Bank of Montreal News

Bank of Montreal , the first Canadian bank to report fourth-quarter results, said profit rose 16 percent to its highest in more than two years on increased business lending and lower provisions for bad loans.

Police are looking for a female suspect in connection with a robbery at a Bank of Montreal branch in the 300 block of Portage Avenue yesterday afternoon.

Some of the most active companies traded Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange : Manulife Financial Corp.

North American stock markets got off to a weak start Tuesday after data showed weaker than expected economic growth in the U.S. during the third quarter.

The first of Canada's big banks to report fourth quarter numbers, Bank of Montreal rode an upswing in retail banking and strong capital markets performance to better-than-expected results.

The deal gives BMO exclusive rights to issue Diners Club cards to corporate and professional clients in the U.S. and Canada.

Bank of Montreal said Tuesday its latest quarterly profit rose 16 per cent from the year-earlier level as revenues increased, provisions for loan losses were reduced and its Canadian operations showed strong profit growth.

A first-of-its-kind voluntary emissions reduction fund for large Canadian corporations is getting off the ground after securing Bank of Montreal and Toronto-Dominion Bank as initial investors.

Manulife Financial Corp. is expanding its Chinese operations with a deal to buy Fortis Bank's 49 per cent interest in China-based ABN AMRO TEDA Fund Management Co.

Canadaa s biggest banks may report their first profit increase in two years on record equity sales and rising trading revenue as shares of the companies trade at the highest levels since 2007.

Canadaa s biggest banks are expected to report a relatively strong finish to the financial year when they start reporting fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, but their capital markets divisions could leave investors jittery about the future.

The Toronto stock market is entering the last full week of November trading amid another wave of worry about the strength of an economic rebound, while investors will get a look at the health of the big Canadian banks.

LACOMBEa ' BMO Bank of Montreal employee Tim Goode will head the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce beginning in the new year.

Banks to cut mortgage rates Several of Canadaa s big banks said Wednesday they would cut their posted rates for fixed-rate mortgages by up to 0.25 percentage points.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is proposing a voluntary code of conduct for credit- and debit-card companies that he says will "level the playing field" for consumers and small businesses alike.

The Canadian housing market has seen a stronger and faster rebound from the recession than any other segment of the economy, due in large part to enticingly low mortgage rates.

The parking lot in front of The Keg steakhouse and the Bank of Montreal, located in a plaza on the northwest corner of Salem and Kingston Rds.

The Royal Bank cut its rates for one, two and three-year closed mortgages by 0.20 percentage points, effective Thursday.

Bank of Montreal has hired a team of seven bankers to lead acquisition and divestiture services, Bloomberg reports.

The investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial Group said Monday it has signed a deal with Paloma Securities to acquire the company's global securities lending business.