TODAY-Looking Back and Forward: BMO Experts Review 2012 and Offer Predictions for 2013

TORONTO, ONTARIO and NEW YORK, NEW YORK--(Marketwire - Dec. 20, 2012) - With 2012 drawing to a close, we can look back on a year that featured dislocation in Europe, continued low interest rates in Canada, and a mounting "fiscal cliff" crisis in the United States threatening a tenuous recovery.

BMO will be hosting a year-end panel, featuring BMO experts from Canada and the U.S., to review the key issues of 2012 and make predictions about the economy and markets for the coming year and beyond.

The panellists will address the following:

Brian Belski, Chief Investment Strategist, BMO Capital Markets

• Where are North American equity markets headed next year?
• Sector watch - what's hot, what's not?
• Where is the smart money going in this low interest rate climate?

Douglas Porter, Deputy Chief Economist, BMO Capital Markets:

• The U.S. economy grew faster than Canada's in 2012 - will this trend continue?
• What will 2013 have in store for the U.S. and Canadian housing markets?
• Will China rebound next year? What about other emerging markets?
• North American interest rates - status quo or on the rise?

Paul Taylor, Chief Investment Officer, Fundamental Equities, BMO Asset Management

• What does the year ahead have in store for Euroland?
• How should investors be positioning their portfolios in 2013?
• The bond market - will it continue to be a safe harbour in volatile times?