TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov 26, 2015) - BMO Financial Group claimed multiple honours at last night's 21st annual Morningstar Canadian Investment Awards. BMO InvestorLine was named Best Online Brokerage, while BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) was honoured for its Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in key categories.

The Morningstar Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding investment products, client service, investor education and online brokerages.

For the third year in a row, BMO InvestorLine was selected as the Best Online Brokerage based on its exceptional customer service, online tools and resources, range of investment products and website functionality.

"This recognition validates our ongoing efforts in helping provide our clients with a superior online investing experience," said Julie Barker-Merz, President, BMO InvestorLine. "Our team is committed to ensuring investors have the tools and resources they need to make informed investing decisions."

Ms. Barker-Merz noted that BMO InvestorLine's adviceDirect – a one-of-its-kind service for Canadians who are seeking more guidance when investing – recently celebrated its third anniversary in the market.

BMO GAM Claims Best Equity ETF and Best Specialty ETF Awards

BMO GAM was recognized by Morningstar in two ETF categories:

  • Best Equity ETF: BMO Low Volatility Canadian Equity ETF
  • Best Speciality ETF: BMO Equal Weight U.S. Health Care Hedged to CAD Index ETF

"We're delighted that we've been honoured for our ETFs at this year's Canadian Investment Awards," said Kevin Gopaul, Head of ETFs, BMO Global Asset Management. "It demonstrates our continued commitment to innovation and leadership in product development that leverages strategies such as smart beta, and that help address key investor objectives and needs."

Mr. Gopaul added that BMO GAM was the first provider to launch low volatility and equal weight ETFs in Canada.

BMO GAM's Canadian ETF business currently stands at more than 60 ETFs and $22 billion in assets under management*. In 2014 BMO became the first Canadian bank to have ETFs listed in Hong Kong and, earlier this month, became the first to introduce ETFs in the UK.

About BMO InvestorLine

BMO InvestorLine is an online investing service that provides clients with two ways to invest online. Clients can choose from BMO InvestorLine's top ranked Self-Directed service that provides tools to help investors make independent decisions on how to invest. BMO InvestorLine's other service, adviceDirect™ provides investors with online advice and investment recommendations for their portfolios.

About BMO Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

Established in May 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 approximately $672 billion as of July 31, 2015, and more than 47,000 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.

For more information on BMO InvestorLine, please visit https://www.bmoinvestorline.com

For more information on BMO ETFs, please visit www.bmo.com/etfs

Get the latest BMO press releases via Twitter by following @BMOmedia

*As at July 31, 2015

BMO InvestorLine Inc. provides this commentary to clients for informational purposes only. The information contained herein is based on sources that we believe to be reliable, but is not guaranteed by us, may be incomplete or may change without notice. The comments included in this document are general in nature, and professional advice regarding an individual's particular position should be obtained.

BMO InvestorLine Inc. is a member of BMO Financial Group.

® Registered trade-mark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence. BMO InvestorLine Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Montreal Holdings Inc. Member - Canadian Investor Protection Fund and Member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

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

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in exchange traded funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Exchange traded funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

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

Morningstar Awards 2015 © Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved.