Filed Pursuant to Rule 433

Subject to Completion, dated December 4, 2017

Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series D

Buffered Bullish Enhanced Return Notes, due January 31, 2019

Each Linked to a Single Index

·

This pricing supplement relates to more than one note offering.  Each issue of the notes is linked to one, and only one, Underlying Asset named below.  You may participate in any of the offerings individually or, at your election, in both of the offerings.  This pricing supplement does not, however, allow you to purchase a single note linked to a basket of the Underlying Assets below.

·

The notes are designed for investors who seek a 200.00% leveraged positive return based on any appreciation in the level of the applicable Underlying Asset. Investors should be willing to accept a payment at maturity that does not exceed the applicable Maximum Redemption Amount (as defined below), be willing to forgo periodic interest, and be willing to lose 1% of their principal amount for each 1% that the level of the applicable Underlying Asset decreases by more than 5.00% from its level on the Pricing Date.

·	Investors in the notes may lose up to 95.00% of their principal amount at maturity.

·	The Maximum Redemption Amount will be $1,090.00 for each $1,000 in principal amount as to the notes linked to the S&P 500® Index, and $1,123.00 per $1,000 in principal amount as to the notes linked to the Russell 2000® Index.

·	The offerings are expected to price on or about December 26, 2017, and the notes are expected to settle through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company on or about December 29, 2017.

·	The notes are scheduled to mature on or about January 31, 2019.

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

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

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

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

  ^*  The actual Initial Level  for each note will be set on the Pricing Date.

⁽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 $995.70 and $1,000 per $1,000 in principal amount.

 

BMO CAPITAL MARKETS

 

 

 

 

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 each 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):

 

·

Prospectus supplement dated April 27, 2017: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000119312517142764/d381374d424b5.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 offerings 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 any of the Underlying Assets.  These risks are explained in more detail in the “Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes” section of the product supplement.

 

·

Your investment in the notes may result in a loss. — You may lose some or a substantial portion of your investment in the notes.  The minimum percentage of your principal that you are entitled to receive under the terms of the notes is only 5.00%.  The payment at maturity will be based on the applicable Final Level, and whether the Final Level of the applicable Underlying Asset on the Valuation Date has declined from the Initial Level to a level that is less than the applicable Buffer Level.  If the Final Level is less than the applicable Buffer Level, you will lose 1% of the principal amount of your notes for each 1% that the Final Level is less than the applicable Buffer Level.  Accordingly, you could lose up to 95.00% of the principal amount of the notes.

 

·

Your return on the notes is limited to the applicable Maximum Redemption Amount, regardless of any appreciation in the level of the applicable Underlying Asset. — You will not receive a payment at maturity with a value greater than the applicable Maximum Redemption Amount per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes. This will be the case even if the Percentage Change multiplied by the Upside Leverage Factor of the applicable Underlying Asset exceeds the applicable Maximum Return.

 

·

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.

 

·

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 securities included in the Underlying Assets 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 levels of the Underlying Assets 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.

 

·

Our initial estimated value of the notes will be lower than the price to public. — Our initial estimated value of each of the notes is only an estimate, and is based on a number of factors.  The price to public of each 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 the 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 of each of the notes may be as low as the applicable amount indicated on the cover page of this pricing supplement.

 

·

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 applicable 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 each 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.  The value of each of the notes after the Pricing Date is not expected to correlate with one another. 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 values do 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.

 

·

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.

 

 

·

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 underwriting discounting and selling concessions, 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.

 

·

You will not have any shareholder rights and will have no right to receive any securities included in the applicable Underlying Asset at maturity. — Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any shares of any company included in either of the Underlying Assets.  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.

 

·

Changes that affect the Underlying Asset will affect the market value of the notes and the amount you will receive at maturity. — The policies of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”), the sponsor of the S&P 500® Index, and FTSE Russell, the sponsor of Russell 2000® Index (each, an “Index Sponsor”), concerning the calculation of the applicable Underlying Asset, additions, deletions or substitutions of the components of the applicable Underlying Asset and the manner in which changes affecting those components, such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers, may be reflected in the applicable Underlying Asset and, therefore, could affect the level 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 Asset, or if it discontinues or suspends the calculation or publication of the applicable Underlying Asset.

