BMO ETFs: Views from the Desk

Most equity strategies focus on finding winners—but what if you could also benefit when certain stocks decline? In this episode, hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler are joined by Sachal Mahajan and Yasser El Boudi, who pull back the curtain on long-short strategies: how they work, and how they’ve held up through some of the biggest market drawdowns of the past three years. Zayla Saunders, Vice P...

When one sector dominates the market, diversification isn’t as simple as owning the index—so how do you build a more balanced portfolio? In this episode, special guest Nick Koutsoftas joins host Zayla Saunders to break down how sector ETFs work, how they can be used to reduce concentration risk, and which sectors stand out as the most undervalued opportunities in today’s market. Zayla Saunders is...

From sticky inflation and rising bond yields to growing questions around AI, the macro backdrop is getting more complex. In this episode, special guest Bipan Rai joins host Zayla Saunders to unpack his Q4 portfolio strategy and what it means to stay invested—and protected—this quarter. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Bipan Ra...

Investing has never been more accessible, yet money anxiety keeps growing. Hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler talk with Rob Carrick about how Canadians’ attitudes toward money have changed, the rise of ETFs, rising bond yields and mortgage rates, and what keeps his readers up at night. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly...

High inflation continues to weigh on Canadian portfolios. In this encore episode, Brock Smusiak joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to discuss how ETFs across commodities, gold and inflation-linked bonds can help investors build resilience beyond traditional diversification. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutle...

Tech is leading the market—but what if the biggest opportunity is the sector nobody’s talking about? In this episode, host Zayla Saunders and special guest Jeff Elliott unpack why Healthcare could be one of the most undervalued opportunities in today’s market, how it can complement an AI-heavy portfolio, and what names and subsectors deserve a closer look right now.  Zayla Saunders is Vice Preside...

What did markets earn over the summer—and what does the back-to-school season mean for investors? In this episode, host Hilly Cutler sits down with Matt Montemurro to assess how equities, bonds, and commodities performed over the past few months, where ETF flows are heading, and what key themes—from Fed rate decisions to the AI trade and upcoming mega IPOs—could shape the final quarter of 2026. Hi...

In this encore episode, Darim Abdullah joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to examine the differences in U.S. equity exposure—from the concentration risks of market-cap-weighted indices to how equal weighting can broaden a portfolio’s return drivers and reduce reliance on a handful of mega-cap names.   Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Manageme...

From chasing last year’s winners to sitting in cash too long, small decisions can work against long-term results. Zayla Saunders, Hilly Cutler and Erika Toth break down common ETF investing mistakes and practical ways to avoid them. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM). She is joined by Erika Toth, Director and Head of ETF and Portfol...

What’s the difference between yield and distribution rate—and why does it matter? In this episode, hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler sit down with Kiran Navaratnam to unpack how covered call strategies generate yield, how that yield differs from what a fund actually distributes, and why total return can provide a more complete picture than headline numbers alone. Zayla Saunders is Vice Preside...

Canadian investors are increasingly turning to passive investing as their portfolio foundation of choice. In this episode, special guest Erin Allen and host Zayla Saunders dig into why this trend continues to gain ground, from the evolving DIY investing landscape and the rise of hybrid advice models to the increasing pull of social media on next-gen investors. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of E...

Two ETFs can track the same asset class and still deliver very different results. In this episode, hosts Hilly Cutler and Zayla Saunders unpack how major indices—from the S&P 500 and Russell to MSCI and FTSE—are actually constructed, the different methodologies at play, and how they shape portfolio construction, from large-cap overlap to overlooked emerging market exposure. Zayla Saunders is V...

When it comes to accessing international equity, Canadian investors have options. In this episode, special guest Stephanie Ng joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to unpack Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs)—what they are, how they work, and why they’re a uniquely Canadian approach to global investing. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Manageme...

Behind every ETF trade is a market structure that most investors never see. In this episode, special guest Roy Dimitrov takes hosts Hilly Cutler and Zayla Saunders into the engine room to explain what market makers really do, bust some of the biggest myths around ETF trading, and unpack why active ETFs may be the industry's next big growth story. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online...

With headlines flying and AI valuations under the microscope, how do you know what actually matters for your portfolio? In this episode, special guest Sadiq Adatia joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to share the framework his team uses to separate short-term noise from real shifts—and where he's finding opportunity as markets weigh strong earnings against growing uncertainty. Zayla Sa...

What if you could get the broad exposure of an index ETF, with a little extra 'alpha' potential built in? In this episode, special guest Roxane Lapenna joins host Hilly Cutler to unpack the new BMO Market+ ETF suite and the disciplined, rules-based approach behind it — and why this hybrid strategy may be especially timely as fee scrutiny reshapes the investment landscape. Hilly Cutler is D...

From record ETF inflows to a broadening AI story reshaping global equity markets, the investment landscape continues to evolve. In this episode, special guest Bipan Rai joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to unpack his quarterly portfolio strategy, and what it all means for investor positioning as Q3 gets underway. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global A...

AI is driving the market, but is it still in the early innings, or has the rally already run too far? In this episode, special guest Jeremy Yeung joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to break this down, including why the AI supply chain may present a more compelling opportunity than the hyperscalers, and what it takes to stay ahead in one of the fastest-moving sectors in the market today. Z...

Inflation remains an important consideration in portfolio construction, particularly as diversification within traditional financial assets can be less reliable across market environments. In this episode, special guest Brock Smusiak joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to discuss how ETFs across commodities, gold and inflation-linked bonds can help address portfolio risks within that broad...

When it comes to accessing international equity, Canadian investors have options. In this episode, special guest Stephanie Ng joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to unpack Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs)—what they are, how they work, and why they're a uniquely Canadian approach to global investing. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Mana...

Oil is high, volatility is low, and the Canadian dollar isn't behaving the way investors might expect. Bipan Rai welcomes Shaun Osborne, Chief Currency Strategist at Scotiabank, to discuss the forces driving USD/CAD, the outlook for global currencies, and why the next big move in foreign exchange may be hiding in plain sight. This podcast was recorded on June 8, 2026. Show link (Spotify): ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

From Nasdaq and FTSE Russell to MSCI, the rules governing index inclusion are being rewritten in real time. In this episode, Matt Montemurro joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to unpack where the guardrails are bending, what SpaceX’s landmark IPO means for passive investors—and why the index you own may determine the exposure you get. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distrib...

In this episode, Darim Abdullah joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to unpack why not all US equity exposure is created equal—from the mechanics of concentration risk in market cap weighted indices, to how equal weighting canbroaden a portfolio’s return drivers and reduce reliance on a handful of mega cap names. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asse...

Why are pensions, insurers and family offices increasingly turning to ETFs—not just tactically, but at the core of portfolio construction? Bipan Rai sits down with Daniel Stanley, head of institutional sales and services at BMO Global Asset Management, to discuss liquidity, “portable alpha”, fixed income ETFs and how institutions are revising the active-versus-passive debate. This podcast was reco...

In this episode, host Zayla Saunders and guest Sheldon Quan King from MSCI Canada explore why index choice is itself an investment decision—from how index construction methodology shapes investor outcomes, to the case for international small and mid cap equities, and the growing role of equal weight strategies in reducing concentration risk. Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribut...