Updating Bank of Montreal and General Electric Co.

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BANK OF MONTREAL $99 (Toronto symbol BMO; Income-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 640.1 million; Market cap: $64.0 billion; Dividend yield: 3.8%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.bmo.com) raised its quarterly dividend by 4.2% starting with the February 2019 payment. Investors now receive $1.00 a share, up from $0.96. The new annual rate of $4.00 yields a high 4.0%. In September 2018, the bank paid $397 million for KGS-Alpha Capital Markets. Based in New York City, this privately held firm provides brokerage services to institutional investors such as pension plans. The bank also continues to cut costs as more of its customers do their banking online. As a result, overall earnings in the quarter ended October 31, 2018, rose 16.8%, to $1.53 billion from $1.31 billion a year earlier. Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share rose at a faster rate of 19.6%, to $2.32 from $1.94. Bank of Montreal is a buy. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $10 (New York symbol GE; Income-Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry…