Bank Of Montreal $BMO Shares Sold by Value Partners Investments Inc.

Value Partners Investments Inc. reduced its position in shares of Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) by 9.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 465,338 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 45,983 shares during the period. Bank Of Montreal comprises about 4.6% of Value Partners Investments Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Value Partners Investments Inc.’s holdings in Bank Of Montreal were worth $60,518,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp lifted its holdings in Bank Of Montreal by 18.3% in the 2nd quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 739,598 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $82,015,000 after acquiring an additional 114,458 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 36.6% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 502,382 shares of the bank’s stock worth $65,479,000 after purchasing an additional 134,699 shares during the last quarter. Addenda Capital Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Bank Of Montreal by 9.5% in the 3rd quarter. Addenda Capital Inc. now owns 734,616 shares of the bank’s stock worth $95,684,000 after purchasing an additional 63,432 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in Bank Of Montreal by 17.3% during the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 7,260,160 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $949,441,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,546 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JCIC Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Bank Of Montreal during the third quarter worth approximately $7,939,000. Institutional investors own 45.82% of the company’s stock.

Bank Of Montreal Stock Down 2.0%

BMO stock opened at $133.85 on Friday. Bank Of Montreal has a 52-week low of $85.40 and a 52-week high of $149.01. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $140.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $131.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.55, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.92.

Bank Of Montreal (NYSE:BMO) (TSE:BMO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The bank reported $2.51 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.35 by $0.16. Bank Of Montreal had a net margin of 11.76% and a return on equity of 12.16%. The firm had revenue of $7.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.73 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.04 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Bank Of Montreal will post 7.71 EPS for the current year.

Bank Of Montreal Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be issued a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. Bank Of Montreal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 56.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on BMO shares. Scotiabank restated a “sector perform” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Friday, January 9th. National Bank Financial reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Bank Of Montreal from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Bank Of Montreal in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, TD Securities raised Bank Of Montreal from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bank Of Montreal has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.00.

Bank Of Montreal Company Profile

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO), commonly known as BMO Financial Group, is one of Canada’s largest and longest-established banks. Founded in Montreal and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, the bank provides a broad range of financial services to retail, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. BMO is publicly listed in both Canada and the United States and operates under a consolidated financial services model that integrates banking, capital markets, wealth management and asset management activities.

BMO’s core businesses include personal and commercial banking—offering checking and savings accounts, lending, mortgages, and small-business services—alongside wealth management and private banking through its asset and investment management divisions.