Registration Statement No. 333-196387

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)

 

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The notes are designed for investors who seek a fixed positive return equal to the Digital Return (as defined below) if there is any appreciation in the price of the PowerShares S&P 500® Low Volatility ETF (the “Underlying Asset”).  Investors should be willing to forgo periodic interest, and if the price of the Underlying Asset decreases by more than 10%, be willing to lose 1% of their principal amount for each 1% that the price of the Underlying Asset decreases.

 

·	Investors in the notes may lose up to 100% of their principal amount at maturity.

 

·	The Digital Return is 7.50%. Accordingly, the maximum amount payable on the notes will be $1,075 for each $1,000 in principal amount.

 

·	Any payment at maturity is subject to the credit risk of Bank of Montreal.

 

·	The notes will not bear interest. The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.

 

·	The notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.

 

·	The offering priced on October 26, 2016, and the notes will settle through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company on October 31, 2016.

 

·	The notes are scheduled to mature on November 30, 2017.

 

·	The CUSIP number of the notes is 06367TLS7.

 

·	Our subsidiary, BMO Capital Markets Corp. (“BMOCM”), is the agent for this offering.  See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” below.

 

 

BMO CAPITAL MARKETS

 

 

Additional Terms of the Notes

 

You should read this pricing supplement together with the product supplement dated October 1, 2015, the prospectus supplement dated June 27, 2014 and the prospectus dated June 27, 2014.  This pricing supplement, together with the documents listed below, contains the terms of the notes and supersedes all other prior or contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials including preliminary or indicative pricing terms, correspondence, trade ideas, structures for implementation, sample structures, fact sheets, brochures or other educational materials of ours or the agent. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in “Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes” in the product supplement, as the notes involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisers before you invest in the notes.

 

You may access these documents on the SEC website at www.sec.gov as follows (or if such address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC website):

 

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Product supplement dated October 1, 2015: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000121465915006903/c101151424b5.htm

 

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Prospectus supplement dated June 27, 2014: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000119312514254915/d750935d424b5.htm

 

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Prospectus dated June 27, 2014: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000119312514254905/d749601d424b2.htm

 

Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC website is 927971.  As used in this pricing supplement, “we,” “us” or “our” refers to Bank of Montreal.

 

 

Selected Risk Considerations

 

An investment in the notes involves significant risks. Investing in the notes is not equivalent to investing directly in the Underlying Asset.  These risks are explained in more detail in the “Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes” section of the product supplement.

 

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Your investment in the notes may result in a loss. — You may lose some or all of your investment in the notes. The payment at maturity will be based on the Final Level, and whether the Final Level of the Underlying Asset on the Valuation Date has declined from the Initial Level to a price that is less than the Barrier Level.  If the Final Level is less than the Barrier Level, you will lose 1% of the principal amount of your notes for each 1% that the Final Level is less than the Initial Level. Accordingly, you could lose up to 100% of the principal amount of the notes.

 

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Your return on the notes is limited to the Digital Return, regardless of any appreciation in the price of the Underlying Asset. — The return on your notes will not be greater than the Digital Return. This will be the case even if the Percentage Change exceeds the Digital Return.

 

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Your investment is subject to the credit risk of Bank of Montreal. — Our credit ratings and credit spreads may adversely affect the market value of the notes. Investors are dependent on our ability to pay the amount due at maturity, and therefore investors are subject to our credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of our creditworthiness. Any decline in our credit ratings or increase in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking our credit risk is likely to adversely affect the value of the notes.

 

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Potential conflicts. — We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the notes, including acting as calculation agent. In performing these duties, the economic interests of the calculation agent and other affiliates of ours are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the notes. We or one or more of our affiliates may also engage in trading of shares of the Underlying Asset or the securities held by the Underlying Asset on a regular basis as part of our general broker-dealer and other businesses, for proprietary accounts, for other accounts under management or to facilitate transactions for our customers. Any of these activities could adversely affect the price of the Underlying Asset and, therefore, the market value of the notes. We or one or more of our affiliates may also issue or underwrite other securities or financial or derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the performance of the Underlying Asset. By introducing competing products into the marketplace in this manner, we or one or more of our affiliates could adversely affect the market value of the notes.

 

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Our initial estimated value of the notes is lower than the price to public. — Our initial estimated value of the notes is only an estimate, and is based on a number of factors.  The price to public of the notes exceeds our initial estimated value, because costs associated with offering, structuring and hedging the notes are included in the price to public, but are not included in the estimated value.  These costs include the underwriting discount and selling concessions, the profits that we and our affiliates expect to realize for assuming the risks in hedging our obligations under the notes and the estimated cost of hedging these obligations.

 

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Our initial estimated value does not represent any future value of the notes, and may also differ from the estimated value of any other party. — Our initial estimated value of the notes as of the date of this pricing supplement is derived using our internal pricing models.  This value is based on market conditions and other relevant factors, which include volatility of the Underlying Asset, dividend rates and interest rates.  Different pricing models and assumptions could provide values for the notes that are greater than or less than our initial estimated value.  In addition, market conditions and other relevant factors after the pricing date are expected to change, possibly rapidly, and our assumptions may prove to be incorrect.  After the pricing date, the value of the notes could change dramatically due to changes in market conditions, our creditworthiness, and the other factors set forth in this pricing supplement and the product supplement.  These changes are likely to impact the price, if any, at which we or BMOCM would be willing to purchase the notes from you in any secondary market transactions.  Our initial estimated value does not represent a minimum price at which we or our affiliates would be willing to buy your notes in any secondary market at any time.

 

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The terms of the notes were not determined by reference to the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. — To determine the terms of the notes, we used an internal funding rate that represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt.  As a result, the terms of the notes are less favorable to you than if we had used a higher funding rate.

 

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Certain costs are likely to adversely affect the value of the notes. — Absent any changes in market conditions, any secondary market prices of the notes will likely be lower than the price to public.  This is because any secondary market prices will likely take into account our then-current market credit spreads, and because any secondary market prices are likely to exclude all or a portion of the agent’s commission and the hedging profits and estimated hedging costs that are included in the price to public of the notes and that may be reflected on your account statements.  In addition, any such price is also likely to reflect a discount to account for costs associated with establishing or unwinding any related hedge transaction, such as dealer discounts, mark-ups and other transaction costs.  As a result, the price, if any, at which BMOCM or any other party may be willing to purchase the notes from you in secondary market transactions, if at all, will likely be lower than the price to public.  Any sale that you make prior to the maturity date could result in a substantial loss to you.

 

 

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Owning the notes is not the same as owning shares of the Underlying Asset or a security directly linked to the Underlying Asset. — The return on your notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned shares of the Underlying Asset or a security directly linked to the performance of the Underlying Asset and held that investment for a similar period.  Your notes may trade quite differently from the Underlying Asset.  Changes in the price of the Underlying Asset may not result in comparable changes in the market value of your notes.  Even if the price of the Underlying Asset increases during the term of the notes, the market value of the notes prior to maturity may not increase to the same extent.  It is also possible for the market value of the notes to decrease while the price of the Underlying Asset increases. In addition, any dividends or other distributions paid on the Underlying Asset will not be reflected in the amount payable on the notes. The return on the notes may be less than the return on an investment in the Underlying Asset.

 

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You will not have any shareholder rights and will have no right to receive any shares of any company included in the Underlying Asset at maturity. — Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any shares of any company included in the Underlying Asset.  Neither you nor any other holder or owner of the notes will have any voting rights, any right to receive dividends or other distributions, or any other rights with respect to those securities.

 

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Changes that affect the Underlying Index will affect the market value of the notes and the amount you will receive at maturity. — The policies of the S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (the “Index Sponsor”), the sponsor of the S&P 500® Low Volatility  Index (the “Underlying Index”), concerning the calculation of the Underlying Index, additions, deletions or substitutions of the components of the Underlying Index and the manner in which changes affecting those components, such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers, may be reflected in the Underlying Index and, therefore, could affect the share price of the Underlying Asset, the amount payable on the notes at maturity, and the market value of the notes prior to maturity. The amount payable on the notes and their market value could also be affected if the Index Sponsor changes these policies, for example, by changing the manner in which it calculates the Underlying Index, or if the Index Sponsor discontinues or suspends the calculation or publication of the Underlying Index.

 

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We have no affiliation with the Index Sponsor and will not be responsible for any actions taken by the Index Sponsor. — The Index Sponsor is not an affiliate of ours and will not be involved in the offering of the notes in any way. Consequently, we have no control over the actions of the Index Sponsor, including any actions of the type that would require the calculation agent to adjust the payment to you at maturity.  The Index Sponsor has no obligation of any sort with respect to the notes. Thus, the Index Sponsor has no obligation to take your interests into consideration for any reason, including in taking any actions that might affect the value of the notes. None of our proceeds from the issuance of the notes will be delivered to the Index Sponsor.

