Bank of Montreal Posts 37% Rise In Q3 Profit, Lifts Dividend

Bank of Montreal

reported a 37% rise in its third-quarter profit and lifted its quarterly dividend. BMO's quarterly earnings surged to C$970 million ($979.95 million), or C$1.42 per share, from C$708 million, or C$1.09 per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding items, BMO earned C$1.49 per share, beating analysts' estimates of C$1.39 per share. BMO also lifted its quarterly dividend by 2 Canadian cents per share to 72 Canadian cents per share. BMO shares gained 0.05% to close at $58.21 yesterday.