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Take your Stock Picks to the Next Level

All investors want the same thing - to maximize returns and minimize losses. One of the ways you can potentially increase your portfolio returns is to invest based upon model portfolios (accessed through BMO InvestorLine), from Standard & Poor's ("S&P") experienced industry professionals.

The Standard & Poor's Top Performing Model Portfolios are a great industry resource. These are model portfolios comprised of specific stocks that are selected by Standard & Poor's experienced industry professionals.

S&P Top Ten Portfolio is composed of stocks believed by Standard & Poor's Equity Research Group to be well poised for risk-adjusted total return prospects over the coming 12 months. Stocks must have a five-STARS ranking to be included in this model portfolio concept but can remain in the model portfolio if the ranking drops to four STARS. If a stock's ranking falls below four STARS, it will be removed. In addition, any stock in the model portfolio may be replaced with a five-STARS stock at any time.

S&P PowerPicks represents some of the collective "best ideas" of Standard & Poor's U.S. equity research analysts. Contributing equity analysts believe their selections to be positioned for superior total return in 2008.

The S&P PowerPicks model portfolio is diversified across all 10 of the economic sectors comprising the S&P 500 Index. The model portfolio is "frozen" for the year, meaning that once announced, Standard & Poor's will make no changes to it. However, corporate actions could result in changes. The objective of the model portfolio is to exceed the total return (capital appreciation plus dividend paid) of the S&P 500 Index

S&P Platinum* combines the top-ranked stocks from Standard & Poor's STock Appreciation Ranking System (STARS®) and Standard & Poor's proprietary Fair Value quantitative ranking system. Once a stock enters the Platinum Portfolio, it remains as long as it maintains a ranking of 5 in either the Fair Value or STARS systems. Stocks that fail to maintain a 5 in either system are dropped.

The Trader's Fair Value Portfolio* is restricted to stocks in Standard & Poor's Fair Value portfolio. It aims to improve on the performance of that model portfolio by reducing the number of stocks that an investor must own, and by introducing technical and/or neural indicators based exclusively on price performance which supplement the fundamental and quantitative analysis that produce the Fair Value Portfolio.

The Trader's Platinum Portfolio* is restricted to stocks in Standard & Poor's Platinum portfolio. It aims to improve on the performance of that model portfolio by reducing the number of stocks that an investor must own, and by introducing technical and/or neural indicators based exclusively on price performance which supplement the fundamental and quantitative analysis that produce the Platinum Portfolio.

When the indicators read positive on a stock, it becomes a candidate for inclusion in the Trader's Platinum Portfolio. Final determinations are made by Andre Archambault, developer of Standard & Poor's Platinum quantitative model. Companies are deleted if they drop out of the Platinum Portfolio or if technical indicators turn negative.

S&P Neural Fair Value 25 Model Portfolio* is composed of 25 stocks from the Neural Fair Value Universe considered to have above average price appreciation potential over the next six months.

The Fair Value Portfolio* is composed of those stocks whose Fair Value ranks, combined with Earnings Surprise and Timing index classifications, imply above-market returns over the next six to twelve months.

Standard & Poor's proprietary Fair Value quantitative model needs a week's worth of pricing, volume, and other data to be able to run. The Fair Value rank calculates a stock's weekly Fair Value - the price at which a stock should theoretically trade at current market levels based on fundamental data such as corporate earnings and growth potential, price-to-book value, return on equity, and current yield relative to the S&P 500.

Five STARS (STock Appreciation Ranking System) Under S&P's proprietary STock Appreciation Ranking System (STARS), Standard & Poor's analysts rank stocks according to their individual forecast of a stock's future total return potential versus the expected performance of a relevant benchmark, based on a 12-month time horizon. U.S. Five STARS stocks are ranked a "strong buy." Total return is expected to outperform the total return of the S&P 500 Index by a wide margin over the coming 12 months, with shares rising in price on an absolute basis.

With BMO InvestorLine, we offer our clients the opportunity to use Standard & Poor's model portfolios as a resource. Visit our website today to learn more.

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*The model portfolio can experience high turnover and makes no effort to give any weight or representation to all industry sectors. It often excludes whole sectors and shifts weight from one sector to another and should not be seen as a complete investment program.

Disclaimer

The foregoing article is prepared as a general source of information. BMO InvestorLine disclaims any liability for any loss that may result from the reliance by any person upon the data, information and opinions contained therein. The information, opinions, estimates, projections and other materials contained herein are not to be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation for or an offer to buy, any products or services referenced herein (including, without limitation, any commodities, securities or other financial instruments), nor shall such information, opinions, estimates, projections and other materials be considered as investment advice or as a recommendation to enter into any transaction. The information is not intended to provide legal, investment, accounting or tax advise, and should not be relied upon in that regard.

BMO InvestorLine is a member of BMO Financial Group.

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