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Why Bank of Montreal (BMO) Stock is Upgraded to Strong Buy

Zacks Equity Research
Updated

On Jun 21, 2016, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Canada-based Bank of Montreal BMO to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Acquisition & Strong Results Drive Upgrade

Bank of Montreal has been witnessing rising earnings estimates driven by announcement of an acquisition as well as strong fiscal second quarter 2016 (ended Apr 30) results. Moreover, the company hiked its quarterly dividend by 2.4%.

On Jun 2, Bank of Montreal had announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Minneapolis-based premier boutique M&A advisory firm, Greene Holcomb Fisher. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, it is expected to close by Oct 31, 2016. Notably, the regulatory approvals are still awaited.

Perry Hoffmeister, Global Head of Investment & Corporate Banking, BMO Capital Markets, said “GHF is highly complementary to our U.S. strategy and our focus on the mid-cap space. The transaction underscores our commitment to effectively serve our U.S. clients by deepening our Midwest footprint, growing our U.S. M&A business and strengthening our client focus on the industry sectors that we cover.”

Further, Bank of Montreal’s fiscal second quarter 2016 results depicted strength with 1% year over year rise in adjusted earnings  due to improved revenues. Further, the stock has appreciated over 13% so far this year.

BANK MONTREAL Price

BANK MONTREAL Price | BANK MONTREAL Quote

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Driven by these positive developments, the analysts are bullish on the stock. Therefore, over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate increased 1.3% to $5.30 for 2016 and 1.6% to $5.55 for 2017.

Other Stocks to Consider

Other similarly-ranked finance stocks include LPL Financial Holdings Inc. LPLA, State Bank Financial Corporation STBZ and OceanFirst Financial Corp. OCFC.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
BANK MONTREAL (BMO): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
STATE BANK FINL (STBZ): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
LPL FINL HLDGS (LPLA): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
OCEANFIRST FINL (OCFC): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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Zacks Investment Research