Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO, BMO) was last seen up 4.9% in New York premarket trading Wednesday as it increased its dividend while reporting an adjusted earnings beat for the second-quarter, reflecting increased earnings in most of its operating segments, while the bank said provision for credit losses was lower.
For Q2, BMO reported adjusted EPS of $3.67, an increase of 40% from $2.62. FactSet estimated EPS to reach $3.45. It had adjusted net income of $2,733 million, an increase of 34% from $2,046 million.
The bank reported net income of $2,630 million, an annual increase of 34% from $1,962 million in the same period last year.
BMO had revenues of $9,567 million compared to $8,679 million. FactSet had forecast $9,485.7 million.
Among other highlights, it had total provisions for credit losses (PCL) of $739 million, compared with $1,054 million. The PCL on impaired loans was $734 million, a decrease of $31 million, primarily due to lower provisions in capital markets and the U.S. banking. While the PCL on performing loans was $5 million, compared with $289 million in the prior year.
"The performing provision in the current quarter was primarily driven by the net impact of model changes, largely offset by portfolio credit migration and lower portfolio balances, while the prior year reflected changes in the macroeconomic environment," the bank said.
BMO reported return on equity (ROE) of 13%, compared with 9.4%, and adjusted ROE of 13.5%, compared with 9.8%.
The bank also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.71 per common share, an increase of $0.08 or 5% from the prior year and $0.04 or 2% from the prior quarter.
"Our second quarter results continued to demonstrate meaningful progress and momentum against these commitments. We once again strengthened ROE and delivered strong EPS growth, driven by robust fee revenue across Capital Markets, Wealth Management and Treasury and Payments. We delivered solid sequential commercial banking loan growth in both Canada and the United States, reflecting improving client activity and the strength of our bankers. These outcomes are driven by our focus on deepening client relationships, innovating to drive business value, and optimizing performance," said Darryl White, CEO of BMO Financial Group.
"Our value-driven approach to human- and AI-powered client experiences is delivering tangible benefits. To continue to advance our innovation strategy, we recently established the BMO Institute for Applied Artificial Intelligence & Quantum, dedicated to the responsible application, governance and oversight of AI at scale, and support our clients as they integrate AI into their companies and households. Disciplined investment, capital and risk management continue to strengthen our earnings quality, creating sustainable long-term value for our shareholders," added White.
Shares of the bank were last up US$7.96 at US$169.80 on the NYSE on Thursday. They closed down C$0.89 at C$233.64 in Toronto on Tuesday.