US$●

Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series D

Autocallable Cash-Settled Notes with Conditional Interest Payments due April 29, 2022

 

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This pricing supplement relates an offering of Autocallable Cash-Settled Notes with Conditional Interest Payments linked to the Lesser Performing of the SPDR® S&P® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF and the VanEck VectorsTM Gold Miners ETF (the “Underlying Assets”).

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The notes are designed for investors who are seeking conditional interest payments equal to 2.75% of the principal amount per quarter, as well as a return of principal if the Closing Level of each Underlying Asset on any Call Date beginning on January 28, 2019 is greater than or equal to 100% of its Initial Level (the “Call Level”). Investors should be willing to have their notes automatically redeemed prior to maturity and be willing to lose some or all of their principal at maturity.

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The notes will bear interest at a rate equal to 2.75% of the principal amount per quarter ($27.50 per $1,000 in principal amount) if the price of each Underlying Asset is greater than or equal to its Coupon Barrier Level as of the applicable quarterly Observation Date. Any interest will be payable on the final business day of each quarter, beginning on July 31, 2018, and until the maturity date, subject to the automatic redemption feature.

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If on any Call Date beginning on January 28, 2019, the Closing Level of each Underlying Asset is greater than or equal to its Call Level, the notes will be automatically called. On the applicable Call Settlement Date, for each $1,000 principal amount, investors will receive the principal amount plus the applicable interest payment.

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The notes do not guarantee any return of principal at maturity. Instead, if the notes are not automatically called, the payment at maturity will be based on the Final Level of each Underlying Asset and whether the Closing Level of that Underlying Asset has declined from its Initial Level below its Trigger Level on the Valuation Date (a “Trigger Event”), as described below.

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If the notes are not automatically redeemed, and a Trigger Event occurs with respect to any Underlying Asset, investors will be subject to one-for-one loss of the principal amount of the notes for any percentage decrease in the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset from its Initial Level to its Final Level. In such a case, you will receive a cash amount at maturity that is less than the principal amount.

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The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.

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All payments on the notes are subject to the credit risk of Bank of Montreal.

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The offering is expected to price on or about April 25, 2018, and the notes are expected to settle through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company on or about April 30, 2018.

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The notes are scheduled to mature on or about April 29, 2022.

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

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

 

⁽¹⁾   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 between $970 and $1,000 per $1,000 in principal amount.

 

BMO CAPITAL MARKETS

 

 

Underlying Assets:	The SPDR® S&P® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (ticker symbol: XOP) and the VanEck VectorsTM Gold Miners ETF (ticker symbol: GDX). See the section below entitled “The Underlying Assets” for additional information about the Underlying Assets.
Conditional Coupon:	If the Closing Level of each Underlying Asset is greater than or equal to its respective Coupon Barrier Level as of the applicable quarterly Observation Date, investors will receive an interest payment for that quarter. Holders of the notes may not receive any interest payments during the term of the notes.
Interest Rate:	2.75% of the principal amount per quarter, if payable, unless earlier redeemed. Accordingly, each interest payment, if payable, will equal $27.50 for each $1,000 in principal amount per quarter. The actual interest rate on the notes will be determined on the Pricing Date.
Observation Dates:	The third scheduled trading day prior to the applicable interest payment date. Each Observation Date is subject to postponement, as set forth in the product supplement in the section “General Terms of the Notes—Market Disruption Events.”
Interest Payment Dates:	Interest, if payable, will be paid on the last business day of each March, June, September and December, beginning on July 31, 2018, and until the maturity date, subject to the automatic redemption feature.
Automatic Redemption:	If, on any Call Date beginning on January 28, 2019, the Closing Level of each Underlying Asset is greater than or equal to its Call Level, the notes will be automatically redeemed.
Payment upon Automatic Redemption:	If the notes are automatically redeemed, then, on the applicable Call Settlement Date, for each $1,000 principal amount, investors will receive the principal amount plus the applicable interest payment.
Call Dates:	The third (3rd) business day prior to a Call Settlement Date.
Call Settlement Dates:	Quarterly, beginning on January 31, 2019.
Payment at Maturity:	If the notes are not automatically redeemed, the payment at maturity for the notes is based on the performance of the Underlying Assets. You will receive $1,000 for each $1,000 in principal amount of the note, unless a Trigger Event has occurred with respect to any Underlying Asset.
	If a Trigger Event has occurred with respect to any Underlying Asset, you will receive at maturity, for each $1,000 in principal amount of your notes, a cash amount equal to:   $1,000 + [$1,000 x (Percentage Change of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset)]   This amount will be less than the principal amount of your notes, and may be zero.   You will also receive the final interest payment at maturity, if payable.
Trigger Event:	A Trigger Event will be deemed to occur with respect to an Underlying Asset if its Closing Level is less than its Trigger Level on the Valuation Date.
Lesser Performing Underlying Asset:	The Underlying Asset that has the lowest Percentage Change.
Percentage Changes:	With respect to each Underlying Asset,

Initial Levels:	With respect to each Underlying Asset, its Closing Level on the Pricing Date.
Call Levels:	With respect to each Underlying Asset, 100% of its Initial Level.
Final Levels:	With respect to each Underlying Asset, its Closing Level on the Valuation Date.
Coupon Barrier Levels:	With respect to each Underlying Asset, 65.00% of its Initial Level.
Trigger Levels:	With respect to each Underlying Asset, 65.00% of its Initial Level.
Pricing Date:	On or about April 25, 2018

 

 

 

 

The Pricing Date and the settlement date are subject to change. The actual Pricing Date, settlement date, Observation Dates, Interest Payment Dates, Call Dates, Valuation Date and maturity date for the notes will be set forth in the final pricing supplement.

 

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Additional Terms of the Notes

You should read this pricing supplement together with the product supplement dated May 1, 2017, the prospectus supplement dated April 27, 2017 and the prospectus dated April 27, 2017. 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.

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Product supplement dated May 1, 2017: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000121465917002863/p427170424b5.htm

 

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Prospectus dated April 27, 2017: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000119312517142728/d254784d424b2.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.

We have filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this document relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and the other documents that we have filed with the SEC for more complete information about us and this offering.  You may obtain these documents free of charge by visiting the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Alternatively, we will arrange to send to you the prospectus (as supplemented by the prospectus supplement and product supplement) if you request it by calling our agent toll-free at 1-877-369-5412.

 

 

Selected Risk Considerations

An investment in the notes involves significant risks. Investing in the notes is not equivalent to investing directly in the Underlying Assets or their components.  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. — The notes do not guarantee any return of principal. If the notes are not automatically redeemed, the payment at maturity will be based on whether a Trigger Event has occurred with respect to any Underlying Asset.  If a Trigger Event has occurred with respect to any Underlying Asset, because the Final Level of any Underlying Asset is less than its Initial Level, you will be subject to a one-for-one loss of the principal amount of the notes for any Percentage Change of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset from its Initial Level. In such a case, you will receive at maturity a cash payment that is less than the principal amount of the notes and may be zero. Accordingly, you could lose up to the entire principal amount of your notes.

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You may not receive any conditional interest payments with respect to your notes. — If the Closing Level of either Underlying Asset is less than or equal to its respective Coupon Barrier Level as of the applicable quarterly Observation Date, you will not receive a quarterly interest payment on the applicable interest payment date. You may not receive any interest payments during the term of the notes.

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Your notes are subject to automatic early redemption. — We will redeem the notes if the Closing Level of each Underlying Asset on any Call Date specified above is greater than its Call Level. Following an automatic redemption, you will not receive any additional conditional interest payments on the notes, and you may not be able to reinvest your proceeds in an investment with returns that are comparable to the notes.

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Your return on the notes is limited to the conditional interest payments, regardless of any appreciation in the value of any Underlying Asset. — You will not receive a payment at maturity with a value greater than your principal amount plus the final interest payment, if payable.  In addition, if the notes are automatically called, you will not receive a payment greater than the principal amount plus the applicable conditional interest payment, even if the Final Level of an Underlying Asset exceeds its Call Level by a substantial amount.  Accordingly, your maximum return for each $1,000 in principal amount of the notes is equal to the 16 quarterly payments of $27.50, or $440, a 44% 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 all amounts due on the notes, 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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Whether interest is payable on the notes, and your payment at maturity may be determined solely by reference to the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset, even if the other Underlying Asset performs better. — We will only make each interest payment on the notes if the Closing Level of both Underlying Assets on the applicable Observation Date exceeds the applicable Coupon Barrier, even if the price of the other Underlying Asset has increased significantly.  Similarly, if a Trigger Event occurs with respect to any Underlying Asset, your payment at maturity will be determined by reference to the performance of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset.  Even if the other Underlying Asset has appreciated in value compared to its Initial Level, or has experienced a decline that is less than that of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset, your return at maturity will only be determined by reference to the performance of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset.

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The payments on the notes will be determined by reference to each Underlying Asset individually, not to a basket, and the payments on the notes will be based on the performance of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset. — Whether each interest payment is payable, and the payment at maturity if a Trigger Event occurs, will be determined only by reference to the performance of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset, regardless of the performance of the other Underlying Asset. The notes are not linked to a weighted basket, in which the risk may be mitigated and diversified among each of the basket components. For example, in the case of notes linked to a weighted basket, the return would depend on the weighted aggregate performance of the basket components reflected as the basket return. As a result, the depreciation of one basket component could be mitigated by the appreciation of the other basket component, as scaled by the weighting of that basket component. However, in the case of the notes, the individual performance of each Underlying Asset would not be combined, and the depreciation of an Underlying Asset would not be mitigated by any appreciation of the other Underlying Asset. Instead, your receipt of interest payments on the notes will depend on the price of both Underlying Assets on each Observation Date, and your return at maturity will depend solely on the Final Level of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset.

 

 

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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 securities held by an 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 an 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 Assets. 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 will be 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 will exceed 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.  The initial estimated value may be as low as the amount indicated on the cover page of this pricing supplement.

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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 preliminary pricing supplement is, and our estimated value as determined on the Pricing Date will be, derived using our internal pricing models.  This value is based on market conditions and other relevant factors, which include volatility of the Underlying Assets, 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 are not determined by reference to the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. — To determine the terms of the notes, we will use 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 applicable Underlying Asset or a security directly linked to the applicable Underlying Asset. — The return on your notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned shares of the applicable Underlying Asset or a security directly linked to the performance of the applicable Underlying Asset and held that investment for a similar period.  Your notes may trade quite differently from the applicable Underlying Asset.  Changes in the price of the applicable Underlying Asset may not result in comparable changes in the market value of your notes.  Even if the price of the applicable 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 applicable Underlying Asset increases. In addition, any dividends or other distributions paid on the applicable Underlying Asset will not be reflected in the amount payable on the notes. The return on each of the notes may be less than the return on an investment in the applicable Underlying Asset.

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You will not have any shareholder rights and will have no right to receive any shares of the applicable Underlying Asset at maturity. — Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any shares of the applicable Underlying Asset or any securities held by the applicable 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 the applicable Underlying Asset or such other securities.

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Changes that affect the applicable Underlying Index will affect the market value of the notes and the amount you will receive at maturity. — The policies of the applicable index sponsor, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“S&P”) for the Underlying Index of the SPDR® S&P® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF, and NYSE Arca for the Underlying Index of the VanEck VectorsTM Gold Miners ETF, concerning the calculation of the applicable Underlying Index, additions, deletions or substitutions of the components of the applicable Underlying Index and the manner in which changes affecting those components, such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers, may be reflected in the applicable Underlying Index and, therefore, could affect the share price of the applicable 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 applicable index sponsor changes these policies, for example, by changing the manner in which it calculates the applicable Underlying Index, or if the applicable index sponsor discontinues or suspends the calculation or publication of the applicable Underlying Index.

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We have no affiliation with the index sponsor of the applicable Underlying Index and will not be responsible for its actions. — The sponsor of the applicable Underlying Index is not our affiliate 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 of the applicable Underlying Index, including any actions of the type that would require the calculation agent to adjust the payment to you at maturity.  The index sponsors have no obligation of any sort with respect to the notes. Thus, the applicable 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 of the applicable Underlying Index.

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Adjustments to the applicable Underlying Asset could adversely affect the notes. — The sponsor and advisor of the applicable Underlying Asset (which is Van Eck Associates Corporation (“Van Eck”) for the VanEck VectorsTM Gold Miners ETF and SSgA Funds Management, Inc. (“SSFM”) for the SPDR® S&P® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF) is responsible for calculating and maintaining the applicable Underlying Asset. The sponsor and advisor of the applicable Underlying Asset can add, delete or substitute the stocks held by the applicable Underlying Asset or make other methodological changes that could change the share price of the applicable Underlying Asset at any time. If one or more of these events occurs, the calculation of the amount payable at maturity may be adjusted to reflect such event or events. Consequently, any of these actions could adversely affect the amount payable at maturity and/or the market value of the applicable notes.

 

 

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We and our affiliates do not have any affiliation with the applicable investment advisor of the applicable Underlying Asset and are not responsible for its public disclosure of information. — The investment advisor of the applicable Underlying Asset advises the applicable Underlying Asset on various matters including matters relating to the policies, maintenance and calculation of the applicable Underlying Asset. We and our affiliates are not affiliated with the applicable 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 applicable Underlying Asset. The applicable investment advisor is not involved in the offerings 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 applicable 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 applicable investment advisor or the applicable Underlying Asset contained in any public disclosure of information. You, as an investor in the notes, should make your own investigation into the applicable Underlying Asset.

 

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

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The applicable Underlying Asset is subject to management risks. — The applicable Underlying Asset is subject to management risk, which is the risk that the applicable 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 applicable investment advisor may invest a portion of the applicable Underlying Asset’s assets in securities not included in the relevant industry or sector but which the applicable investment advisor believes will help the applicable 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 carry out hedging activities related to the notes, including purchasing or selling shares of an Underlying Asset or securities held by the applicable Underlying Asset, or futures or options relating to the applicable Underlying Asset, or other derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the performance of the applicable Underlying Asset.  We or our affiliates may also engage in trading of shares of the applicable Underlying Asset or securities held by the applicable 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 each 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 Assets. — In the ordinary course of their businesses, our affiliates from time to time may express views on expected movements in the prices of the Underlying Assets or the prices of the securities held by the Underlying Assets.  One or more of our affiliates have published, and in the future may publish, research reports that express views on the Underlying Assets 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 Assets at any time may have significantly different views from those of our affiliates.  You are encouraged to derive information concerning the Underlying Assets 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 released a notice that may affect the taxation of holders of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments.  According to the notice, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury are actively considering whether the holder of such instruments should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis.  While it is not clear whether the notes would be viewed as similar to such instruments, it is possible that any future guidance could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the notes, possibly with retroactive effect.

Please read carefully the section entitled “Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in this pricing supplement, the section entitled “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.

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The stocks included in the Underlying Index of SPDR® S&P® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF are concentrated in one sector. — All of the stocks included in the applicable Underlying Index are issued by companies in the oil and gas exploration and production sector. As a result, the stocks that will determine the performance of the applicable Underlying Index, which the applicable Underlying Asset seeks to replicate, are concentrated in one sector. Although an investment in the notes will not give holders any ownership or other direct interests in the stocks comprising the applicable Underlying Index, the return on an investment in the notes will be subject to certain risks associated with a direct equity investment in companies in the oil and gas exploration and production sector. Accordingly, by investing in the notes, you will not benefit from the diversification which could result from an investment linked to companies that operate in multiple sectors.

The issuers of the stocks held by the applicable Underlying Asset and included in the applicable Underlying Index develop and produce, among other things, crude oil and natural gas, and provide, among other things, drilling services and other services related to oil and gas production and distribution. Stock prices for these types of companies are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for oil and gas products in general. The price of oil and gas, exploration and production spending, government regulation, world events and economic conditions will likewise affect the performance of these companies. Correspondingly, the stocks of companies in this sector are subject to swift price fluctuations caused by events relating to international politics, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects and tax and other governmental regulatory policies. Weak demand for the companies’ products or services or for oil and gas products and services in general, as well as negative developments in these other areas, would adversely impact the value of the stocks held by the applicable Underlying Asset and included in the applicable Underlying Index, the market price of the applicable Underlying Asset, and the value of the notes.

