a new role, after over a decade with Raymond James [3] - John Asma has been promoted to executive vice-president responsible for Canadian digital banking operations and strategy at VersaBank [3]

Core Viewpoint - BMO Asset Management Inc. and BMO Investments Inc. announced the 2025 annual reinvested distributions for unitholders of BMO ETFs and ETF Series, which are designed to represent realized capital gains and special income to avoid ordinary income tax liabilities [1][2]. Distribution Details - Unitholders of record as of December 30, 2025, will receive the annual reinvested distributions, with actual taxable amounts reported in 2026 [2]. - The per-unit annual reinvested distribution amounts for various funds include: - BMO All-Equity ETF (ZEQT): $0.135 - BMO Balanced ESG ETF (ZESG): $0.070 - BMO Canadian Dividend ETF (ZDV): $1.880 - BMO Global Infrastructure Index ETF (ZGI): $1.250 - BMO Low Volatility US Equity ETF (ZLU): $2.520 [2][3][4][5][6]. Fund Management - BMO ETFs are managed by BMO Asset Management Inc., while the ETF Series of BMO Mutual Funds are managed by BMO Investments Inc., both being separate legal entities from Bank of Montreal [7][18]. - BMO Financial Group is noted as the seventh largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.5 trillion as of October 31, 2025 [19].

Core Insights - The logistics sector has seen significant engagement from investors, particularly in the ASEAN and US markets, highlighting its growth potential and diversification opportunities [1] - The popularity of insurance companies in the Philippines since 2014 indicates a shift in investment strategies among local investors, moving towards a more diversified portfolio [1] - The entry into the US market has provided additional avenues for investment, particularly in banks, hotels, and logistics companies, reflecting a broader trend of globalization in investment strategies [1] Investment Strategies - Initial investments were focused on blue-chip companies, but there has been a diversification into various industries and market capitalizations over time [1] - The approach includes holding stocks for retirement as well as for trading profits, showcasing a balanced investment strategy [1] - The use of platforms like Seeking Alpha has enhanced knowledge and analysis capabilities, allowing for better comparisons between different markets [1] Market Trends - The logistics and banking sectors are highlighted as key areas of investment interest, particularly in the context of ASEAN and US markets [1] - The trend of engaging in stock markets as a means of portfolio diversification is becoming more prevalent among investors in the Philippines [1] - The growth of the US market as a viable investment option reflects a broader trend of international investment diversification [1]

Group 1 - Lemonade, Moelis, and Bank of Montreal are exhibiting positive technical setups, indicating potential upward momentum in their stock prices [1]

Industry Activity - Bank of Montreal is seeking a new head for its US mergers-and-acquisitions banking team [1]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint is that the Montreal Bank of Canada has lowered Oracle's target stock price from $355 to $270 [1]

Core Viewpoint - The nine largest U.S. banks have been found to have policies that restrict financial services to certain controversial industries, a practice referred to as "debanking," according to a report from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) [1][3]. Group 1: Regulatory Review - The OCC initiated a review following an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at investigating banks for practices that may bar customers based on political or religious beliefs [2]. - The review revealed that from 2020 to 2023, the banks had policies that either denied services to specific industries or imposed excessive scrutiny beyond actual financial risks [3]. Group 2: Accountability and Future Actions - Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould criticized the banks for their debanking policies and stated that the OCC will hold them accountable to prevent unlawful debanking practices in the future [4][5]. - The OCC is currently reviewing thousands of complaints related to debanking based on political or religious beliefs and may refer cases to the Justice Department [5]. Group 3: Industry Response - The banks involved, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC, TD Bank, and BMO Bank, either declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries regarding the report [6]. - The Bank Policy Institute, representing larger banks, expressed that banks aim to serve as many customers as possible and supports regulatory clarity [6][7]. - The industry advocates for fair access to banking and is collaborating with Congress and the administration to ensure compliance with sound risk management while serving law-abiding customers [7].

Group 1 - Bank of Montreal (BMO) is currently outperforming the Finance sector with a year-to-date return of approximately 30.4%, compared to the sector average of 15.1% [4] - The Zacks Rank for Bank of Montreal is 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook based on earnings estimates and revisions, with a 16.1% increase in the consensus estimate for full-year earnings over the past quarter [3] - BMO belongs to the Banks - Foreign industry, which has seen a year-to-date gain of about 48.1%, indicating that while BMO is performing well, it is slightly underperforming its specific industry group [5] Group 2 - Community West Bancshares (CWBC) has also shown strong performance with a year-to-date return of 19.9% and holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [4][5] - The Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, where CWBC is categorized, has experienced a decline of -4.2% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the performance of BMO [6] - Investors interested in Finance stocks should monitor both Bank of Montreal and Community West Bancshares for potential investment opportunities [6]

Group 1 - The transportation industry is facing significant challenges, with gross impaired loans increasing by 38% to $7.1 billion from Q3 to Q4, indicating a decline in the industry's overall health and capacity [3] - A freight recession has persisted for over three years, impacting the ability of trucking companies to repay loans for equipment purchased during periods of high spot rates [4] - TFI International reported a 24% drop in operating income due to adverse economic conditions in the U.S., highlighting the financial strain on trucking operations [4] Group 2 - BMO's gross impaired loans in transportation reached CA$585 million (approximately $419 million), marking a new peak for the key trucking lender, despite a previous decline of nearly 16% in Q3 [7] - The Chief Risk Officer of BMO expressed optimism about a steady decline in new watch list formations, which may lead to lower impaired balances over time [7] - Economic forecasts suggest a softer environment in Canada during the first half of 2026, but potential improvements in the U.S. economy are anticipated later in the year [5]

Group 1: Interest Rate Expectations - The stock market anticipates a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next week [1] Group 2: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) - CIBC reported a 16% increase in profit, exceeding expectations, and raised its dividend by 10% [2] - Capital markets profit surged by 62% year-over-year, while credit quality concerns were flagged by analysts [2] - Performance in the Canadian banking unit was mixed, with a 14% profit increase year-over-year but a sequential decline due to higher-than-expected provisions for credit losses and an increase in impaired loans [3] Group 3: Bank of Montreal (BMO) - BMO surpassed profit expectations and increased its dividend by 2.5% [5] - The bank surprised investors with lower-than-expected provisions for potential loan defaults, indicating a recovery in its US business while increasing reserves in Canada [5] Group 4: Toronto Dominion Bank (TD) - TD exceeded profit expectations, driven by strong capital markets growth and lower-than-expected provisions for credit losses [6] - The bank raised its dividend, although the increase was less than anticipated, and demonstrated robust growth in the US despite an asset cap [6] - TD's asset cap, resulting from regulatory penalties, limits its growth in the US to $434 billion, with current assets at $382 billion [6]