BMO ETFs: Views from the Desk
Episodes
E160 – Time to Look at Duration as BoC Signals Steadier Rate Path
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Bank of Canada has sent a pretty clear indication that rate hikes are on pause until further notice, opting to evaluate how the latest – and per...
E159 – China’s Reopening Shifts Focus to Emerging Markets
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a strong run, the U.S. dollar rally is fading as emerging-markets and gold stage respective comebacks after slumping through 2022. In today’s ...
E158 – U.S. Inflation Data Trending in the Right Direction
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The latest U.S. inflation print points toward a continued deceleration in consumer prices, likely providing the Fed the evidence it needs to reduce or...
2023 BMO ETF Investment Outlook: Back to the Old Normal
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
2022 was a challenging time in the markets, which had investors riding the waves of uncertainty. As we enter the new year, are inflation and interest ...
E157 – Decoding Q4 Canadian Bank Earnings
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Sohrab Movahedi, Chris Heakes, and Daniel Stanley dive into fourth quarter results from Canada’s “Big Six,” discussing ...
Central Banks Update and Outlook for 2023
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In its final policy decision of the year, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced a half-point hike, raising interest rates to the highest level in 15 year...
E156 - Look to Infrastructure as Hedge Against Recession Risk
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Consumer prices continued to decelerate in the United States in November, providing investors more relief that central banks are getting inflation und...
E155 – Investors Rotating to Stocks with Rate Cycle Nearing Peak
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Bank of Canada’s latest trend-setting interest rate hike of half a percentage point marks perhaps its last in the current cycle. In today’s ep...
E154 – Canadian Banks Put Pandemic Cash Cushions to Use
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
RBC’s blockbuster bid for HSBC, the country’s seventh-largest lender, has capped a wave of Canadian bank M&A. In today’s episode, portfolio mana...
E153 – Markets on Edge Following FTX Scandal
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fears of contagion momentarily gripped markets in the wake of FTX’s meltdown and bankruptcy filing. In today’s episode, portfolio managers Winnie ...
E152 – Tax-Loss Selling for 2022 Year-End
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s special episode, Kevin Prins, John Waters and Mark Raes talk taxes. After a challenging time in the markets, our experts dive into tax-lo...
E151 – From ‘Red Wave’ to Ripple
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As votes are counted in the U.S. midterm elections, Republicans are projected to win the House. In today’s episode, portfolio managers Chris Heakes,...
Quarterly Portfolio Strategy Q4 2022: The Fed in the Driver’s Seat
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As hikes slowly work their way into the financial system, higher rates continue to be a primary market concern. How can investors combat these persist...
E150 –Timing the Market vs. Time in the Market
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are rate hikes here to stay? In today’s episode, portfolio managers Alfred Lee, Chris McHaney, and your host, McKenzie Box, anticipate the Federal R...
E149 – Is the Bank of Canada Slowing Pace of Rate Hikes?
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Bank of Canada delivers a smaller-than-expected hike, raising its key interest rate by half a percentage point. In today’s episode, portfolio ma...
E148 – Canada’s CPI is Hot Off the Press
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Canada’s consumer price index eased slightly to 6.9% in September. Will inflation continue to tick down? In today’s episode, portfolio managers Al...
E147 – IMF Warns ‘The Worst is Yet to Come’
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund released its biannual World Economic Outlook. In today’s episode, portfolio managers Winnie Jiang, Chris...
E146 – Tax Loss Selling in 2022
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, portfolio managers Matt Montemurro, Omanand Karmalkar, and your host, Sa’ad Rana, examine tax loss selling strategies to help ...
E145 – When Inflation Rears Its Head, Cash is King
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inflation continues to be the elephant in the room. In today’s episode, portfolio managers Chris McHaney, Matt Montemurro, and your host, Mark Raes,...
Q&A on Central Banks and Interest Rates
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the central banks prioritize taming inflation, markets react to the near-term volatility and the threat of recession. But at what point will the ra...
E144 – Core Inflation: A Mixed Picture
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Persistent inflation has investors looking for positive signs. In today’s episode, portfolio managers Chris McHaney, Chris Heakes, and your host, Ma...
E143 – Markets Take a Tumble
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Following a red-hot inflation print earlier this week, many investors opted for an immediate sell-off, creating turbulence in the markets. In today’...
E142 – Decoding Q3 Canadian Bank Earnings
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Sohrab Movahedi, Chris Heakes and Daniel Stanley dive into third quarter results from Canada’s “Big Six,” discussing re...
E141 – Tough Talk from the Bank of Canada
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the Bank of Canada once again raises interest rates—and indicates that more hikes are likely on the way—what’s the outlook for fixed income? ...
E140 – Bulls vs. Bears: Breaking Down Two Scenarios
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With inflation potentially having peaked, could central banks start to lower interest rates sooner than expected? In today’s episode, portfolio mana...
E139 – Are Economic Expectations Improving?
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite Canada’s inflation easing slightly in July, investors are not out of the woods yet. In today’s episode, portfolio managers Chris Heakes, M...
E138 – Unpacking the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate voted on the Inflation Reduction Act, a historic and significant health care, tax, and climate bill. In today’s e...
E137 – Volatility Creates Opportunity
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the Fed raised its key interest rate by another 75 basis points. As we teeter between a soft and hard landing, could this aggressive move t...
Quarterly Portfolio Strategy Q3 2022: Is the Quest to Tamp Down Inflation Succeeding?
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After a volatile start to the year, headline risk stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and COVID-19 takes a backseat to sticky inflation. As ...
E136 – Finding Direction in a Sideways Market
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Under the cloud of a potential recession, investors are looking for shorter-term solutions, such as money market ETFs, to weather the storm with rate ...
E135 – Will the 100Bps Hike Tame Inflation?
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the Bank of Canada surprised markets by raising interest rates by a whopping 100 basis points. In today’s episode, portfolio managers Chr...
E134 – What Makes This Downturn Different?
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With a possible recession on the horizon, investors are wondering if there are similarities between the current environment and economic downturns in ...
E133 – Fighting Inflation with Dividends
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the Fed raised its key interest rate by 75 basis points, prompting speculation that a similar move by the Bank of Canada may be on the hori...
E132 – The Bear Market Is Here. What's Next?
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, U.S. inflation numbers came in higher than expected, causing the S&P 500 to officially enter bear market territory. In today’s episode, p...
E131 – Decoding Q2 Canadian Bank Earnings
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Sohrab Movahedi, Chris Heakes and Daniel Stanley dive into second quarter results from Canada’s “Big Six,” discussing t...
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...