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The holdings of the VanEck VectorsTM Gold Miners ETF are concentrated in the gold and silver mining industries. — All or substantially all of the equity securities held by the GDX are issued by gold or silver mining companies. An investment in the notes will be exposed to risks in the gold and silver mining industries.  As a result of being linked to a single industry or sector, the notes may have increased volatility as the share price of the GDX may be more susceptible to adverse factors that affect that industry or sector. Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition of companies in these industries.

 

 

In addition, these companies are highly dependent on the price of gold or silver, as applicable. These prices fluctuate widely and may be affected by numerous factors. Factors affecting gold prices include economic factors, including, among other things, the structure of and confidence in the global monetary system, expectations of the future rate of inflation, the relative strength of, and confidence in, the U.S. dollar (the currency in which the price of gold is generally quoted), interest rates and gold borrowing and lending rates, and global or regional economic, financial, political, regulatory, judicial or other events. Gold prices may also be affected by industry factors such as industrial and jewelry demand, lending, sales and purchases of gold by the official sector, including central banks and other governmental agencies and multilateral institutions which hold gold, levels of gold production and production costs, and short-term changes in supply and demand because of trading activities in the gold market. Factors affecting silver prices include general economic trends, technical developments, substitution issues and regulation, as well as specific factors including industrial and jewelry demand, expectations with respect to the rate of inflation, the relative strength of the U.S. dollar (the currency in which the price of silver is generally quoted) and other currencies, interest rates, central bank sales, forward sales by producers, global or regional political or economic events, and production costs and disruptions in major silver producing countries such as Mexico and Peru. The supply of silver consists of a combination of new mine production and existing stocks of bullion and fabricated silver held by governments, public and private financial institutions, industrial organizations and private individuals. In addition, the price of silver has on occasion been subject to very rapid short-term changes due to speculative activities. From time to time, above-ground inventories of silver may also influence the market.

Relationship to gold and silver bullion. — The GDX invests in shares of gold and silver mining companies, but not in gold bullion or silver bullion. The GDX may under- or over-perform gold bullion and/or silver bullion over the term of the notes.

 

 

Examples of the Hypothetical Payment at Maturity for a $1,000 Investment in the Notes

The following table illustrates the hypothetical payments on a note at maturity, assuming that the notes are not automatically called. The hypothetical payments are based on a $1,000 investment in the note, a hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00 for each Underlying Asset, a hypothetical Trigger Level of 65.00 for each Underlying Asset (65.00% of its hypothetical Initial Level), a hypothetical Call Level of 100 for each Underlying Asset (100% of its hypothetical Initial Level), a range of hypothetical Final Levels of the Lesser Performing Underlying Asset and the effect on the payment at maturity.

The hypothetical examples shown below are intended to help you understand the terms of the notes. If the notes are not automatically called, the actual cash amount that you will receive at maturity will depend upon whether the Final Level of any Underlying Asset is below its Trigger Level on the Valuation Date.  If the notes are automatically called prior to maturity, the hypothetical examples below will not be relevant, and you will receive on the applicable Call Settlement Date, for each $1,000 principal amount, the principal amount plus the applicable interest payment, if payable.

Your total return on the notes will also depend on the number of quarterly periods in which interest is payable, as set forth above.

 

 

Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

The following, together with the discussion of U.S. federal income taxation in the accompanying prospectus and prospectus supplement, is a general description of the material U.S. tax considerations relating to the notes.  It does not purport to be a complete analysis of all tax considerations relating to the notes.  Prospective purchasers of the notes should consult their tax advisors as to the consequences under the tax laws of the country of which they are resident for tax purposes and the tax laws of Canada and the U.S. of acquiring, holding and disposing of the notes and receiving payments under the notes.  This summary is based upon the law as in effect on the date of this pricing supplement and is subject to any change in law that may take effect after such date.

The following section supplements the discussion of U.S. federal income taxation in the accompanying prospectus and prospectus supplement with respect to United States holders (as defined in the accompanying prospectus).  It applies only to those holders who are not excluded from the discussion of U.S. federal income taxation in the accompanying prospectus. In addition, the discussion below assumes that an investor in the notes will be subject to a significant risk that it will lose a significant amount of its investment in the notes. Bank of Montreal intends to treat conditional interest payments with respect to the notes as U.S. source income for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

You should consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and other tax consequences of your investment in the notes in your particular circumstances, including the application of state, local or other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.

NO STATUTORY, JUDICIAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY DIRECTLY DISCUSSES HOW THE NOTES SHOULD BE TREATED FOR U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES.  AS A RESULT, THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE NOTES ARE UNCERTAIN.  BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY, YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR IN DETERMINING THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX AND OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE NOTES, INCLUDING THE APPLICATION OF STATE, LOCAL OR OTHER TAX LAWS AND THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN FEDERAL OR OTHER TAX LAWS.

We will not attempt to ascertain whether either Underlying Asset or any of the entities whose stock is owned by either Underlying Asset would be treated as a “passive foreign investment company” within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code or a “U.S. real property holding corporation” within the meaning of Section 897 of the Code. If either Underlying Asset or any of the entities whose stock is owned by either Underlying Asset were so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply. You should refer to any available information filed with the SEC by the Underlying Assets and the entities whose stock is owned by the Underlying Assets and consult your tax advisor regarding the possible consequences to you in this regard.

In the opinion of our counsel, Morrison & Foerster LLP, it would generally be reasonable to treat a note with terms described in this pricing supplement as a pre-paid cash-settled contingent income-bearing derivative contract in respect of the Underlying Assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the terms of the notes require a holder and us (in the absence of a change in law or an administrative or judicial ruling to the contrary) to treat the notes for all tax purposes in accordance with such characterization.  Although the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the conditional interest payments is uncertain, we intend to take the position, and the following discussion assumes, that such conditional interest payments (including any interest payment on or with respect to the maturity date) constitute taxable ordinary income to a United States holder at the time received or accrued in accordance with the holder’s regular method of accounting. If the notes are treated as described above, it would be reasonable for a United States holder to take the position that it will recognize capital gain or loss upon the sale or maturity of the notes in an amount equal to the difference between the amount a United States holder receives at such time (other than amounts properly attributable to any interest payments, which would be treated, as described above, as ordinary income) and the United States holder’s tax basis in the notes.  In general, a United States holder’s tax basis in the notes will be equal to the price the holder paid for the notes.  Capital gain recognized by an individual United States holder is generally taxed at ordinary income rates where the property is held for one year or less.  The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

 

 

Alternative Treatments

Alternative tax treatments of the notes are also possible and the Internal Revenue Service might assert that a treatment other than that described above is more appropriate.  For example, it would be possible to treat the notes, and the Internal Revenue Service might assert that the notes should be treated, as a single debt instrument.  If the notes are so treated, a United States holder would generally be required to accrue interest currently over the term of the notes irrespective of the conditional interest payments, if any, paid on the notes.  In addition, any gain a United States holder might recognize upon the sale or maturity of the notes would be ordinary income and any loss recognized by a holder at such time would be ordinary loss to the extent of interest that same holder included in income in the current or previous taxable years in respect of the notes, and thereafter, would be capital loss.

Because of the absence of authority regarding the appropriate tax characterization of the notes, it is also possible that the Internal Revenue Service could seek to characterize the notes in a manner that results in other tax consequences that are different from those described above.

The Internal Revenue Service has released a notice that may affect the taxation of holders of the notes.  According to the notice, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department are actively considering whether the holder of an instrument such as the notes should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis irrespective of any interest payments, and they sought taxpayer comments on the subject.  It is not possible to determine what guidance they will ultimately issue, if any.  It is possible, however, that under such guidance, holders of the notes will ultimately be required to accrue income currently and this could be applied on a retroactive basis.  The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department are also considering other relevant issues, including whether additional gain or loss from such instruments should be treated as ordinary or capital and whether the special “constructive ownership rules” of Section 1260 of the Code might be applied to such instruments.  Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the significance, and the potential impact, of the above considerations.  We intend to treat the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described in this pricing supplement unless and until such time as the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Please see the discussion under “United States Federal Income Taxation—Other Considerations—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of the backup withholding and information reporting rules to payments made on your notes.

Non-United States Holders

The following discussion applies to non-United States holders of the notes. A non-United States holder is a beneficial owner of a note that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is a non-resident alien individual, a foreign corporation, or a foreign estate or trust.

While the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the notes (including proper characterization of the conditional interest payments for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is uncertain, U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty) will be withheld in respect of the conditional interest payments paid to a non-United States holder unless such payments are effectively connected with the conduct by the non-United States holder of a trade or business in the U.S. (in which case, to avoid withholding, the non-United States holder will be required to provide a Form W-8ECI). We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of such withholding. To claim benefits under an income tax treaty, a non-United States holder must obtain a taxpayer identification number and certify as to its eligibility under the appropriate treaty’s limitations on benefits article, if applicable (which certification may generally be made on a Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, or a substitute or successor form).  In addition, special rules may apply to claims for treaty benefits made by corporate non-United States holders.  A non-United States holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service.  The availability of a lower rate of withholding or an exemption from withholding under an applicable income tax treaty will depend on the proper characterization of the conditional interest payments under U.S. federal income tax laws and whether such treaty rate or exemption applies to such payments.  No assurance can be provided on the proper characterization of the conditional interest payments for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, accordingly, no assurance can be provided on the availability of benefits under any income tax treaty.  Non-United States holders must consult their tax advisors in this regard.

 

 

Except as discussed below, a non-United States holder will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain (not including for the avoidance of doubt any amounts properly attributable to any interest which would be subject to the rules discussed in the previous paragraph) upon the sale or maturity of the notes, provided that (i) the holder complies with any applicable certification requirements (which certification may generally be made on a Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, or a substitute or successor form), (ii) the payment is not effectively connected with the conduct by the holder of a U.S. trade or business, and (iii) if the holder is a non-resident alien individual, such holder is not present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the sale or maturity of the notes.  In the case of (ii) above, the holder generally would be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to any income or gain in the same manner as if the holder were a United States holder and, in the case of a holder that is a corporation, the holder may also be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% (or such lower rate provided by an applicable U.S. income tax treaty) of a portion of its earnings and profits for the taxable year that are effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the U.S., subject to certain adjustments. Payments made to a non-United States holder may be subject to information reporting and to backup withholding unless the holder complies with applicable certification and identification requirements as to its foreign status.

A “dividend equivalent” payment is treated as a dividend from sources within the U.S. and such payments generally would be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax if paid to a non-United States holder.  Under U.S. Treasury Department regulations, payments (including deemed payments) with respect to equity-linked instruments (“ELIs”) that are “specified ELIs” may be treated as dividend equivalents if such specified ELIs reference an interest in an “underlying security,” which is generally any interest in an entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes if a payment with respect to such interest could give rise to a U.S. source dividend. However, Internal Revenue Service guidance provides that withholding on dividend equivalent payments will not apply to specified ELIs that are not delta-one instruments and that are issued before January 1, 2019. Based on our determination that the notes are not “delta-one” instruments, non-United States holders should not be subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under the notes. However, it is possible that the notes could be treated as deemed reissued for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the occurrence of certain events affecting the Underlying Assets or the notes, and following such occurrence the notes could be treated as delta-one specified ELIs that are subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments. Non-United States holders that enter, or have entered, into other transactions in respect of the Underlying Assets or the notes should consult their tax advisors as to the application of the dividend equivalent withholding tax in the context of the notes and their other transactions. If any payments are treated as dividend equivalents subject to withholding, we (or the applicable paying agent) would be entitled to withhold taxes without being required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld.

As discussed above, alternative characterizations of the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible.  Should an alternative characterization, by reason of change or clarification of the law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments as to the notes to become subject to withholding tax in addition to the withholding tax described above, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate. The Internal Revenue Service has also indicated that it is considering whether income in respect of instruments such as the notes should be subject to withholding tax. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors in this regard.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act imposes a 30% U.S. withholding tax on certain U.S. source payments, including interest (and OID), dividends, other fixed or determinable annual or periodical gain, profits, and income, and on the gross proceeds from a disposition of property of a type which can produce U.S. source interest or dividends (“Withholdable Payments”), if paid to a foreign financial institution (including amounts paid to a foreign financial institution on behalf of a holder), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the Treasury Department to collect and provide to the Treasury Department substantial information regarding U.S. account holders, including certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners, with such institution. A note may constitute an account for these purposes. The legislation also generally imposes a withholding tax of 30% on Withholdable Payments made to a non-financial foreign entity unless such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial U.S. owners of the entity.

 

 

The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service have announced that withholding on payments of gross proceeds from a sale or redemption of the notes will only apply to payments made after December 31, 2018.  If we determine withholding is appropriate with respect to the notes, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate, and we will not pay any additional amounts in respect of such withholding.  Account holders subject to information reporting requirements pursuant to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act may include holders of the notes.  Foreign financial institutions and non-financial foreign entities located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act may be subject to different rules.   Holders are urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this legislation on their investment in the notes.

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.

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 will deliver the notes on a date that is greater than two business days following the pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the notes more than two business days prior to the settlement date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

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.

We reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify the offering of the notes and to reject orders in whole or in part.  You may cancel any order for the notes prior to its acceptance.

You should not construe the offering of the notes as a recommendation of the merits of acquiring an investment linked to any 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 the final pricing supplement relating to the notes in the initial sale of the notes.  In addition, BMOCM or another of our affiliates may use the final pricing supplement relating to the notes in market-making transactions in any notes after their initial sale.  Unless BMOCM or we inform you otherwise in the confirmation of sale, the final 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 the 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.

 

 

No Prospectus (as defined in Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended, the “Prospectus Directive”)) will be prepared in connection with the notes. Accordingly, the notes may not be offered to the public in any member state of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”), and any purchaser of the notes who subsequently sells any of the notes in any EEA member state must do so only in accordance with the requirements of the Prospectus Directive, as implemented in that member state.

The notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to, and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to, any retail investor in the EEA. For these purposes, the expression “offer" includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the notes, and a “retail investor” means a person who is one (or more) of: (a) a retail client, as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, “MiFID II”); or (b) a customer, within the meaning of Insurance Distribution Directive 2016/97/EU, as amended, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (c) not a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared, and therefore, offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.

Additional Information Relating to the Estimated Initial Value of the Notes

Our estimated initial value of the notes on the date of this preliminary pricing supplement, and that will be set forth on the cover page of the final pricing supplement relating to the notes, equals the sum of the values of the following hypothetical components:

·

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

·

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 will be determined based on market conditions at that time.

 

 

The Underlying Assets

We have derived the following information regarding each of the applicable Underlying Assets from publicly available documents. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the following information. We are not affiliated with any of the Underlying Assets and the Underlying Assets will have no obligations with respect to the applicable notes. This pricing supplement relates only to the applicable notes and does not relate to the shares of any of the Underlying Assets or to the securities in any of the Underlying Indices. Neither we nor BMOCM participates in the preparation of the publicly available documents described below. Neither we nor BMOCM has made any due diligence inquiry with respect to any of the Underlying Assets in connection with the offering of the notes. There can be no assurance that all events occurring prior to the date of this pricing supplement, including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described below, that would affect the trading prices of the shares of any of the Underlying Assets have been or will be publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any events or the disclosure of or failure to disclose material future events concerning any of the Underlying Assets could affect the value of the shares of the applicable Underlying Asset and therefore could affect the Payment at Maturity.

The selection of the applicable Underlying Asset relating to any of the notes is not a recommendation to buy or sell the shares of the applicable Underlying Asset. Neither we nor any of our affiliates make any representation to you as to the performance of the shares of any of the Underlying Assets. Information provided to or filed with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 relating to each Underlying Asset may be obtained through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

SPDR^® S&P^® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF

In this section, Underlying Asset Issuer refers to the SPDR^® S&P^® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (the “XOP”), Underlying Asset refers to the shares of the XOP, and Underlying Index refers to the S&P^® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Select Industry^® Index.

The Underlying Asset is an investment portfolio maintained and managed by SSFM. The Underlying Asset trades on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “XOP.” The inception date of the Underlying Asset is June 19, 2006. Prior to January 8, 2007, the Underlying Asset was known as the SPDR^® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF.

Information provided to or filed with the SEC by the SPDR^® Series Trust (“SPDR”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 can be located by reference to its Central Index Key, or CIK, 1064642 through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Additional information about SSFM and the Underlying Asset may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents. We have not made any independent investigation as to the accuracy or completeness of such information.

The Underlying Asset seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index represents the oil and gas exploration and production sub-industry portion of the S&P Total Market Index (“S&P TMI”), an index that measures the performance of the U.S. equity market. The Underlying Asset is composed of companies that are in the oil and gas sector exploration and production.

The Underlying Asset utilizes a sampling strategy, which means that it is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in its Underlying Index. Instead, it may purchase a subset of the securities in the Underlying Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Underlying Index. Under normal market conditions, the Underlying Asset will invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Underlying Index.

The information above was compiled from the SPDR^® website. We have not independently investigated the accuracy of that information.  Information contained in the SPDR^® website is not incorporated by reference in, and should not be considered a part of, this document.

 

 

The Underlying Index: S&P^® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Select Industry^® Index

We have derived all information contained in this document regarding the Underlying Index, 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, S&P.

The Underlying Index is an equal-weighted index that is designed to measure the performance of the oil and gas exploration and production sub-industry portion of the S&P TMI. The S&P TMI includes all U.S. common equities listed on the NYSE (including NYSE Arca), the NYSE American, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, and the NASDAQ Capital Market. Each of the component stocks in the Underlying Index is a constituent company within the oil and gas exploration and production sub-industry portion of the S&P TMI.

To be eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index, companies must be in the S&P TMI and must be included in the relevant Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) sub-industry.  The GICS was developed to establish a global standard for categorizing companies into sectors and industries.  In addition to the above, companies must satisfy one of the two following combined size and liquidity criteria:

·

float-adjusted market capitalization above US$500 million and float-adjusted liquidity ratio above 90%; or

·

float-adjusted market capitalization above US$400 million and float-adjusted liquidity ratio above 150%.

All U.S. companies satisfying these requirements are included in the Underlying Index. The total number of companies in the Underlying Index should be at least 35. If there are fewer than 35 stocks, stocks from a supplementary list of highly correlated sub-industries that meet the market capitalization and liquidity thresholds above are included in order of their float-adjusted market capitalization to reach 35 constituents. Minimum market capitalization requirements may be relaxed to ensure there are at least 22 companies in the Underlying Index as of each rebalancing effective date.

Eligibility factors include:

·

Market Capitalization:  Float-adjusted market capitalization should be at least US$400 million for inclusion in the Underlying Index. Existing index components must have a float-adjusted market capitalization of US$300 million to remain in the Underlying Index at each rebalancing.

·

Liquidity: The liquidity measurement used is a liquidity ratio, defined as dollar value traded over the previous 12-months divided by the float-adjusted market capitalization as of the Underlying Index rebalancing reference date. Stocks having a float-adjusted market capitalization above US$500 million must have a liquidity ratio greater than 90% to be eligible for addition to the Underlying Index. Stocks having a float-adjusted market capitalization between US$400 and US$500 million must have a liquidity ratio greater than 150% to be eligible for addition to the Underlying Index. Existing index constituents must have a liquidity ratio greater than 50% to remain in the Underlying Index at the quarterly rebalancing. The length of time to evaluate liquidity is reduced to the available trading period for IPOs or spin-offs that do not have 12 months of trading history.

·

Takeover Restrictions:  At the discretion of S&P, constituents with shareholder ownership restrictions defined in company bylaws may be deemed ineligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. Ownership restrictions preventing entities from replicating the index weight of a company may be excluded from the eligible universe or removed from the Underlying Index.

Turnover:  S&P believes turnover in index membership should be avoided when possible. At times, a company may appear to temporarily violate one or more of the addition criteria. However, the addition criteria are for addition to the Underlying Index, not for continued membership. As a result, an index constituent that appears to violate the criteria for addition to the Underlying Index will not be deleted unless ongoing conditions warrant a change in the composition of the Underlying Index.

 

 

VanEck Vectors^TM Gold Miners ETF

In this section, Underlying Asset Issuer refers to the VanEck Vectors^TM Gold Miners ETF (the “GDX”), Underlying Asset refers to the shares of the GDX, and the Underlying Index refers to the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index.

The Underlying Asset is an investment portfolio maintained, managed and advised by Van Eck. The Market Vectors^® ETF Trust is a registered open-end investment company that consists of numerous separate investment portfolios, including the Underlying Asset.

The Underlying Asset is an exchange traded fund that trades on NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “GDX.”