 

·

We have no affiliation with any Index Sponsor and will not be responsible for any actions taken by any Index Sponsor. —None of the Index Sponsors is an affiliate of ours or will be involved in any offerings of the notes in any way. Consequently, we have no control over the actions of any Index Sponsor, 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 Index Sponsors have 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 any issuance of the notes will be delivered to any Index Sponsor.

 

·

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.

 

·

Hedging and trading activities. — We or any of our affiliates may carry out hedging activities related to the notes, including purchasing or selling securities included in 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 or securities included in the applicable Underlying Index.  We or our affiliates may also engage in trading relating to 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.

 

·

Many economic and market factors will influence the value of the notes. — In addition to the level of the applicable 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.

 

·

You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment linked to the applicable Underlying Asset. — In the ordinary course of their businesses, our affiliates from time to time may express views on expected movements in the levels of the Underlying Assets or the prices of the securities included in 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.

 

·

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 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.

 

 

·

An investment in the Underlying Asset is subject to risks associated in investing in stocks with a small market capitalization. — The Russell 2000® Index consists of stocks issued by companies with relatively small market capitalizations.  These companies often have greater stock price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies.  As a result, the level of this index may be more volatile than that of a market measure that does not track solely small-capitalization stocks.  Stock prices of small-capitalization companies are also generally more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments, and the stocks of small-capitalization companies may be thinly traded, and be less attractive to many investors if they do not pay dividends.  In addition, small capitalization companies are typically less well-established and less stable financially than large-capitalization companies and may depend on a small number of key personnel, making them more vulnerable to loss of those individuals.  Small capitalization companies tend to have lower revenues, less diverse product lines, smaller shares of their target markets, fewer financial resources and fewer competitive strengths than large-capitalization companies.  These companies may also be more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products or services.

 

 

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 2,000.00, the Buffer Percentage of 5.00% (the Buffer Level is 95.00% of the Initial Level), the Upside Leverage Factor of 200.00%, a hypothetical Maximum Return of 9.00% and a hypothetical Maximum Redemption Amount of $1,090.00.  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 level of the Underlying Asset decreases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 2,000.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 800.00, representing a Percentage Change of -60%. Because the Percentage Change is negative and the hypothetical Final Level of 800.00 is less than the Initial Level by more than the Buffer Percentage of 5.00%, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $450.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, calculated as follows:

 

$1,000 + [$1,000 x (-60% + 5.00%)] = $450.00

 

Example 2: The level of the Underlying Asset decreases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 2,000.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 1,960.00, representing a Percentage Change of -2.00%.  Although the Percentage Change is negative, because the hypothetical Final Level of 1,960.00 is less than the Initial Level by not more than the Buffer Percentage of 5.00%, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,000.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes.

 

Example 3: The level of the Underlying Asset increases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 2,000.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 2,040.00, representing a Percentage Change of 2.00%.  Because the hypothetical Final Level of 2,040.00 is greater than the Initial Level, and the Percentage Change of 2.00% multiplied by the Upside Leverage Factor of 200.00% does not exceed the Maximum Return of 9.00%, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,040.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, calculated as follows:

 

$1,000 + [$1,000 x (2.00% x 200.00%)] = $1,040.00

 

Example 4: The level of the Underlying Asset increases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 2,000.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 3,000.00, representing a Percentage Change of 50%.  Because the hypothetical Final Level of 3,000.00 is greater than the Initial Level, and the Percentage Change of 50% multiplied by the Upside Leverage Factor of 200.00% exceeds the Maximum Return of 9.00%, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,090.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, the Maximum Redemption Amount.

 

 

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, except that the following disclosure supplements, and to the extent inconsistent supersedes, the discussion in the product supplement.

 

Under current Internal Revenue Service guidance, withholding on “dividend equivalent” payments (as discussed in the product supplement), if any, will not apply to notes that are issued as of the date of this pricing supplement unless such notes are “delta-one” instruments. Based on our determination that the notes are not delta-one instruments, non-U.S. holders should not generally be subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under 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. This commission includes a selling concession of up to 1.60% 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 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 issue 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 any 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 any of the notes as a recommendation of the merits of acquiring an investment linked to the applicable Underlying Asset or as to the suitability of an investment in the notes.

 

Additional Information Relating to the Estimated Initial Value of the Notes

 

Our estimated initial value of each 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 each of the notes on the Pricing Date will be determined based on market conditions at that time.

 

 

The Underlying Assets

 

All disclosures contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Underlying Assets, including, without limitation, their make-up, method of calculation, and changes in their components, have been derived from publicly available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, the applicable Index Sponsor. The Index Sponsors, who own the copyright and all other rights to the applicable Underlying Asset, have no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of, the Underlying Assets. The consequences of an Index Sponsor discontinuing publication of an Underlying Asset are discussed in the section of the product prospectus supplement entitled “General Terms of the Notes—Unavailability of the Level of the Underlying Asset on a Valuation Date.” Neither we nor BMO Capital Markets Corp. accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the Underlying Asset or any successor index.

 

 

The S&P 500^® Index is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement. The calculation of the level of this Underlying Asset is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943.

 

S&P chooses companies for inclusion in the Underlying Asset with the aim of achieving a distribution by broad industry groupings that approximates the distribution of these groupings in the common stock population of its Stock Guide Database of over 10,000 companies, which S&P uses as an assumed model for the composition of the total market. Relevant criteria employed by S&P 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 generally is responsive to changes in the affairs of the respective industry, and the market value and trading activity of the common stock of that company. S&P from time to time, in its sole discretion, may add companies to, or delete companies from, the Underlying Asset to achieve the objectives stated above.

 

S&P calculates the Underlying Asset by reference to the prices of the constituent stocks of the Underlying Asset without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. As a result, the return on the notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the Underlying Asset constituent stocks and received the dividends paid on those stocks.

 

Computation of the S&P 500^® Index

 

While S&P currently employs the following methodology to calculate the S&P 500^® Index, no assurance can be given that S&P will not modify or change this methodology in a manner that may affect the Payment at Maturity.

 

Historically, the market value of any component stock of the S&P 500^® Index was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the number of then outstanding shares of such component stock. In March 2005, S&P began shifting the S&P 500^® Index halfway from a market capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the S&P 500^® Index to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005. S&P’s criteria for selecting stocks for the S&P 500^® Index did not change with the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s weight in the S&P 500^® Index.

 

Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the S&P 500^® Index reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. Float adjustment excludes shares that are closely held by control groups, other publicly traded companies or government agencies.

 

 

In September 2012, all shareholdings representing more than 5% of a stock’s outstanding shares, other than holdings by “block owners,” were removed from the float for purposes of calculating the S&P 500^® Index.  Generally, these “control holders” will include officers and directors, private equity, venture capital and special equity firms, other publicly traded companies that hold shares for control, strategic partners, holders of restricted shares, ESOPs, employee and family trusts, foundations associated with the company, holders of unlisted share classes of stock, government entities at all levels (other than government retirement/pension funds) and any individual person who controls a 5% or greater stake in a company as reported in regulatory filings.  However, holdings by block owners, such as depositary banks, pension funds, mutual funds and ETF providers, 401(k) plans of the company, government retirement/pension funds, investment funds of insurance companies, asset managers and investment funds, independent foundations and savings and investment plans, will ordinarily be considered part of the float.

 

Treasury stock, stock options, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. Shares held in a trust to allow investors in countries outside the country of domicile, such as depositary shares and Canadian exchangeable shares are normally part of the float unless those shares form a control block.  If a company has multiple classes of stock outstanding, shares in an unlisted or non-traded class are treated as a control block.

 

For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated by dividing the available float shares by the total shares outstanding.  As of September 21, 2012, available float shares are defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held by control holders.  This calculation is subject to a 5% minimum threshold for control blocks.  For example, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares, and no other control group holds 5% of the company’s shares, S&P would assign that company an IWF of 1.00, as no control group meets the 5% threshold.  However, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares and another control group holds 20% of the company’s shares, S&P would assign an IWF of 0.77, reflecting the fact that 23% of the company’s outstanding shares are considered to be held for control.  For companies with multiple classes of stock, S&P calculates the weighted average IWF for each stock using the proportion of the total company market capitalization of each share class as weights.

 

The S&P 500^® Index is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The level of the S&P 500^® Index reflects the total market value of all 500 component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the level easier to use and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has been set to an indexed level of 10. This is often indicated by the notation 1941-43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the S&P 500^® Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the S&P 500^® Index, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the S&P 500^® Index. The index divisor keeps the S&P 500^® Index comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the S&P 500^® Index, which is index maintenance.

 

Index Maintenance

 

Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends, and stock price adjustments due to company restructuring or spinoffs. Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends, require changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the S&P 500^® Index, and do not require index divisor adjustments.

 

To prevent the level of the S&P 500^® Index from changing due to corporate actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of the S&P 500^® Index require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index divisor for the change in market value, the level of the S&P 500^® Index remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the S&P 500^® Index. Index divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the S&P 500^® Index closing level.

 

Changes in a company’s shares outstanding of 5.00% or more due to mergers, acquisitions, public offerings, tender offers, Dutch auctions, or exchange offers are made as soon as reasonably possible. Share changes due to mergers or acquisitions of publicly held companies that trade on a major exchange are implemented when the transaction occurs, even if both of the companies are not in the same headline index, and regardless of the size of the change. All other changes of 5.00% or more (due to, for example, company stock repurchases, private placements, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participation units, at the market offerings, or other recapitalizations) are made weekly and are announced on Fridays for implementation after the close of trading on the following Friday. Changes of less than 5.00% are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, and are usually announced two to five days prior.

 

 

If a change in a company’s shares outstanding of 5.00% or more causes a company’s IWF to change by five percentage points or more, the IWF is updated at the same time as the share change. IWF changes resulting from partial tender offers are considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

License Agreement

 

We and S&P have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to us and certain of our affiliates, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use the S&P 500^® Index, in connection with certain securities, including the notes. The S&P 500^® Index is owned and published by S&P.

 

The license agreement between S&P and us provides that the following language must be set forth in this pricing supplement:

 

The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, Standard and Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”).  S&P Dow Jones Indices make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the notes particularly or the ability of the Index to track general market performance.  S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to us with respect to the Index is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its third party licensors.  The Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to us or the notes.  S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take our needs or the needs of holders of the notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index.  S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the notes or the timing of the issuance or sale of the notes or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the notes are to be converted into cash.  S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the notes.  There is no assurance that investment products based on the Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns.  S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors.  Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be investment advice.   Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the notes currently being issued by us, but which may be similar to and competitive with the notes.  In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the Index.  It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the notes.

 

S&P DOW JONES INDICES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO.  S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN.  S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY US, HOLDERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO.  WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.  THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND US, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.

 

S&P^® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones^® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”).  These trademarks have been licensed for use by Bank of Montreal. “Standard & Poor’s^®”, “S&P 500^®” and “S&P^®” are trademarks of S&P. The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P and S&P makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the notes.

 

 

 

 

The RTY was developed by Russell Investments (“Russell”) before FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) and Russell combined in 2015 to create FTSE Russell, which is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group. Russell began dissemination of the RTY (Bloomberg L.P. index symbol “RTY”) on January 1, 1984. The RTY was set to 135 as of the close of business on December 31, 1986. FTSE Russell calculates and publishes the RTY. The RTY is designed to track the performance of the small capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market. As a subset of the Russell 3000^® Index, the RTY consists of the smallest 2,000 companies included in the Russell 3000^® Index. The Russell 3000^® Index measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies. The RTY is determined, comprised, and calculated by FTSE Russell without regard to the notes.

 

Selection of Stocks Comprising the RTY

 

All companies eligible for inclusion in the RTY must be classified as a U.S. company under FTSE Russell’s country-assignment methodology. If a company is incorporated, has a stated headquarters location, and trades in the same country (American Depositary Receipts and American Depositary Shares are not eligible), then the company is assigned to its country of incorporation. If any of the three factors are not the same, FTSE Russell defines three Home Country Indicators (“HCIs”): country of incorporation, country of headquarters, and country of the most liquid exchange (as defined by a two-year average daily dollar trading volume) (“ADDTV”) from all exchanges within a country. Using the HCIs, FTSE Russell compares the primary location of the company’s assets with the three HCIs. If the primary location of its assets matches any of the HCIs, then the company is assigned to the primary location of its assets. If there is insufficient information to determine the country in which the company’s assets are primarily located, FTSE Russell will use the primary country from which the company’s revenues are primarily derived for the comparison with the three HCIs in a similar manner. FTSE Russell uses the average of two years of assets or revenues data to reduce potential turnover. If conclusive country details cannot be derived from assets or revenues data, FTSE Russell will assign the company to the country of its headquarters, which is defined as the address of the company’s principal executive offices, unless that country is a Benefit Driven Incorporation “BDI” country, in which case the company will be assigned to the country of its most liquid stock exchange. BDI countries include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cook Islands, Curacao, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Panama, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Turks and Caicos Islands. For any companies incorporated or headquartered in a U.S. territory, including countries such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S. HCI is assigned.