 

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The Underlying Asset and the Underlying Index have limited actual historical information. — The Underlying Asset was created in May 2011 and the Underlying Index was created in April 2011.  Because both the Underlying Asset and the Underlying Index are of recent origin and limited actual historical performance data exists with respect to them, your investment in the securities may involve a greater risk than investing in securities linked to an ETF with a more established record of performance.  Past performance of the Underlying Asset and Underlying Index are not indicative of future results.

 

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A low volatility index may be volatile. — While the Underlying Index has been designed in part to mitigate the effects of volatility, there is no assurance that it will be successful in doing so. It is also possible that the features of the Underlying Index designed to address the effects of volatility will instead adversely affect the return of the Underlying Asset and, consequently, the return on the notes.

 

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We and our affiliates do not have any affiliation with the investment advisor of the Underlying Asset and are not responsible for its public disclosure of information. — The investment advisor of the Underlying Asset advises the Underlying Asset on various matters including matters relating to the policies, maintenance and calculation of the Underlying Asset. We and our affiliates are not affiliated with the investment advisor in any way and have no ability to control or predict its actions, including any errors in or discontinuance of disclosure regarding its methods or policies relating to the Underlying Asset. The investment advisor is not involved in the offering of the notes in any way and has no obligation to consider your interests as an owner of the notes in taking any actions relating to the Underlying Asset that might affect the value of the notes.  Neither we nor any of our affiliates has independently verified the adequacy or accuracy of the information about the investment advisor or the Underlying Asset contained in any public disclosure of information. You, as an investor in the notes, should make your own investigation into the Underlying Asset.

 

 

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The correlation between the performance of the Underlying Asset and the performance of the Underlying Index may be imperfect. — The performance of the Underlying Asset is linked principally to the performance of the Underlying Index. However, because of the potential discrepancies identified in more detail in the product supplement, the return on the Underlying Asset may correlate imperfectly with the return on the Underlying Index.

 

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The Underlying Asset is subject to management risks. — The Underlying Asset is subject to management risk, which is the risk that the investment advisor’s investment strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. For example, the investment advisor may invest a portion of the Underlying Asset’s assets in securities not included in the relevant industry or sector but which the investment advisor believes will help the Underlying Asset track the relevant industry or sector.

 

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Lack of liquidity. — The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.  BMOCM may offer to purchase the notes in the secondary market, but is not required to do so. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the notes easily. Because other dealers are not likely to make a secondary market for the notes, the price at which you may be able to trade the notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which BMOCM is willing to buy the notes.

 

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Hedging and trading activities.  — We or any of our affiliates may have carried out or may carry out hedging activities related to the notes, including purchasing or selling shares of the Underlying Asset or securities held by the Underlying Asset, or futures or options relating to the Underlying Asset, or other derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the performance of the Underlying Asset.  We or our affiliates may also engage in trading of shares of the Underlying Asset or securities held by the Underlying Asset from time to time. Any of these hedging or trading activities on or prior to the pricing date and during the term of the notes could adversely affect our payment to you at maturity.

 

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Many economic and market factors will influence the value of the notes. — In addition to the price of the Underlying Asset and interest rates on any trading day, the value of the notes will be affected by a number of economic and market factors that may either offset or magnify each other, and which are described in more detail in the product supplement.

 

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You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment linked to the Underlying Asset. —   In the ordinary course of their businesses, our affiliates from time to time may express views on expected movements in the price of the Underlying Asset or the prices of the securities held by the Underlying Asset.  One or more of our affiliates have published, and in the future may publish, research reports that express views on the Underlying Asset or these securities.  However, these views are subject to change from time to time.  Moreover, other professionals who deal in the markets relating to the Underlying Asset at any time may have significantly different views from those of our affiliates.  You are encouraged to derive information concerning the Underlying Asset from multiple sources, and you should not rely on the views expressed by our affiliates.

 

Neither the offering of the notes nor any views which our affiliates from time to time may express in the ordinary course of their businesses constitutes a recommendation as to the merits of an investment in the notes.

 

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Significant aspects of the tax treatment of the notes are uncertain. — The tax treatment of the notes is uncertain.  We do not plan to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or from any Canadian authorities regarding the tax treatment of the notes, and the Internal Revenue Service or a court may not agree with the tax treatment described in this pricing supplement.

 

The Internal Revenue Service has issued a notice indicating that it and the Treasury Department are actively considering whether, among other issues, a holder should be required to accrue interest over the term of an instrument such as the notes even though that holder will not receive any payments with respect to the notes until maturity and whether all or part of the gain a holder may recognize upon sale or maturity of an instrument such as the notes could be treated as ordinary income. The outcome of this process is uncertain and could apply on a retroactive basis.

 

Please read carefully the section entitled “U.S. Federal Tax Information” in this pricing supplement, the section entitled “Supplemental Tax Considerations—Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying product supplement, the section “United States Federal Income Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus and the section entitled “Certain Income Tax Consequences” in the accompanying prospectus supplement.  You should consult your tax advisor about your own tax situation.

 

 

Hypothetical Return on the Notes at Maturity

 

The following table and examples illustrate the hypothetical return at maturity on a $1,000 investment in the notes.  The “return,” as used in this section is the number, expressed as a percentage, which results from comparing the payment at maturity per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes to $1,000.  The hypothetical total returns set forth below are based on a hypothetical Initial Level of $100, the Barrier Percentage of -10% (the Barrier Level is 90% of the hypothetical Initial Level) and the Digital Return of 7.50%.  The hypothetical returns set forth below are for illustrative purposes only and may not be the actual returns applicable to investors in the notes.  The numbers appearing in the following table and in the examples below have been rounded for ease of analysis.

 

 

Hypothetical Examples of Amounts Payable at Maturity

 

The following examples illustrate how the returns set forth in the table above are calculated.

 

Example 1: The price of the Underlying Asset decreases from the hypothetical Initial Level of $100 to a hypothetical Final Level of $40, representing a Percentage Change of -60%.  Because the Percentage Change is negative and the hypothetical Final Level is less than the hypothetical Initial Level by more than the Barrier Percentage of -10%, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $400 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, calculated as follows:

 

$1,000 + ($1,000 x -60%) = $400

 

Example 2: The price of the Underlying Asset decreases from the hypothetical Initial Level of $100 to a hypothetical Final Level of $95, representing a Percentage Change of -5%.  Although the Percentage Change is negative, because the hypothetical Final Level is less than the hypothetical Initial Level by not more than 10%, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,000 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes.

 

Example 3: The price of the Underlying Asset increases from the hypothetical Initial Level of $100 to a hypothetical Final Level of $105, representing a Percentage Change of 5%. Because the hypothetical Final Level is greater than the hypothetical Initial Level, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,075 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, representing the Digital Return.

 

Example 4: The price of the Underlying Asset increases from the hypothetical Initial Level of $100 to a hypothetical Final Level of $150, representing a Percentage Change of 50%. Because the hypothetical Final Level is greater than the hypothetical Initial Level, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,075 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, representing the Digital Return. However, in this case, the return on the notes would be less than the Percentage Change.

 

 

U.S. Federal Tax Information

 

By purchasing the notes, each holder agrees (in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary) to treat each note as a pre-paid cash-settled derivative contract for U.S. federal income tax purposes.  However, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the notes are uncertain and the Internal Revenue Service could assert that the notes should be taxed in a manner that is different from that described in the preceding sentence.  Please see the discussion (including the opinion of our counsel Morrison & Foerster LLP) in the product supplement under “Supplemental Tax Considerations—Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” which applies to the notes.

 

Recently finalized Treasury regulations provide that withholding on “dividend equivalent” payments (as discussed in the product supplement), if any, will not apply to notes issued before January 1, 2017.

 

Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)

 

BMOCM will purchase the notes from us at a purchase price reflecting the commission set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement. BMOCM has informed us that, as part of its distribution of the notes, it will reoffer the notes to other dealers who will sell them. Each such dealer, or each additional dealer engaged by a dealer to whom BMOCM reoffers the notes, will receive a commission from BMOCM, which will not exceed the commission set forth on the cover page. This commission includes a selling concession of up to 1.6% of the principal amount that we or one of our affiliates will pay to one or more dealers in connection with the distribution of the notes.

 

Certain dealers who purchase the notes for sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts may forego some or all of their selling concessions, fees or commissions.  The public offering price for investors purchasing the notes in these accounts may be less than 100% of the principal amount, as set forth on the cover page of this document.  Investors that hold their notes in these accounts may be charged fees by the investment advisor or manager of that account based on the amount of assets held in those accounts, including the notes.

 

We own, directly or indirectly, all of the outstanding equity securities of BMOCM, the agent for this offering. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5121, BMOCM may not make sales in this offering to any of its discretionary accounts without the prior written approval of the customer.

