HispanicBusiness

Our first quarter 2013 regulatory capital, risk-weighted assets and regulatory capital ratios have been calculated pursuant to the Capital Adequacy Requirement (CAR) Guideline released by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) in December 2012 to implement the Basel III Accord in Canada. When calculating the pro-forma impact of Basel III on our regulatory capital, risk-weighted assets (including Counterparty Credit Risk and Market Risk) and regulatory capital ratios in prior periods, we assumed that our interpretation of OSFI's draft implementation guideline of rules and amendments announced by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), and our models used to assess those requirements, were consistent with the final requirements that would be promulgated by OSFI. We also assumed that the proposed changes affecting capital deductions, risk-weighted assets, the regulatory capital treatment for non-common share capital instruments (i.e. grandfathered capital instruments) and the minimum regulatory capital ratios would be adopted by OSFI as proposed by BCBS, unless OSFI had expressly advised otherwise. We also assumed that existing capital instruments that are non-Basel III compliant but are Basel II compliant can be fully included in the relevant pro-forma calculations. We have not recalculated our pro-forma Basel III regulatory capital, risk-weighted assets or capital ratios based on the CAR Guideline and references to Basel III pro-forma items referred to these items as previously estimated. In setting out the expectation that we will be able to refinance certain capital instruments in the future, as and when necessary to meet regulatory capital requirements, we have assumed that factors beyond our control, including the state of the economic and capital markets environment, will not impair our ability to do so.

Assumptions about the level of asset sales, expected asset sale prices, net funding cost, credit quality, risk of default and losses on default of the underlying assets of the structured investment vehicle were material factors we considered when establishing our expectations regarding the structured investment vehicle discussed in this interim MD&A, including the adequacy of first-loss protection. Key assumptions included that assets will continue to be sold with a view to reducing the size of the structured investment vehicle, under various asset price scenarios, and that the level of default and losses will be consistent with the credit quality of the underlying assets and our current expectations regarding continuing difficult market conditions.

Assumptions about the level of default and losses on default were material factors we considered when establishing our expectations regarding the future performance of the transactions into which our credit protection vehicle has entered. Among the key assumptions were that the level of default and losses on default will be consistent with historical experience. Material factors that were taken into account when establishing our expectations regarding the future risk of credit losses in our credit protection vehicle and risk of loss to BMO included industry diversification in the portfolio, initial credit quality by portfolio, the first-loss protection incorporated into the structure and the hedges into which BMO has entered.

Assumptions about the performance of the Canadian and U.S. economies, as well as overall market conditions and their combined effect on our business, are material factors we consider when determining our strategic priorities, objectives and expectations for our business. In determining our expectations for economic growth, both broadly and in the financial services sector, we primarily consider historical economic data provided by the Canadian and U.S. governments and their agencies. See the Economic Outlook and Review section of this interim MD&A.