The Underlying Asset seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index was developed by the NYSE Amex and is calculated, maintained and published by NYSE Arca. The Underlying Index is a modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in mining for gold or silver.

The Underlying Asset utilizes a “passive” or “indexing” investment approach in attempting to track the performance of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Asset will invest in all of the securities which comprise the Underlying Index. The Underlying Asset will normally invest at least 95% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Underlying Index.

The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Van Eck. Van Eck makes no representations or warranties to the owners of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in the notes. Van Eck has no obligation or liability in connection with the operation, marketing, trading or sale of the notes.

The Underlying Index

We have derived all information contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Underlying Index, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components, from publicly available information and information supplied by NYSE Arca. Such information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, NYSE Arca. The Underlying Index was developed by the NYSE Amex (formerly the American Stock Exchange) and is calculated, maintained and published by the NYSE Arca. The NYSE Arca has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue the publication of, the Underlying Index.

The Underlying Index includes common stocks, ADRs and GDRs of selected companies that are involved primarily in mining for gold or silver and that are listed for trading and electronically quoted on a major stock market that is accessible by foreign investors.  Generally, this will include exchanges in most developed markets and major emerging markets, and will include companies that are cross-listed, e.g., both U.S. and Canadian listings. NYSE Arca will use its discretion to avoid exchanges and markets that are considered “frontier” in nature or have major restrictions to foreign ownership. The Underlying Index includes companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues from gold mining and related activities (40% for companies that were included in the Underlying Index prior to September 23, 2013).  Also, the Underlying Index maintains exposure to companies with a significant revenue exposure to silver mining in addition to gold mining, which will not exceed 20% of the Underlying Index weight at each rebalance.

Only companies with market capitalizations greater than $750 million that have an average daily volume of at least 50,000 shares over the past three months and an average daily value traded of at least $1 million over the past three months are eligible for inclusion in the Underlying Index. Starting in December 2013, for companies that were included in the Underlying Index prior to September 23, 2013, the market capitalization requirement at each rebalance became $450 million, the average daily volume requirement will be at least 30,000 shares over the past three months and the average daily value traded requirement will be at least $600,000 over the past three months. NYSE Arca has the discretion to not include all companies that meet the minimum criteria for inclusion. The Underlying Index’s benchmark value was 500.00 at the close of trading on December 20, 2002.

 

 

Calculation of the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index is calculated by NYSE Arca on a price return basis. The calculation is based on the current modified market capitalization divided by a divisor. The divisor was determined on the initial capitalization base of the Underlying Index and the base level and may be adjusted as a result of corporate actions and composition changes, as described below.

Index Maintenance.  The Underlying Index is reviewed quarterly to ensure that at least 90% of the index weight is accounted for by index components that continue to meet the initial eligibility requirements. NYSE Arca may at any time and from time to time change the number of securities comprising the group by adding or deleting one or more securities, or replacing one or more securities contained in the group with one or more substitute securities of its choice, if in NYSE Arca’s discretion such addition, deletion or substitution is necessary or appropriate to maintain the quality and/or character of the Underlying Index. Components will be removed from the Underlying Index during the quarterly review if (1) the market capitalization falls below $450 million, or (2) the traded average daily shares for the previous three months is lower than 30,000 shares and the traded average daily value for the previous three months is less than $600,000.

At the time of the quarterly rebalance, the component security quantities will be modified to conform to the following asset diversification requirements:

(1)

the weight of any single component security may not account for more than 20% of the total value of the Underlying Index;

(2)

the component securities are split into two subgroups – large and small, which are ranked by market capitalization weight in the Underlying Index. Large securities are defined as having a starting index weight greater than or equal to 5%. Small securities are defined as having a starting index weight below 5%; and

(3)

the final aggregate weight of those component securities which individually represent more than 4.5% of the total value of the Underlying Index may not account for more than 45% of the total index value.

The weights of the components securities (taking into account expected component changes and share adjustments) are modified in accordance with the Underlying Index’s diversification rules.

Changes to the index composition and/or the component security weights in the Underlying Index are determined and announced prior to taking effect, which typically occurs after the close of trading on the third Friday of each calendar quarter month in connection with the quarterly index rebalance. The share quantities of each component security in the index portfolio remains fixed between quarterly reviews except in the event of certain types of corporate actions such as stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, or similar events. The share quantities used in the index calculation are not typically adjusted for shares issued or repurchased between quarterly reviews. However, in the event of a merger between two components, the share quantity of the surviving entity may be adjusted to account for any stock issued in the acquisition.  NYSE Arca may substitute securities or change the number of securities included in the Underlying Index, based on changing conditions in the industry or in the event of certain types of corporate actions, including mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, and reorganizations. In the event of component or share quantity changes to the index portfolio, the payment of dividends other than ordinary cash dividends, spin-offs, rights offerings, re-capitalization, or other corporate actions affecting a component security of the Underlying Index, the index divisor may be adjusted to ensure that there are no changes to the index level as a result of nonmarket forces.

 

 

Historical Performances of the Underlying Assets

The following tables set forth the quarter-end high and low closing prices for each Underlying Asset from the first quarter of 2008 through March 26, 2018.

The historical prices of the Underlying Assets are provided for informational purposes only. You should not take the historical prices of the applicable Underlying Asset as an indication of its future performance, which may be better or worse than the prices set forth below.

Closing Prices of the SPDR^® S&P^® Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF

 

 

Closing Prices of the VanEck Vectors^TM Gold Miners ETF