Mr. John Fenton reports

BMO FINANCIAL GROUP ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO REPURCHASE UP TO 25 MILLION OF ITS COMMON SHARES

Bank of Montreal intends to purchase for cancellation up to 25 million of its common shares under a normal course issuer bid, subject to the approval of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI) and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Purchases will be made through the facilities of the TSX and may also be made through other designated exchanges and alternative Canadian trading systems or by such other means as may be permitted by a securities regulatory authority, including under automatic purchase plans, block purchases, private agreements or share repurchase programs under exemption orders issued by securities regulatory authorities.

The bank intends to file a notice of intention with the TSX in this regard and, subject to regulatory approvals, the bid would commence on or around Sept. 8, 2026, and will end Sept. 7, 2027, unless terminated earlier in accordance with its terms. The common shares that may be repurchased represent approximately 3.6 per cent per cent of the public float (as such term is defined in the TSX company manual) of common shares as of July 31, 2026. The timing and amount of any purchases under the program are subject to regulatory approvals and management discretion based on factors such as market conditions. Except for any purchases made under an exemption order, which will generally be at a discount to the prevailing market price, the bank will pay the market price for the shares at the time of acquisition.

There were 697,146,398 Bank of Montreal common shares issued and outstanding as of July 31, 2026, and the public float was 696,863,163 common shares.

The proposed normal course issuer bid will provide the bank with additional flexibility to manage its capital position.

Bank of Montreal's common shares are listed on both the TSX and the New York Stock Exchange.

The bank's current normal course issuer bid commenced on Sept. 5, 2025, and continues until Sept. 4, 2026.

About Bank of Montreal

BMO Financial Group is the eighth-largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.5-trillion as of April 30, 2026. Serving customers for more than 200 years, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets, and investment banking products and services across Canada, the United States and select markets globally. BMO is innovating for business value by deploying and integrating human, digital and artificial intelligence to personalize client experiences, augment teams and automate its business responsibly. Driven by its purpose, to boldly grow the good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future and stronger communities.

We seek Safe Harbor.