 

All securities eligible for inclusion in the RTY must trade on a major U.S. exchange. Bulletin board, pink sheets, and over-the-counter (“OTC”) traded securities are not eligible for inclusion. Stocks must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on their primary exchange on the last trading day in July to be eligible for inclusion during annual reconstitution. However, in order to reduce unnecessary turnover, if an existing member’s closing price is less than $1.00 on the last day of July, it will be considered eligible if the average of the daily closing prices (from its primary exchange) during the month of July is equal to or greater than $1.00. Initial public offerings must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on the last day of their eligibility period in order to qualify for index inclusion. If an existing stock does not trade on the “rank day” (typically the last trading day in July but a confirmed timetable is announced each spring), but does have a closing price at or above $1.00 on another eligible U.S. exchange, that stock will be eligible for inclusion. Companies with a total market capitalization of less than $30 million are not eligible for the RTY. Similarly, companies with only 5% or less of their shares available in the marketplace are not eligible for the RTY.

 

Royalty trusts, limited liability companies, closed-end investment companies (companies that are required to report Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, as defined by the SEC, including business development companies, are not eligible), blank check companies, special-purpose acquisition companies, exchange traded funds, mutual funds and limited partnerships are ineligible for inclusion. Preferred and convertible preferred stock, redeemable shares, participating preferred stock, warrants, rights, installment receipts and trust receipts are not eligible for inclusion in the RTY.

 

Annual reconstitution is a process by which the RTY is completely rebuilt. On the rank day of July, all eligible securities are ranked by their total market capitalization. The largest 4,000 become the Russell 3000E Index, and the other FTSE Russell indexes are determined from that set of securities. Reconstitution of the RTY occurs on the last Friday in June or, when the last Friday in June is the 29th or 30th, reconstitution occurs on the prior Friday. In addition, FTSE Russell adds initial public offerings to the RTY on a quarterly basis based on total market capitalization ranking within the market-adjusted capitalization breaks established during the most recent reconstitution.

 

After membership is determined, a security’s shares are adjusted to include only those shares available to the public. This is often referred to as “free float.” The purpose of the adjustment is to exclude from market calculations the capitalization that is not available for purchase and is not part of the investable opportunity set.

 

 

License Agreement

 

“Russell 2000^®” and “Russell 3000^®” are trademarks of FTSE Russell and have been licensed for use by us.

 

The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FTSE Russell. FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Notes particularly or the ability of the RTY to track general stock market performance or a segment of the same. FTSE Russell's publication of the RTY in no way suggests or implies an opinion by FTSE Russell as to the advisability of investment in any or all of the securities upon which the RTY is based. FTSE Russell's only relationship to the Issuer is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of FTSE Russell and of the RTY which is determined, composed and calculated by FTSE Russell without regard to the Issuer or the notes. FTSE Russell is not responsible for and has not reviewed the notes nor any associated literature or publications and FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty express or implied as to their accuracy or completeness, or otherwise. FTSE Russell reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change the RTY. FTSE Russell has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the notes.

 

FTSE RUSSELL DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND FTSE RUSSELL SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER, INVESTORS, OWNERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED HEREIN WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING. IN NO EVENT SHALL FTSE RUSSELL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

 

 

Historical Performances of the Underlying Assets

 

The following tables set forth the quarter-end high and low closing levels for each Underlying Asset from the first quarter of 2008 through November 30, 2017.

 

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

 

Closing Levels of the S&P 500^® Index

 

 

 

Closing Levels of the Russell 2000^® Index