BANK OF MONTREAL $51 (Toronto symbol BMO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 549.9 million; Market cap: $28 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.7; SI Rating: Above Average) is the fourth-largest Canadian bank, with total assets of $415.4 billion. Despite the recession, Bank of Montreal is setting less money aside to cover bad loans. In the three months ended July 31, 2009, the bank allocated $417 million for future loan losses, down 13.8% from $484 million a year earlier. Lower loan-loss provisions at its main Canadian personal and business lending operations offset higher provisions at its U.S. division, particularly for commercial real-estate loans and residential mortgages. Thanks to the lower provisions, Bank of Montreal’s earnings rose 6.9%, to $557 million from $521 million a year earlier. However, earnings per share fell 1.0%, to $0.97 from $0.98, because of an 8.7% rise in the number of outstanding shares. Revenue rose 8.4%, to $3 billion from $2.7 billion. Bank of Montreal trades at 12.8 times its likely 2009 earnings of $4.00 a share. The $2.80 dividend yields 5.5%. Bank of Montreal is a buy.