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BMO Financial 
BMO Financial, the Canada-based group which is dual-listed in Toronto and New York, has secured a securities registration status in Japan.

The licence enables BMO to enhance the service it provides to clients, attract new customers who prefer to deal with onshore banks, and engage in the marketing, sale and distribution of foreign fixed income securities including US and Canadian rates, credit and securitised products.

"Expanding our business in Japan aligns with BMO Capital Markets' strategy to build a premier distribution capability both Internationally and in North America. We're looking forward to being able to tap into a deep pool of global markets' talent to complement our Asia coverage efforts,” Rob Yeung, country head of international and head of global equities and financing solutions, BMO Capital Markets, said.

"BMO applied for a securities licence after a strategic review that showed a high correlation between our global markets' products and demand in Japan," Yuko Kamiya, representative director, BMO Japan Securities Ltd in Japan, said. "Japan is the largest foreign holder of US Treasuries, large investors of mortgages and securitised products and one of the most active foreign participants in Canadian bonds." 

BMO opened its first representative office in Japan in 1962, followed by a bank branch that operated from 1981 until 1996.