BMO Global Asset Management today launched its first Exchange Traded Funds in Europe.

The company said the move meant it has become the first Canadian bank to offer ETFs in Europe. The nine ETFs, listed on the London Stock Exchange and designed specifically for UK and European investors, include four global corporate bond ETFs and five equity ETFs aimed at generating high quality income for investors.

Richard Wilson, chief executive at BMO Global Asset Management, said: “Establishing our ETF offering in Europe is a key strategic milestone for us as we continue to expand across the region. Since the launch of the BMO Global Asset Management brand in Europe earlier this year, we have successfully brought our investment expertise to help new clients in new markets.

“Building on this momentum, we have used our experience managing ETFs in Canada and Hong Kong to develop and deliver a tailored offering for European investors, marking another step in delivering on the ambitious plans we have for the business.”

BMO Global Asset Management in Canada has more than 60 different ETFs and launched three ETFs in Hong Kong in 2014.

Included among the nine new ETFs are three global corporate bond ETFs across a range of maturity bands.

The three global corporate bond ETFs and a global high yield ETF track the Barclays Very Liquid Index (VLI), a subset of the Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index. The Barclays Global Corporate VLI applies filters to exclude more illiquid bond issues.

Kevin Gopaul, BMO head of ETFs, said: “Our bond ETFs provide investors with the ability to diversify their exposure through global corporate bonds and high yield bonds.

“These are the first ETFs to offer a range of specific global corporate bond maturity bands, allowing investors to position their portfolios more precisely on the yield curve.”