 

You should not construe the offering of the notes as a recommendation of the merits of acquiring an investment linked to the Underlying Asset or as to the suitability of an investment in the notes.

 

BMOCM may, but is not obligated to, make a market in the notes.  BMOCM will determine any secondary market prices that it is prepared to offer in its sole discretion.

 

We may use this pricing supplement in the initial sale of the notes.  In addition, BMOCM or another of our affiliates may use this pricing supplement in market-making transactions in any notes after their initial sale.  Unless BMOCM or we inform you otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this pricing supplement is being used by BMOCM in a market-making transaction.

 

For a period of approximately three months following issuance of the notes, the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates would be willing to buy the notes from investors, and the value that BMOCM may also publish for the notes through one or more financial information vendors and which could be indicated for the notes on any brokerage account statements, will reflect a temporary upward adjustment from our estimated value of the notes that would otherwise be determined and applicable at that time. This temporary upward adjustment represents a portion of (a) the hedging profit that we or our affiliates expect to realize over the term of the notes and (b) the underwriting discount and selling concessions paid in connection with this offering.  The amount of this temporary upward adjustment will decline to zero on a straight-line basis over the three-month period.

 

 

Additional Information Relating to the Estimated Initial Value of the Notes

 

Our estimated initial value of the notes that is set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement equals the sum of the values of the following hypothetical components:

 

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a fixed-income debt component with the same tenor as the notes, valued using our internal funding rate for structured notes; and

 

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one or more derivative transactions relating to the economic terms of the notes.

 

The internal funding rate used in the determination of the initial estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt.  The value of these derivative transactions are derived from our internal pricing models.  These models are based on factors such as the traded market prices of comparable derivative instruments and on other inputs, which include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors.  As a result, the estimated initial value of the notes on the pricing date was determined based on market conditions on the pricing date.

 

The Underlying Asset

 

We have derived all information contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Underlying Asset, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components, from publicly available information. Such information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC (“PowerShares”). The Underlying Asset is an investment portfolio maintained and managed by PowerShares. The Underlying Asset is an exchange traded fund (“ETF”) that trades on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “SPLV”. We have not undertaken any independent review of, or made any due diligence inquiry with respect to, the information derived from these public sources.

 

PowerShares is a registered investment company that consists of numerous separate investment portfolios, including the Underlying Asset. Information provided to or filed with the SEC by PowerShares pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 can be located by reference to SEC file numbers 333-138490 and 811-21977, respectively, through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. For additional information regarding PowerShares and the Underlying Asset, please see the Underlying Asset’s prospectus, dated February 29, 2016. You can obtain the price of the Underlying Asset at any time from the Bloomberg Financial Markets page “SPLV UP <Equity> <GO>” or from the PowerShares website. Information from outside sources is not incorporated by reference in, and should not be considered a part of, this pricing supplement.

 

Investment Objective and Strategy

 

The Underlying Asset seeks investment results that generally correspond (before fees and expenses) to the price and yield of the S&P 500^® Low Volatility Index (the “Underlying Index”).  The Underlying Asset generally will invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Underlying Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“S&P”) compiles, maintains and calculates the Underlying Index. Strictly in accordance with its existing guidelines and mandated procedures, S&P selects 100 securities from the S&P 500^® Index for inclusion in the Underlying Index that have the lowest realized volatility over the past 12 months as determined by S&P. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down asset price fluctuations (increases or decreases in a stock’s price) over time. The Underlying Asset generally invests in all of the securities comprising the Underlying Index in proportion to their weightings in the Underlying Index.

 

Industry Concentration Policy

 

The Underlying Asset will concentrate its investments (i.e., invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets) in securities of issuers in any one industry or sector only to the extent that the Underlying Index reflects a concentration in that industry or sector. The Underlying Asset will not otherwise concentrate its investments in securities of issuers in any one industry or sector.

 

 

Holdings Information

 

The following table summarizes the Underlying Asset’s holdings by sector as of September 30, 2016.

 

 

The S&P 500^® Low Volatility Index

 

We have derived all information relating to the Underlying Index, including, without limitation, its make-up, performance, method of calculation and changes in its components, from publicly available sources. That information reflects the policies of and is subject to change by, S&P. S&P is under no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue or suspend the publication of the Underlying Index at any time.

