Views from the Desk
Views from the Desk

CDRs Explained: A Canadian Approach to International Markets

Jun 15, 2026

When it comes to accessing international equity, Canadian investors have options. In this episode, special guest Stephanie Ng joins hosts Zayla Saunders and Hilly Cutler to unpack Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs) — what they are, how they work, and why they’re a uniquely Canadian approach to global investing.

Zayla Saunders is Vice President of ETF Online Distribution at BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) and Hilly Cutler is Director of Portfolio Consulting and Senior Portfolio Consultant at BMO GAM. They are joined by Stephanie Ng, Senior Associate, Specialized Sales at BMO GAM. This episode was recorded live on Monday, June 152026.

ETF mentioned:

Sources:

Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs) - Directory

Morningstar Direct, BMO Global Asset Management as at June 122026.

FX: Foreign Exchange

IPO: Initial Public Offering

Bid-ask spread: The difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for a security and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept.

Emerging markets: Major economies and many smaller countries such as China, India, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan, and South Africa. 

FAANG: An acronym for the five most dominant U.S. technology companies: Facebook (now Meta), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google (a subsidiary of Alphabet).

Liquidity: The degree to which an asset or security can be quickly bought or sold in the market without affecting the asset’s price. Cash is considered to be the most liquid asset, while things like fine art or rare books would be relatively illiquid.

Management Expense Ratio (MER): The percentage of the annual fees plus the annual expenses, divided by the average net assets of the fund. 

Disclaimers:

Please visit for full disclaimers

This podcast is for information purposes. The viewpoints expressed by the speakers represent their assessment of the markets at the time of recording. Those views are subject to change without notice at any time. The information contained herein is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax or legal advice to any party. Investments should be evaluated relative to the individual’s investment objectives and professional advice should be obtained with respect to any circumstance. 

Any statement that necessarily depends on future events may be a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although such statements are based on assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from expectations. Investors are cautioned not to rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. In connection with any forward-looking statements, investors should carefully consider the areas of risk described in the most recent prospectus.

An investment in Canadian depositary receipts (“CDRs”) issued by Bank of Montreal (“BMO”) may not be suitable for all investors. Important information about these investments is contained in the short form base shelf prospectus and prospectus supplement for each series of CDRs (together, the Prospectus”). Purchasers are directed to www.sedarplus.ca or to bmogam.com to obtain copies of the Prospectus and related disclosure before purchasing CDRs. 

Each series of CDRs relates to a single class of equity securities (the Underlying Shares”) of an issuer incorporated outside of Canada (the Underlying Issuer”). For each series of CDRs, the Prospectus will provide additional information regarding such series, including information regarding the Underlying Issuer and Underlying Shares for such series. Neither BMO and its affiliates nor any other person involved in the distribution of CDRs accepts any responsibility for any disclosure provided by any Underlying Issuer (including Information contained herein or in the Prospectus that has been extracted from any Underlying Issuer’s publicly disseminated disclosure). Each series of CDRs is only offered to investors in Canada in accordance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in exchange-traded funds. Please read the ETF Facts or prospectus of the BMO ETFs before investing. The indicated rates of return are the historical annual compounded total returns including changes in unit value and reinvestment of all dividends or distributions and do not take into account sales, redemption, distribution or optional charges or income taxes payable by any unitholder that would have reduced returns. Exchange-traded funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

For a summary of the risks of an investment in the BMO ETFs, please see the specific risks set out in the BMO ETF’s prospectus. BMO ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at a discount to their net asset value, which may increase the risk of loss. Distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to change and/​or elimination.

BMO ETFs are managed by BMO Asset Management Inc., an investment fund manager, a portfolio manager, and a separate legal entity from Bank of Montreal. 

BMO Global Asset Management is a brand name under which BMO Asset Management Inc. and BMO Investments Inc. operate.

BMO (M-bar roundel symbol)” is a registered trademark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence.