BMO ETFs: Views from the Desk

E130 – Are Markets Underestimating Inflation?

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Central banks are laser focused on tackling inflation, but even with their aggressive approach, could it persist longer than markets are expecting? In...

E129 – Protecting Against Volatility with Infrastructure

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Interest rate hikes, the Ontario provincial election, and the stock market’s recent rebound have all been making headlines this week. In today’s e...

E128 – Weathering the Storm with Low-Vol and Covered Call

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As market volatility persists and concerns about a recession grow, how will central banks respond? In today’s episode, Chris Heakes, Alfred Lee, and...

E127 – U.S. Inflation and the Fed’s Aggressive Strategy

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With U.S. inflation remaining near a 40-year high, is a 75-basis-point interest rate hike a real possibility? In today’s episode, Matt Montemurro, C...

E126 – Market Bottom or Looming Recession?

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With interest rates rising and high inflation persisting, is a recession inevitable? In today’s episode, Alfred Lee, Chris McHaney, and our host, Ke...

E125 – ETF Portfolio Managers’ Insights on Your Allocation Questions

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re opening up the mailbag as our experts answer questions from Advisors and provide updates on several BMO ETFs. Listen in as Chris He...

E124 – Elon Musk Buys Twitter. Now What?

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk has dominated the news cycle, but what will the knock-on effects be for Tesla and the tech sector in general? In ...

E123 – Have We Reached Peak Inflation?

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, the Bank of Canada raised its key interest rate by 50 basis points, its biggest hike in over two decades. In today’s episode, Mark Raes, ...

Quarterly Portfolio Strategy Q2 2022: Ideas to Offset Inflation and Rising Rate Risk

18 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Given ongoing uncertainties around interest rates, inflation, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, what approach should Advisors and investors be taking w...

E122 – Inverted Yield Curve Equals Recession? Maybe Not.

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the U.S. annual inflation rate reached 8.5%, its highest level in over 40 years. What impact will that have on the bond market? In today’...

E121 – Russia-Ukraine and ESG Investing

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to dominate headlines, ESG investing has also been in the spotlight. In today’s episodes, Mark Raes, Chris ...

E120 – Making Sense of Uncertainty and Low Trading Volumes

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week, markets rallied on news of potential de-escalation in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, but uncertainty around the conflict – as well as...

E119 – The Liberal-NDP Deal and Implications for Canadian Banks

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the federal Liberals and NDP announced a confidence-and-supply agreement that will likely keep Justin Trudeau in the Prime Minister’s Off...

Protecting Against Rising Rates with ZBI

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The new BMO Canadian Bank Income Index ETF (Ticker: ZBI) is an innovation in fixed income, but how does it fit into a portfolio? In this episode, Alfr...

E118 – What Could the S&P 500 ‘Death Cross’ Mean for Your Clients?

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the S&P 500 experienced a “death cross.” It’s an ominous term, but what does it really mean for equity markets and investors? In toda...

E117 – Megatrends in Infrastructure, Energy, and Technology

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Like it or not, we are living in interesting times… with market volatility, inflation concerns, and geopolitical instability on the minds of every i...

E116 – Decoding Q1 Canadian Bank Earnings

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode, Sohrab Movahedi, Chris Heakes and Daniel Stanley dive into first quarter results from Canada’s “Big Six,” discussing ma...

E115 – Hedging Against Inflation with Energy

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the conflict in Ukraine continues, Western countries have rolled out sanctions targeting the Russian economy and financial system, resulting in a f...

E114 – Potential Market Impact of Geopolitical Conflict

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was recorded on the morning of Wednesday, February 23. As tensions in Russia and Ukraine persist and evolve, investors are concerned abou...

E113 – The Ukraine Situation and Other Uncertainties

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tensions in Ukraine are dominating the news, and investors are wondering how they can best navigate this premonitory situation. In today's episode, Ma...

E112 – Evaluating a Steadying Market

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Recent market volatility calmed somewhat this week, but interest rate hikes are still on the horizon. In today's episode, Mark Raes, Matt Montemurro, ...

Markets Outlook for 2022

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

2021 was a strong year for markets and a record year for ETFs. But what’s the outlook for 2022? In this episode, Danielle Neziol and Mark Raes discu...

E111 – Ideas to Preserve and Prosper Through Turbulence

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Recent equity market volatility continued this week, as did uncertainty around looming interest rate hikes. In today's episode, Mark Raes, Chris McHan...

E110 – Riding Volatility with Banks and Energy

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Markets have taken investors on a wild ride this week, with volatility increasing in anticipation of the Bank of Canada and the Fed meeting on the sam...

E109 – Gearing Up for Hikes

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The first few weeks of 2022 have brought heightened market instability with the rapid increase in interest rates and equity market volatility. In toda...

