BMO Segregated Funds Monthly Update - February 14, 2022 - Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello,

Please find in this Valentine’s edition of the BMO Segregated Funds Monthly update:

• Review of This Week in the Markets from BMO GAM
• BMO GIF Performance Summary – January 31st, 2022
• Are your clients concerned about the market volatility?  Check out these two pagers to help with your conversations: Market Corrections are not uncommon & Missing Best Days – attached!
• Do you have nervous, GIC clients?  Consider our BMO GIF 100/100 option with capital protection and the ability to lock in gains on a monthly basis!  See attached! 

Please find the latest version of This Week in the Markets

• The S&P 500 Index lost 1.8% as what was poised to be a strong week turned sour when new inflation data was released. January CPI grew 7.5% YoY, the highest level since February 1982, prompting St Louis. Fed President James Bullard to proclaim that he was supportive of a full point hike by July. Markets quickly moved to price in an accelerated hike schedule, as growth stocks were punished with Communications and Information Technology among the worst sectors.
• The S&P/TSX Index rose 1.3%, once again lifted by its key sectors as Energy and Financials stocks responded well. WTI crude prices built on last week’s surge with a more modest 0.9% advance, while bank stocks continued to strengthen amid the prospects of higher rates. The Materials sector also advanced as investors turned to precious metals as an inflation hedge, boosting the stock prices of miners.
• Global equities generally fared well. Europe’s STOXX 600 added 1.6%, Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.9% while China’s CSI 300 Index gained 0.8%