 

S&P Publishes the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index. The Underlying Index has been calculated since April 20, 2011 and measures the performance of the 100 least volatile stocks in the S&P 500^® Index. Volatility is defined as the standard deviation of the stock’s daily price returns over the prior 252 trading days. Constituents are weighted relative to the inverse of their corresponding volatility, with the least volatile stocks receiving the highest weights. The Underlying Index is designed to serve as a benchmark for low volatility or low variance strategies in the U.S. stock market and S&P may from time to time, in its sole discretion, add companies to or delete companies from the Underlying Index to achieve these objectives.

 

Construction of the Underlying Asset. The methodology employs a volatility driven weighting scheme, using the divisor methodology used in all of S&P’s equity indices. There are two steps in the creation of the Underlying Index. The first is the selection of the companies; the second is the weighting of the index constituents.

 

To be eligible for inclusion into the Underlying Index, stocks must first become constituents in the S&P 500^® Index. Relevant criteria employed by S&P for inclusion in the S&P 500^® Index include the viability of the particular company, the extent to which that company represents the industry group to which it is assigned, the extent to which the market price of that company’s common stock is generally responsive to changes in the affairs of the respective industry and the market value and trading activity of the common stock of that company.

 

Additionally, to be eligible for the Underlying Index, constituents must have traded on all 252 trading days in the 12 months leading up to the rebalancing reference date.

 

The selection of constituents included in the Underlying Index is done as follows:

 

1.          Using available price return data for the trailing 252 trading days leading up to each index rebalancing reference date, the volatilities of the constituents within each eligible universe are calculated.

 

2.          Constituents are, then, ranked in ascending order based on the inverse of the realized volatility. The top 100 securities with the least volatility form the Underlying Index.

 

At each rebalancing, the weight for each index constituent is set inversely proportional to its volatility. Volatility is defined as the standard deviation of the security’s daily price returns over the prior 252 trading days. The Underlying Index is calculated by means of the divisor methodology used in all S&P’s equity indices. The index value is simply the index market value divided by the index divisor. In order to maintain basket series continuity, S&P also adjusts the divisor at the rebalancing.

 

 

Maintenance of the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index

 

 

The Underlying Index is rebalanced after the close on the third Friday of each February, May, August and November using market data as of the last trading day of every January, April, July and October. The constituents’ shares are calculated using closing prices on the second Friday of the rebalancing month as the reference price. Index share amounts are calculated and assigned to each stock to arrive at the weights determined on the reference date. Since index shares are assigned based on prices one week prior to rebalancing, the actual weight of each stock at the rebalancing will differ from these weights due to market movements.

 

Historical Information of the Underlying Asset

 

The following table sets forth the high and low closing prices of the Underlying Asset from the first quarter of 2012 through the pricing date.

 

 

 

Validity of the Notes

In the opinion of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, the issue and sale of the notes has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Bank in conformity with the Senior Indenture, and when this pricing supplement has been attached to, and duly notated on, the master note that represents the notes, the notes will have been validly executed and issued and, to the extent validity of the notes is a matter governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, or the laws of Canada applicable therein, and will be valid obligations of the Bank, subject to the following limitations (i) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture may be limited by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (Canada), the Winding-up and Restructuring Act (Canada) and bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium, arrangement or winding-up laws or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (ii) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture may be limited by equitable principles, including the principle that equitable remedies such as specific performance and injunction may only be granted in the discretion of a court of competent jurisdiction; (iii) pursuant to the Currency Act (Canada) a judgment by a Canadian court must be awarded in Canadian currency and that such judgment may be based on a rate of exchange in existence on a day other than the day of payment; and (iv) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture will be subject to the limitations contained in the Limitations Act, 2002 (Ontario), and such counsel expresses no opinion as to whether a court may find any provision of the Senior Debt Indenture to be unenforceable as an attempt to vary or exclude a limitation period under that Act.  This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the Provinces of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable thereto.  In addition, this opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the Trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and certain factual matters, all as stated in the letter of such counsel dated July 2, 2014, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.1 to Bank of Montreal’s Form 6-K filed with the SEC on July 3, 2014.

 

In the opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP, when the pricing supplement has been attached to, and duly notated on, the master note that represents the notes, and the notes have been issued and sold as contemplated by the prospectus supplement and the prospectus, the notes will be valid, binding and enforceable obligations of Bank of Montreal, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability (including, without limitation, concepts of good faith, fair dealing and the lack of bad faith).  This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the State of New York.  This opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the Trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and to such counsel’s reliance on the Bank and other sources as to certain factual matters, all as stated in the legal opinion dated July 2, 2014, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.2 to the Bank’s Form 6-K filed on July 3, 2014.

 

 

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