E108 – Bracing for Inflation

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As investors begin to put omicron fears in the rear-view mirror, another market challenge looms – rising inflation. In today’s episode, Mark Raes,...

E107 – Positioning Portfolios for 2022

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the year comes to a dramatic close with Omicron uncertainty dominating headlines, investors are looking for guidance on positioning their portfolio...

E106 – Decoding Q4 Canadian Bank Earnings

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode, Sohrab Movahedi, Chris Heakes and Daniel Stanley dig deeper into fourth quarter results from Canada’s “Big Six,” taking...

E105 – Balancing Portfolios with Bonds and Banks

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Market expectations of central bank policy changes continue to bounce around. Is it because of the uncertain fears of Omicron? Or admission that inf...

Top 5 Picks to Park Your Greenbacks

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Protecting your portfolios is important – but so is capturing growth. When markets enter a volatile period, how should investors balance the risk-re...

E104 – Omicron Uncertainty and a Black-Friday Boost for Discretionaries

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With news of the Omicron variant sparking a wild ride in markets, Mark Raes, Chris Heakes and Alfred Lee discuss prudent defensive approaches to navig...

E103 – Protecting Pandemic Gains from Rising Rates

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Biden administration continued to make headlines this week announcing 50 million barrels of oil will be released from their Strategic Petroleum Re...

E102 – Capitalizing on Biden’s Infrastructure Bill

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the Biden administration signed the highly anticipated $1 trillion infrastructure bill. The bill's signing will spur the breaking of ground ...

E101 – Building Your Inflation Toolkit

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Views from the Desk Podcast: E101 – Building Your Inflation Toolkit With the calendar’s final quarter underway, Mark Raes, Chris McHaney, and Matt...

E100 – Building Sustainable Portfolios: COP26 and ESG Solutions

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

All eyes are on Glasgow this week as The UN Climate Change Conference shifts global attention to emission targets. With the environment on their minds...

Why a “Low Volatility” Strategy Works Over Time

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Protecting your portfolios is important – but so is capturing growth. When markets enter a volatile period, how should investors balance the risk-re...

E99 – Upheaval at Rogers Communications

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tensions continued to mount at Rogers Communications this week, as Chairman Edward Rogers sought to remove the independent directors who blocked his a...

E98 – Diving into US Earnings Results

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the US earnings season starts to kick-off, markets have begun to show a preference for quality and fundamentals over sentiment and momentum. So, in...

E97 – Back to Defensive Factors?

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Markets remained uneasy this week, as investors looked for greater certainty around near-term economic growth. Will the reopening trade continue? Or h...

E96 – Bracing for a Risk-Off Moment

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Unrest continued to mount in bond markets this week, as the cracks in China’s real estate bubble grew wider and inflation expectations remained stub...

E95 – Switching Sectors as Markets Get Fearful

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With markets paring back from all-time highs this week, investors may want to take a closer look at their sector allocations – including Energy, Tec...

E94 – Watching China’s Real Estate Crisis Unfold

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alarm bells rang out across global markets this week, as a major Chinese real estate developer failed to meet its regularly scheduled coupon payment. ...

E93 – Election Outcomes: How to Position Your Portfolio

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the federal election just around the corner, many investors are starting to re-evaluate the political risks in their portfolios. To this end, Kev...

E92 – Decoding Q3 Canadian Bank Earnings

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian banks continued their bullish streak through the third quarter, as loan loss provisions surprised to the downside. In this special episode, S...

How ZPAY Earns Yield from Market Volatility

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What should you do when the stock market goes haywire? Do you wait out the turmoil, or do you sit on the sidelines until it’s over? It’s a trick q...

E91 – Seeking Shelter from the Fed & Hurricane Ida

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Investors seemed jittery this week as two storm clouds lingered over markets, including the Federal Reserve’s potential tapering of asset purchases ...

E90 – What’s Driving “Big Six” Bank Performance

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian banks continued to beat market expectations handily this quarter, reporting stronger than anticipated earnings on the back of robust trading ...

E89 – Weighing the Canadian Election vs. Oil Prices

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Less than a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dissolved parliament to call for a special election, Canadian investors are weighing the potentia...

E88 – Switching Gears as the Reopening Trade Slows Down

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the reopening trade running out of steam, investors must turn their attention now to less obvious drivers of market outcomes, such the billions o...

E87 – Moonshot ETFs for Clean Energy & Autonomous Tech

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the summer wears on, both equity and fixed income markets have been heating up with volatility. Investors looking to cool off can turn to the longe...

E86 – Surfing Volatility with REITs, Industrials & Bonds

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The impact of the Delta variant remains uncertain, with some investors moving back into bonds to wait out the volatility. Will the market rebound? Or ...

E85 – Balancing the Inflation vs Growth Tradeoff

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

CPI numbers registered above expectations again this week, stoking fears that inflation is not as transitory as the Federal Reserve claims. How should...

E84 – Drilling into Oil Prices as Economies Re-Open

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A lack of production cuts from OPEC drove oil prices higher this week, with some analysts predicting that crude prices may once again reach $100 per b...

E83 – Belski: Riding the Bull Market with ZACE

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Danielle Neziol interviews Brian Belski about his famously bullish views on the U.S. equity market. Listeners will also hear his outl...

E82 – Taking Risk Off the Table With Quality & Low Vol

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Reserve soothed markets this week when Chairman Jay Powell announced the central bank’s intention to keep interest rates low until 2023....

E81 - Canadian Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) – Yield Premiums with Downside Protection

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Looking for an income solution with little to no credit risk? In this episode of Inside Investments, Rob Butler speaks with Director and Portfolio Man...

E80 – Choosing Wisely within the Equity Universe

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Although G7 countries issued a collaborative statement against China, the political maneuvering failed to rattle investors who were more focused infla...

E79 – Decoding Q2 Canadian Bank Earnings

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian banks sustained their runaway performance in the second quarter – but can the upward trend continue? In this special episode, Sohrab Movahe...

E78 – Looking Beyond G7 Taxes with Tech & EM Bonds

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a historic moment for international markets, the G7 group of countries have agreed to implement a global minimum tax rate of at least 15%. But how ...

E77 – Rebalancing Global Equities, Canadian Banks & Bonds

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As restrictions ease across Canada, macro conditions remain encouraging – and ever-changing. The bond universe is normalizing; innovation stocks, wh...

E76 – Homeward Bound with CAD-Hedged Bonds & Equities

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With a strengthening loonie comes the promise of greater returns on CAD-hedged as well as Canadian ETFs. In this episode, Chris Heakes and Alfred Lee ...

E75 – Exploring Genomics Innovation with ZGEN & ZUH

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Looking beyond the vaccine hype, the healthcare industry remains a bright spot of the current market, offering growth-oriented investors access to com...

E74 – Banking on Small Caps, Clean Energy & Preferred Shares

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As volatility continues to grip equity markets, investors may find it challenging to look beyond the short-term uncertainty to the calm on the other s...

E73 – Seeking Upside with Value, Industrials & Bonds

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Fears of rising inflation are throwing equity markets off balance as investors play out the full extent of a reopening trade. With prices ticking up f...

E72 – Moving Cautiously on Inflation Risk

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The statements from the Fed this week have perhaps put inflation risk at the top of investor concerns. However, our experts, Chris Heakes and Matt Mon...

E71 – Finding Growth with Mid-Caps & Corporate Bonds

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As markets prepare for an economic reopening, our experts, Chris McHaney and Alfred Lee, put the spotlight on near- to long-term growth opportunities....

E70 – De-Risking Credit Exposure with ZBBB & ZMBS

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Putting the focus on income, Chris Heakes and Matt Montemurro discuss the impact of interest rate volatility on high yield exposures, and how investme...

E69 – Hedging Against Inflation with ZTIP, ZGD & ZEO

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the Federal Reserve remaining unchanged on its stance on inflation in the wake of an economic recovery, what are the most pressing concerns for i...

E68 – Getting Ahead of Inflation and Rising Rates

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the earnings season kicks off this week, our experts, Chris McHaney and Alfred Lee examine the trendlines impacting client portfolios – from high...

E67 – Staying the Course with Quality & Low-Vol

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With equity markets showing no signs of slowing down, Advisors may be considering various tactics to ride the highs. In this episode, Chris Heakes and...

E66 – Taking Caution with Alternative & SPAC Investments

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The chaos on Wall Street following the Archegos Capital debacle sheds new light on the risks that non-regulated investment strategies hold. In this ep...

E65 – Tactical Opportunities with Small & Mid-Cap Stocks

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the Bank of Canada announcing its plans to taper asset purchases, Advisors may be wondering how best to position client portfolios to meet their ...

E63 – What Rogers-Shaw Deal Means for Low-Vol ETFs

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The proposed merger of Rogers and Shaw is touted to be Canada’s biggest telecom deal in two decades. What does it mean for investors? According to o...

E62 – Why ZCLN Can Power Long-term Growth

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Clean energy is having a global moment – one that’s forecasted to reshape energy markets for years to come. With low costs and broad diversificati...

E61 – Capturing Growth with ESG & High Yield Exposures

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As markets return to normal levels this week, Chris Heakes, Alfred Lee and Mark Raes suggest using the calm to consider longer-term solutions, such ES...

E60 – Reducing Duration Risk with Corporate Bonds

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Volatility in fixed income markets is expected to worsen in the near term, as investors anticipate rising rates on the back of an imminent economic re...

E59 – Maximizing Tech Opportunities & Bond Yields

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Both equity and bond markets have taken interesting turns in the past week, from the fluctuations in tech stocks to the rise in 10-year Treasury yield...

E58 - Betting on Megatrends with Innovation ETFs

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From clean energy to automation and genomics, technological advancements are ushering in an era of unprecedented change across sectors. In this episod...

E57 - Rebalancing Canadian, ESG & EM Exposures

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As U.S. equities seem out of reach with valuations reaching an all-time high, it may be a good time to look for alternatives. In this episode, Chris M...

E56 - Guarding Against Inflation & VIX Concerns

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While the delayed vaccine roll-out is putting a dampener on economic reopening efforts, the potential for inflation is still at hand. In this episode,...

E55 - Future-proofing with Clean Energy & TIPS

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While the unusual market shake-ups this week may be triggering a frenzy, they are at best short-lived. In fact, beyond the near-term horizon, there ar...

E54 - Navigating Unknowns with Low-Vol & BBB Bonds

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Investors are showing renewed interest in lowering risk, as vaccine delays and economic headwinds stand in the way of a full rebound. In this podcast,...

E53 - Currency Implications for 2021 ETF Trades

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For globally diversified investors, currency is an important factor in optimizing returns and improving diversification. In this episode, Chris Heakes...

E52 - Recovery Gains with US Banks, Small-Caps & Long Bonds

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As political turmoil and the pandemic rock North America, equity markets continue to remain unfazed. Even so, the path to recovery is not likely to be...

E51 - Exploring Upside in S&P 400 & 600 Indexes

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Although mega-cap companies like Amazon and Alphabet dominated returns in 2020, positive news related to vaccines opened the door for a rotation to sm...

E50 - 2021 Outlook - Top ETFs & Trends to Watch

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In our final Views from the Desk episode for 2020, our experts take a no holds barred look at what to expect in the new year. Listen to Chris Heakes, ...

E48 - Building Growth with Cautious Optimism

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The past week has seen more positive vaccine news, but also a stalemate in US stimulus talks – tempering markets with both confidence and caution. I...

E47 - Shielding Portfolio Gains from VIX Turbulence

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As equity markets sway according to daily news and macroeconomic trends, investors have a choice to manage the volatility – or gain from it. In toda...

E46 - Switching Gears with Value, Small-Caps & Preferred Shares

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a streak of good news – including three potential vaccines, the Biden transition and several well-received cabinet appointments – is it fina...

E45 - Playing the Waiting Game on Vaccines

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The past week has seen ground-breaking news in the fight against the pandemic, and the markets are cheering on. For Advisors considering whether to ca...

E44 - Top ETF Strategies in the Post-Election Chaos

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Despite lingering uncertainty over the US election, markets broke to new highs this week as Pfizer announced a vaccine that is 90% effective for treat...

E43 - Tax-Loss Harvesting for 2020 Year-End

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since the market crash in the spring 2020, equity indexes have recovered to record highs. However, the gains have been concentrated in “new economy”...

E42 - U.S. Election Aftermath for Investors

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Election day is passed, but the uncertainty is far from over. In today’s timely episode, Brian Belski, Jon Adams and Mark Raes comb through the resu...

E41 - Turning Uncertainty into an Income Stream

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mere days away from the U.S. elections, the guessing game is on. Who will win the White House? To weather the storm, Mark Raes, Alfred Lee and Chris H...

E40 - Using ZEB & ZBK to Wait Out Volatility

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian banks have historically been a trusted source of yield and growth in client portfolios, generating a total annualized return-to-date of 12% a...

E39 - Strategizing for November Market Turmoil

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

No matter the outcome of the US election, the emerging theme of volatility is expected to run well into 2021. In today’s episode, Mark Raes, Alfred ...

E38 - Chasing Yield with Quality & Preferred Shares

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to striking a balance between growth and safety, investors naturally gravitate toward US exposures. However, with a cloud of uncertainty...

E37 - Portfolio Rebalancing between US, Canada & EM

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Investors who benefitted from this year’s market rally have much to be thankful for, but is it time for a brief pause? The temptation to sell winner...

E36 - How to Election-Proof an Investment Portfolio

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After the chaos of the first U.S. Presidential Debate, the only certainty is that uncertainty lies ahead. With this in mind, Mark Raes, Chris Heakes a...

E35 - Why Emerging Markets Attract the “Smart Money” in ETF Flows

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Read the episode summary. Although many investors shy away from Emerging Markets, they do so to their own disadvantage. A truly global portfolio means...